Not a salad fan? Not a problem!

I have never really thought of myself as a gambler...until this week.  No, I am not talking about poker - I have no poker face and want to chatter with all the other players - or pool - I have no skills.  I am talking about food.  I was watching one of my cooking programs, French Food at Home, and was inspired.  Was I inspired by the ingredients, new and exotic?  No.  The technique, challenging and adventurous?  No.  It was the color.  Sorry, what?  Yes, the color.  The host, Laura Calder, made a simple vegetable soup that was a bright, goldenrod yellow.  It looked quite a lot like a soup called "bowl of sunshine" I used to get at a tea house in Franklin, which closed last Christmas.  Because the color was so similar, I though, "Hm, it's bright yellow...just like that other soup...I will make it!"  No way this can go wrong, not when I'm basing it on something so tried and true as a color.  I don't recommend this, but, thankfully, there's a happy ending to this story.

Tizza Soup

Courtesy Laura Calder

1 pound/500 g potatoes, peeled and chopped
8 ounces/250 g carrots, peeled
8 ounces/250 g zucchini, chopped
2 artichoke hearts
2 leeks, trimmed and washed
2 small tomatoes, chopped
1 turnip (not rutabaga)
1/2 stalk celery, chopped
1 cube chicken or vegetable bouillon
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the potatoes, carrots, zucchini, artichoke hearts, leeks,tomatoes, turnip and celery in a large pot. Add the bouillon cube,olive oil and some salt and pepper. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer until all the vegetables are tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Put the mixture through a food mill or blend with an immersion blender. Reheat to serve.

Holy cow!  Did you see that list of veggies?  Here's something sort of random: I really like the idea of salads.  Salads themselves?  Sure...if you add some cheese and eggs and nuts and dressing and bacon...you see my dilemma.  And, yes, I know raw fruits and veggies have more vitamins and minerals than the cooked stuff, but not everyone likes rabbit food!  There, I said it.  It's okay, though, because soup is here to save the day!
 

This is my biggest stockpot.  It's just a little smaller than a KitchenAid stand mixer, if that gives you an idea of how very huge it is.  And look at how full of veggies it is!!!  Seriously, the prep on this dish is the most time consuming part.  I actually only added one leek because I ran out of room.  Then just add water and flavor.  I used chicken bouillon because it's what I had on hand.

Look at that deliciousness!  I did end up adding a few more bouillon cubes to taste, but definitely not nearly as many as would normally be used to flavor a dish of this magnitude.  Why?  Because the veggies do 70% of the flavoring for you.  Mmmmmmmm...

I am so in love with this dish.  It's really yummy, it's pretty, and you can basically eat as much of it as you want and not worry.  You're just eating blended vegetables, though it is not quite the same soup from the old tea house.  I think that one may have been curried somehow.  Nevertheless, this soup is great!  I have been eating it all week long and am not tired of it at all.  I actually find myself craving it.  It's weird, the soup doesn't give you the same foodgasm feeling as, say, a really good burger or some other super-rich food, but it provides a kind of relief.  You feel so happy and good and fulfilled when eating it.  I know that sounds crazy to go on like this over vegetable soup, but it is that good!  Give it a try.  I promise, you will love it and your body will thank you.