Surviving the Storehouse: Cream of Vegetable Soup

It's getting colder, or at least it's supposed to be.  Sunlight goes away, kids bring home every virus and bacteria they can find.  Winter is on the way!  And there's nothing more comforting, warming, and nourishing than soup!  This is one of my favorite ways to use the vegetables from the storehouse, because you can use practically anything, which helps for those mysterious in season vegetables you never know you're going to get until you get there (though there are some standards).  You can serve soup with rolls or crackers if you have them, but it's not necessary at all to have a delicious, filling meal.

Here's my number one go-to soup recipe:

Cream of Vegetable Soup

3 cups vegetables of your choice (Good options in any combination: potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peppers, onions, green beans, corn, and sweet potatoes/yams and canned pumpkin for the holiday season specials)
1-2 chicken breasts (optional, but helps with the flavor if you don't have broth)
4-6 cups water or turkey broth (see, it's going to come in handy!)
2 cups milk or evaporated milk (if not using, use more water)
1/4 cup butter (optional, but SO yummy)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, add vegetables, chicken and 2 cups water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through.  Remove from heat. 

Add some vegetables, 1/2 cup to 1 cup at a time, with enough cooking liquid to help the blender do its job.  Continue to add more vegetables as the blender blends until all vegetables have been added (or your blender gets to full to do the job properly, then transfer to a bowl and start again with the rest of the veggies).  Return puree to pot over medium heat.  Add butter (if using) and enough water, broth, or milk to make it the consistency you desire.  Heat through, but do not boil if you used milk.  Season to taste. Serve hot.

If you happen to have leftovers, or you can tell this will make too much soup for your family to eat all at once, or you just want to store some extra for another rainy (or snowy) day, this freezes will prior to adding the milk.  Freeze it without and add the milk when you reheat it.

More soup recipes to come! (We've had a run of colds this week, thank goodness we have the turkey broth!)

Bon appetit!