Tis the season for soup

I make and eat a lot of soup, especially in the winter. Year round, my favourite is "Garden Vegetable Soup". It is a Weight Watchers recipe. But don't let that fool you. It's delish!!! I make at least 2 batches of it each week. For me! :-) It goes nicely as a side with any meal and helps to fill you up without adding all those unnecessary points.

Garden Vegetable Soup
Source: Weight Watchers
Points value: 0

2/3 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup diced onion
2 minced garlic cloves
3 cups fat-free broth (beef, chicken or vegetable)
1 1/2 cups diced green cabbage
1/2 cup green beans
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup diced zucchini

Spray a large saucepan with nonstick cooking spray, heat.  Saute the carrot, onion and garlic over low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add broth, cabbage, beans, tomato paste, basil oregano and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer covered, about 15 minutes or until beans are tender. Stir in the zucchini and heat for 3-4 minutes. Serve hot.

I've pretty much got this recipe down to a science. Here are my tips:

1. Add extra garlic and onions. It gives it that extra flavour it needs.
2. When you are sauteing the carrots, onions and garlic - do not skimp on the sauteing time. Sometimes when I'm in a hurry I do. But the flavour is just not the same with the finished product.
3. Don't use baby carrots. They contribute zero flavour to the soup. Buy a bag of big carrots and slice them into coins. Much better!
4. Add more tomato paste then they say. I double what the recipe calls for. It gives it a spicier flavour.
5. Broth - I add half vegetable broth and half chicken broth.
6. Did I mention, I always make a double batch at a time? Yes, I do.
7. You can adjust amounts according to what's in your fridge/freezer. This week I was out of green beans so I just added extra zuchinni.
8. Most important tip! Never eat it just after you make it. It needs time for the flavours to meld together. It's always best the next day...and how forever long it lasts after that. Which is not long at my house.  ;-)

The Best Things

The best things are nearest:
breath in your nostrils,

light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at

your hand, the path of Right just before you.

Do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain

common work as it comes, certain that daily duties

and daily bread are the sweetest things in life.

~ Robert Louis Stevenson