Sweet Potato Vegetable Soup

It is very important to have a kitchen helper when available. So I went to my sister's house and got two! My sister Alleta and Beau, my very cute, special kitchen helper...



So this soup is great because everything came out of our garden! That is a very important thing for everyone. Vitamin B12 is not hard to get when you know where to look. In animal protein the B12 is already synthesized and is rendered almost useless to other animals. We need the un-synthesized B12 so our own body can work it. Only through that process do we benefit form it. Anyway, the B12 everyone needs comes from soil. (Cows eat grass/soil and get B12 hence the misconception we benefit from them with B12.)
Not only are the veggies blessed with delicious traces of dirt(!), they are really really pretty!


You will need:
~1 Large Sweet Potato~1 Large Red Onion~4 large stalks of celery with greens
~2cups uncooked quinoa
~Tomato base*
~2 Bay leaves
~s/p to taste
*My family, every year, grows an abundance of garden goods so can. We make a concoction my Gram dubbed 'goop-it' that consists of tomatoes and anything else we have left over. We blanch the tomatoes and peel them and then add the rest of the chopped veggies and herbs. We put them in Mason jars and pressure cook them until sealed. We use these jars of 'goop-it' throughout the year as soup bases. It comes out with the consistency of a soupy salsa. Alleta and I used one that was made with just tomato and basil leaves.
To start, if you have an iron skillet, USE it! Cooking in iron not only gives amazing flavor, even heat and flexibility to the dish, the mineral is actually leached into the food giving us 'veggies' much needed supplements! Start by cubing the potato and chopping the onion and celery into 'healthy' sized chunks. Use a hot skillet with a dash of olive oil and start sauteing the potato. Add a dash of water after the potatoes start to steam a little. This may initiate some splatter so watch out, but it is important to allow the potatoes to get soft. Add the onion as soon as the potato starts to brown.
In a sauce pan add 1 quart of your tomato base. If you don't have 'goop-it' ( yeah right ), you can sub a few seasoned cans of stewed/ herbed tomatoes. Put over low heat and add the bay leaves. Let that simmer and check the potatoes. If they are softer but still put up a little resistance to a knife, add the onions and saute them until soft. Add the celery and greens to the sauce pan. Stir it up. Once the potatoes and soft enough to have a knife go through it but not fall apart, add everything in the skillet into the sauce pan and simmer for a few minutes. Add the quinoa and let simmer for about ten more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and you are finished!

Leek and Seitan Soup

I made this soup just the other day, trying to make room in my refrigerator for more produce. It was also a 'soup day'. The days when you want to wear pj's and eat soup.

You will need:

1 stem Fresh leek, washed and sliced into rings
1 small Yellow squash, quartered and sliced
1 long Broccoli stem, peeled and sliced
1 cup Seitan, marinated in soy
1/2 Red Bell pepper, sliced
1/2 small Onion
2 cloves Fresh Garlic, crushed
2 tbl. Soy sauce
4 cups Vegetable Broth
oregano, black pepper, cayenne all to taste


Slice veggies and add into cooking pot. Measure broth based on how many veggies are in the pot and how thick you want your soup. I usually add enough to cover the veggies (refer to picture). Add broth and soy sauce and heat on med-high until simmering then add the spices to taste. Let simmer for only a few minutes. Don't boil! The squash will disintegrate and the veggies will lose their nutritional value. That's the trick to soups. Never boil them! In the end it will have diminished nutritional value, all taste the same and have the same texture. Serve the soup hot and with anything you want... Crackers, sandwiches, salad etc.

If the soup wasn't already so busy, I would have added some celery and carrot as well, either way it is delicious!

~Enjoy