Winters-Not-Quite-Over-Yet-Vegetable Soup

Just when you start seeing fresh tomatoes and berries in the grocery store and start daydreaming of the long summer nights, eating outside until it's late, and all the magical produce that comes with warmer weather, you look outside and realize it's still in the 40's - 50's and raining. And then all you want is a warm bowl of comfort.

I made this soup for some friends and we (mostly I) ate it up so fast, I didn't have time to take a picture of it! Yes, I know this is like breaking the first cardinal rule of blogging about recipes - not to post a picture, but imagine it looks something like this:

Plus a dash of this:

Got the jist? OK.

You're gonna need:

I large yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large carrot, cut in quarters lengthwise and chopped

2 celery ribs, cut in half lengthwise and chopped

1 small acorn squash, peeled, de-seeded, and chopped into 1/2" cubes

about 6 cups GOOD chicken stock

1 (14oz) can chopped tomatoes

1 can cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained

2 bay leaves

2 TB freshly chopped basil

1 TB freshly chopped thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 bunch chard

Grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

1. Heat 2 TB olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot, stirring until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and still for 1 more minute.

2. Add the acorn squash and the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover until squash is tender, about 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, chop the ribs of the chard and set aside. Slice the leaves of the chard into quarters and roughly chop about 1" thick. Add the stems of the chard and the remaining ingredients minus the chard leaves and cook until heated through, about another 10 minutes.

4. Add the chard leaves to the soup and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. To serve, top with freshly grated parmesan cheese, or any other favorite hard nutty cheese.

I also made mine the day before and let it sit overnight before re-heating and serving, and it was delicious! This soup is so comforting and reminds me of home so much, I hope it becomes a staple in your home and warms you up on a chilly spring (or winter!) evening. Enjoy!

Devonly,

Yours