COLUMN: Bringing in spring with healthy soup

    Though sometimes  the weather may be deceiving, springtime is here. One of my favorite things about spring are the fresh new vegetables that brave the cold and somehow find a way to peak their heads out of the thawing ground.

    When I see pointy asparagus tops lining the produce section of the grocery store, I know that it will soon be time to say goodbye to the snow flurries of winter. Soon the farmers’ market will be bustling with even more tasty vegetables that will help keep us healthy, wealthy and wise.

    In honor of these dear vegetables, here is a treasure of a recipe that I found in Yoga Journal’s June 2010 issue. Although this is a summer vegetable soup, I think it’s great for springtime. It is fresh and delightful, but also warm and hearty – the perfect companion for a rainy day.

Butter Bean and Summer Vegetable soup

1 can lima beans

2 medium-sized yellow onions

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 red bell pepper

1 28 oz. can of peeled tomatoes

6 oz. green beans

8 oz. summer squash

6 oz. spinach

6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves

1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

    Chop up onions and saute them in a tablespoon of olive oil, cook them on low heat until they are soft and beginning to color.

    While the onions are cooling, char the red pepper in a broiler or a toaster oven until the skin blisters.

    Put the pepper in a paper bag for 2 minutes to sweat, then slip off the skin. Stem and seed the pepper and then cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

    In a large soup pot, bring 5 cups of water to a simmer. Add in the chopped green beans and a dash of salt. Cook for 5 minutes, then add diced summer squash, rinsed spinach, bell pepper, tomatoes and sauteed onions.

    Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

    While that is simmering, saute the garlic in olive oil for 2-3 minutes or until the garlic begins to color.

    Add the garlic to the vegetables along with the basil, oregano and drained lima beans. Add more water if desired.

    Bring the soup back to a simmer and add lemon juice and pepper to taste.

    And there you have it. I like to serve it in a big bowl with toasted crusty bread from Crumb Brothers. The beauty of this soup is that it takes all of the natural flavors from the vegetable to create a delicious broth with no hidden ingredients.

    It’s also a great immune system booster if you are getting the springtime sniffles. Enjoy!

– randbo311@gmail.com