Chunky Vegetable Soup

I'll explain about the lack of food picture at the end of the post.


I have never really been a soup fan.

Perhaps, the reason why is because the only soup I experienced up until college came out of the can and had the word Campbell's on it. Granted, some of the canned soups like Wolfgang Puck's or Amy's canned soups can be tasty but you can never top a homemade soup. I love this soup because it's healthy but, unlike many healthy recipes, it's bursting with flavor and very filling.

Oh, for those of you who know about my awful experiences being a chef's assistant, this recipe made all that abuse worthwhile. Shhh...don't tell the chef that I'm posting this...

1 small onion
1 clove garlic
1 large red pepper
2 small zucchini
2 small yellow squash
1 cup canned plum tomatoes
1 pint of cherry tomatoes
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/8 teaspoon thyme
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups tomato juice
1/4 cup olive oil

Coarsely chop all vegetables except for plum tomatoes and cherry tomatoes. Add the chopped vegetables to a food processor or blender and blend until chunky. Heat oil until very hot in a large pot. Add chopped and processed vegetables, plum tomatoes and all spices to pot. Stir and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add cherry tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Add vinegar and tomato juice. Puree half of the soup and mix with remaining soup. Serve.

Ok, in all the excitement of making this last night, I forgot to take a picture. Instead, I have posted a picture of the album that we listened to when chopping, pureeing and simmering. We are going to see "Youth Group" next month because they are opening for one of our current favorites "Matt Pond PA". We figured we should get to know this "quietly adored" Australian band so we aren't clueless when we go to the show. I'm still forming my opinion of them...