Alphabet Vegetable Soup

So this is what became of my last batch of vegetable stock. Yes, I spent my past Friday making a vegetable stock while the rest of the city did what it is they do.

Wasting food is a bad thing. Cut an onion? Save that last little bit of base that you didn’t cut. Buy celery? Cut off the top inch and the end and save it. Put it all in a large Tupperware and freeze it up to month. Save your veggie scraps and make a stock when you have enough scraps. Use that stock in everything from sauces to soups. Your favorite restaurants do it. So should you.

To make vegetable stock, simply add all of the scraps to a large stock pot. Add enough water to cover. Throw in garlic, a bay leaf, herbs such as thyme and rosemary, whole peppercorns, a clove, a few star anise, etc. Bring to the boil and immediately lower to a simmer. Simmer for 2-3 hours and up to 24. Skim off any foam that rises. Then strain (squeezing the liquid from the veggies as you strain). Pass the stock through a fine mesh or cheesecloth to ensure no dirt or particles end up in the final product. Salt to taste. Then make the following!

INGREDIENTS:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion chopped
2 ribs celery chopped into ¼ slices
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 quarts vegetable stock
1 can (28 oz) of plum tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp Italian herbs
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp celery salt
Cayenne pepper to taste
Black pepper to taste
1.5 tsp hot sauce (Frank’s) or to taste
1 tbsp ketchup
3-4 carrots cut into bite sized pieces
½ bunch kale shredded into strips
3 ears of corn, kernels removed
2 zucchini cut into bite sized pieces
8-10 oz of alphabet pasta

In a large stock pot over high heat, add in the vegetable oil. Once hot, add the onions and celery. Sweat until the onions are just translucent. Reduce the heat to medium and add in the garlic. Cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add in the tomato paste. Distribute and cook stirring for 1 minute in order to caramelize the paste.

Add in the vegetable stock. Hand crush the can of plum tomatoes until puréed. Add in the tomato purée, bay leaf, Italian herbs, red pepper flakes, sugar, celery salt, cayenne, black pepper, hot sauce, and ketchup. Set the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Skim off any foam that rises.

Once simmering, add in the carrots. Return to a simmer and time 7 minutes. Add in the kale. Return to a simmer and time 10 minutes. Add in the corn kernels and wait another 10 minutes. Skim off any foam that rises. Taste.

Test for salt and pepper levels. Adjust the seasoning. You can add in onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, more ketchup, and/or celery salt for body. This is the final frontier! Taste and adjust to your liking. Make sure it’s well seasoned.

Bring back to a simmer and add in the zucchini. Time 6-10 minutes. Bring to a boil and add in the alphabet pasta. Undercook the pasta to just al dente and remove the pot from the heat.

Serve with a grilled cheese sammich!

Meat eater? Start it all off with diced polish sausage, bacon, chunks of chicken thigh, hunks of beef chuck, pancetta, clumps of Italian sausage, mini meatballs, or chopped pork shoulder. Brown, remove, and proceed as normal. Or just use chicken stock in place of vegetable stock for more flavor.

Vegetable connoisseur? Add in your own favorites. Just keep in mind the textures you’re wanting as well as cooking times to attain those textures. Then add in the vegetables in correct order and timing. Nothing’s worse than overcooked veggies.