My dad sent me a delicious, flexible soup recipe that is too good not to share!
I talked earlier this summer about my cooking heroes, and my pops is definitely at the top of that list. He’s not what you’d call a recipe follower, and that freestyle sort of cooking taught me more than just how to put a meal together. Instead, I learned how to look at ingredients as tools for making my own recipes.
This recipe he sent is a great example of his cooking mindset. You can change up ingredients depending on your preferences or what you have on hand. The ingredients are a little bit loose, and you can almost imagine him tossing things into the pot without measuring a thing!
Ingredients:
Large onion (red or yellow)
3 or 4 large carrots peeled and sliced
3 or 4 stalks of celery sliced
1 large rutabaga or a few turnips, chunked
2 parsnips, chunked
2 red potatoes, chunked
1 bunch of dill
Mushrooms are optional
1 12 oz. package of dried beans
Spices needed: Salt, pepper, thyme and sage
Preparation:
Saute the carrots, celery and onion until a little caramelized.
Add 5 cups of water for every six oz. of split peas, lentils, etc (whatever you choose).
Bring the mixture to a boil and then add the split peas (or beans of your choice) and stir in well
Cut the bunch of dill in half and add to soup.
Add some salt, pepper, thyme and sage.
Cook this for about 30 minutes with the top on the pot using a low simmer.
Add the parsnips, rutabaga.
Continue cooking for about an hour on a low simmer.
Now take the cover off and add the mushrooms and potatoes and cook until desired thickness.
Correct the seasoning.
This is great served with a hearty, crusty bread and can almost be a main dish since it is almost a veggie stew.
ENJOY