Belize or bust in our house. I may have fought harder for this trip than any other. One possible sliver of time, when school vacations aligned and we safely circumnavigated all teenage social engagements, provided my resistant family a vacation they’ve earned and needed like never before.
With her wildly successful, but challenging, first semester of college behind her, Kendall deserves a week without hurricanes and finals. Griffin, although merely a sixth grader, proved that he’s not a kid anymore when having to face school applications, the daunting work for his school’s debate team, and test prep for standardized tests. Dan, no slouch, took on a little thing we like to call new job. Then, my dad and his rising illnesses presented what seemed to be a possible threat of sending the family to Belize without me. After the 911 call, administering CPR, sorting medications, doctors appointments, and flying him back to Denver while watching his chest for every prayed-for breath, he rallied. And with it all,I got a moment to feel like a daughter again, instead of a caregiver. I stayed in his apartment like a regular visitor. And in the morning, he brewed a cup of delicious, dark roasted coffee for me. His taking care of me was the best medicine for both of us.
I arrived home for a one-day turnaround to a refrigerator full of vegetables screaming we’ve been here all week and no one has even bothered to say hello. In a rush, these guys became the easiest, tastiest soup that will await my return and need for diet. I would have used ready-made vegetable stock if I hadn’t tried out Dirt Candy’s recipe that I swiped from here(page 64 of look inside). I used asparagus and cauliflower for the chunkier elements to this soup, but you can use whatever gritty vegetable sits in your refrigerator. Zucchini shards are made easily in a food processor fitted with the grater blade or you can shred manually. The zucchini noodles soften in hot soup with no need for cooking. They add substance to the soup without a need for starchy noodles.
If you’re freezer obsessed like me, let the soup cool, and add it to your treasure of go-tos on a cold winter night.
Reporting from Belize during a rainstorm….
[recipe]
vegetable soup with zucchini noodles
1/2 c carrots
1/2 c celery
1/2 c onion
1 c sliced asparagus
1/2 c small cauliflower florettes
1 zucchini
2 qt vegetable stock
salt & pepper
- Saute onions, celery, and carrots in 1 T olive oil until soft about 5 minutes.
- Add stock and bring to boil then turn down to low for a nice simmer.
- Add remaining asparagus and cauliflower and cook on simmer for 10 minutes.
- Shred zucchini.
- Turn off stove, add zucchini and serve immediately or transfer to containers for freezing.
- When cooled down, freeze.
recipe provided by your friends at crunchtimefood.com
2 Comments
The zucchini noodles are a great idea! I’ve been on a kick seeing all the ways I can use them. They’re much more versatile than sliced because they don’t go mushy. I use a mandolin to get longer noodles. Cooked slowly in a saucepan with butter, olive oil, and chopped Roma tomatoes that I soft oven dried, some herbs, and voila. Delicious. And unique.
Bill, do you have any zucchini recipes to share? My favorite use for zucchini is thinly sliced into paper-thin strips comingled with equally thin shavings of parmesan, topped with a cool spritz of fresh lemon juice.
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