Best Winter Vegetable Soup ~ Alton Brown

 The Healthy Librarian's "Enlightened" Riff on Alton Brown's Best Winter Vegetable Soup

Cooking time:  about 2+ hours

Makes 6 1/2+ quarts of soup 

This recipe is an "enlightened & enriched" riff off of Alton Brown's soup.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces of cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
•  2 large carrots, chopped
•  2 celery ribs, chopped
•  4 cloves of garlic, chopped
•  1 teaspoon of fresh rosemary, chopped
•  2 teaspoons of fresh sage, chopped
•  28 ounces of whole tomatoes in tomato puree or juice (next time, I'm using chopped tomatoes)
•  2 ½ quarts of low-sodium vegetable broth 
•  3 tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce  (Alton says the soy adds Umami)
•  2” X 2” skinny square of parmesan rind  (TOTALLY OPTIONAL!!) It stayed intact & we discarded it after cooking.
•  1 pound, 2 ounces of pre-cut butternut squash cubes (the size of TJ's pre-packaged cut-up squash)
•  10 ounces of chopped curly kale, stems removed
•  2 cans (15 ounce ea.) no-salt Great Northern beans---DO NOT DRAIN!
•  2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. (Alton says the vinegar cuts the acidity of the tomatoes)

Directions:
1.  Use a large 8 quart soup pot.  Heat on high & sear & brown the mushrooms, until tender.  Only add a little water or broth if they start to stick.  Remove them from the pot, to add back in later.
2.  Lower heat & sweat onions, carrots, & celery over low heat for 30 minutes, at least.  I like to cover the pot, and stir occasionally, checking to see if they are getting too dry, & need a little water to deglaze the pan. They’ll be very soft.
3.  Add in garlic, rosemary, & sage
4.  Add the tomatoes in their juice, & mix with a wooden spoon to break up the tomatoes.  Cook for about  5 minutes, to blend everything together.   (Note: next time I'm using chopped tomatoes)
5.  Increase the heat, & add the vegetable broth to the pot.  Mix in soy sauce & drop in the parmesan rind. Heat just until boiling.
6.   Lower heat to a simmer &  add the squash & kale.   Cover & simmer for at least 30 minutes.
7.   Now, add the mushrooms back in, & the 2 undrained cans of Great Northern beans to help thicken the soup with their starch.  Mix well.  Then add the 2 TSP of red wine vinegar to cut the acidity from the tomatoes.
8.   Heat through.
9.   Alton says this is the best soup he has ever made.
Options:  Consider adding some orzo or another whole grain small-sized pasta into the soup.
Serve with a salad & crusty grainy bread.
Bon Appetit!