Recipe: Hearty Vegetarian Soup

As the temperature cools and the leaves fall, I simply cannot get my fill of warm foods and beverages. Soups in particular are such a comfort, and paired with fuzzy socks and a fire...forget about it! 

I'd like to share with y'all a veggie soup recipe that I put together when I was home sick last month and craving some hearty comfort. It's so simple and can easily be edited to accommodate whatever ingredients you have on hand. All measurements are estimated and based on my preferences, so feel free to improvise to taste.

Let's get cookin', y'all!

Hearty Vegetarian Soup 
 Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 box of low-sodium organic vegetable stock*
3 large peeled carrots, sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 stalks of celery, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 large onion, chopped (sub: shallots)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 cups pasta of your choice (I prefer whole wheat fusili or ziti)
2 large potatoes of your choice, peeled and cubed (I use sweet potatoes if I have them)
1 can low-sodium corn, rinsed (sub: Mexicorn or frozen kernels)
1 can low-sodium green beans, rinsed (use fresh if you've got 'em!)
crushed red pepper flakes
dried oregano
sea salt
fresh cracked pepper
*If you can't find low-sodium stock, I recommend using 3/4 of a box of regular stock and adding a little water.

Directions:
1.) Warm olive oil in a stock pot over medium heat. Sweat carrots, celery and onions for 5-7 minutes.
2.) Add garlic and stir, letting mixture cook for another minute.
3.) Stir in salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and oregano. (I use about 5 turns each on my salt and pepper grinders, two healthy pinches of red pepper flakes, and a pinch of oregano.) 
Tip: when using dried herbs, rub the herbs between your palms as you add it to the pot to release the yum.
4.) Add veggie stock and bring to a boil.
5.) Stir in pasta and potatoes. Cook for approximately 10 minutes over med-high heat. (If you're using pasta that's al dente in less than 10 minutes according to the package, add pasta in step 6. You don't want mushy pasta.)
6.) Add corn, green beans, and any other veggies you'd like to throw in there. Cook for approximately 5 minutes. 
7.) Add additional seasoning to taste. 

This yields a ginormous portion, but this soup is delicious warmed up for a few days afterward. If you're not a fan of leftovers and/or fabulously single, you can easily cut the ingredients in half for a more appropriate serving. You really can't go wrong here unless you OD on the carbs, leaving the pasta and potatoes to soak up all the stock. (Though worse things could happen. Just sayin'.)

I serve this hearty dish with buttered sourdough toast or warmed corn tortillas. Hope y'all enjoy it!