Four-Day Vegetable Soup
Submitted by cjkeicher
Four-day vegetable soup that evolves with new ingredients each day. Start with cabbage, carrots, turnip, and rosemary, then build on it with beets, spinach, and chickpeas.
YIELD
8 cupsPREP
30 minCOOK
120 minREADY
150 minThis isn’t a recipe you make once and forget about. It’s a pot of vegetable soup designed to change every day for four days, picking up new vegetables and flavors each time you reheat it. Day one starts clean with cabbage, carrots, turnip, zucchini, Swiss chard, mushrooms, and rosemary simmered low for two hours until everything melts together.
Day two, toss in more tomatoes, spinach, chickpeas, and a bit of lemon zest. Day three, eat it cold with a dollop of crème fraîche for lunch. Day four, add beets and more cabbage and let the whole pot turn a gorgeous deep red.
The slow simmer on day one is what makes the whole concept work. Bringing it to a boil gradually over low heat coaxes flavor out of every vegetable without turning anything to mush. Each day’s additions cook into the already-rich broth, layering texture and color. By day four you’ve got something entirely different from where you started.
Chef Tips
- Cut all vegetables fine and small so they break down evenly during the long simmer
- Taste and re-season each day after adding new vegetables. Fresh additions dilute the salt
- A splash of chicken broth or vegetable stock on any day adds depth if the soup feels thin
- Peel and seed the tomatoes for a smoother soup. Drop them in boiling water for 30 seconds and the skins slip right off
Variations
- Keep it fully vegan by skipping the crème fraîche and using coconut cream instead
- Add cooked pasta or rice on day two for a heartier, more filling version
- Blend half the soup on day three for a creamy-chunky hybrid texture
Ingredients
Directions
Put all the vegetables and the rosemary in a deep pan.
Cover with water and add salt and pepper to taste -- about 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
Bring to a boil gradually over low heat. Cover pot and simmer the soup gently for 1½ to 2 hours, or until all the flavors are well blended.
Taste and correct the seasoning.
Serve with crackers, cheese, or whatever you’d like.
- Examples of variations * First day: Enough soup for four people.
Serve as described above.
Second day: Add to the remainder another couple of peeled and chopped tomatoes, a few leaves of finely chopped spinach, another zucchini, and a few leftover cooked chickpeas.
Add a bit of grated lemon rind and a touch of onion about 10 minutes before serving.
Third day: For lunch, the soup is good cold with a dollop of creme frai’che.
Fourth day: Add 2 or 3 peeled and diced beets, another cup of finely chopped, cooked cabbage, 3 or 4 more mushrooms, and if any, a little left over vegetable broth cooked from another day.
NOTE: Of course, if you have some chicken or vegetable broth you can add it to the soup.
The secret is to have variations of color, texture and flavor.
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