Garden Vegetable Soup

With a sink full of dishes, minimal counterspace, and a mass of canning jars on the shelf- it is time to get cooking!

Let me be the first to say: "I am not a cook." I am no Martha Stewart or Betty Crocker. BUT I do try and when I am successful it is worth celebrating. My Beau recently purchased me a pressure cooker so that I could begin canning our own soups, chilis, and other goodies and needless to say, I was excited! I had been making homemade vegetable soup from scratch for a few years now, but I always made too much for us to eat which lead to it being thrown away after about 8 days or so- one can only eat so much vegetable soup in a week! The pressure cooker was a great way to fix that. Now I can make a huge batch of soup, eat some for dinner, and can the rest! Forget the Progresso or Cambels soup on our shelves- we have only the best in our house!! I have included a rather vague recipe below to help anyone interested in creating their own- I apologize in advance, as I don't really have measurements- I go off of sight, not my measuring cups!

Organic Garden Vegetable Soup
2 Carrots
6 Red and Russet Potatoes (total)
1 lrg Heirloom tomatoes
1 bunch Cilantro
3 Bay Leaves
1 cup Peas
1 cup Corn
Garlic
Kidney Beans
3 stalks Celery
1 medium Yellow Onion
Broccoli
Kale (optional)
Rose Mary
Crushed Red Pepper
Pepper
(There is no need for salt, your vegetables will provide all the taste you need!)

• Chop all vegetables into pieces smaller than bite size, but not minced. 
• Fill large stew pot 2/3 full with water. Bring to a boil.
• Place potatoes into the boiling water and continue to boil.
• After about 10 minutes, add the other vegetables one at a time.
• If using Kale, sautee in a pan first, then add small pieces to the soup.
• Add garlic, bay leaves, other spices into the pot to taste.
• Place a lid on the pot and let gently boil for 1 hour (if canning, boil for 20 minutes, then begin canning process- WARNING: Cilantro will be very hot to the touch. Do not get on skin.)

Viola! It's just that easy!

For those of you who are canning your left overs, I recommend using Ball Mason Jars or Kerr. Make sure your jars are crack free and don't have any sharp edges.

Place your jars and sealing lids in hot water. Ladel soup into the jars and tighten the lid on the jar. Place jar on the rack in the pressure cooker. Fill your pressure cooker with jars and seal the lid. My pressure cooker requires 10 PSI and 1 hour and 15 minutes of cooking. Check your pressure cooker's manual to see what it requires for the amount of water needed in the cooker to help with the pressure and how to tell when your cooker has reached it's appropriate pressure mark.

If you have any questions, leave a comment and I will be sure to answer it for you.

Happy Cooking,
~Birdie