Veggie Bin and Bean Soup

After our delicious Korean dinner last Saturday, our delectable merienda last Sunday, and finishing up leftovers on Monday, I was craving something light and healthy for dinner yesterday. I didn't really have a recipe in mind when I scrounged around our fridge searching for inspiration. I found several vegetables in our fridge's veggie bin and thought I would make a one-dish meal with it.

I ended up chopping and dicing celery, red bell peppers, Italian squash, zucchini, carrots, garlic and onions. I also drained a can of cannellini beans (white kidney beans) - so we could have some protein. It is kind of therapeutic to chop veggies while listening to music!

Then I started the soup by heating some extra virgin olive oil in a Dutch Oven. I sautéd garlic and mirepoix (that's French for onions, carrots and celery) for about 3-4 minutes. Then added in all the other veggies. Poured in my low-sodium, free-range chicken stock and added the cannellini beans. Last are my secret spices: a teaspoon of Italian seasoning and a teaspoon of paprika. Simmered everything for about 45 minutes.

And voila, here is the finished product. While the veggies give off a certain sweetness, the paprika makes it somewhat smoky, and coupled with the chicken stock - there are just so many layers of flavor going on. I also love how the beans have broken down and made the soup a bit thick (almost but not quite the consistency of a stew). You can eat it as is (like we did) or serve it with a warm, crusty bread and some whipped butter. I am calling it "Vegetable Bin and Bean Soup" cause you literally throw in whatever your can find from your veggie bin and add your favorite beans! The soup is so easy to make and I find it is such a comfort food (reminds me of soups my mom used to make!). I enjoyed it immensely and surprisingly my meat-loving husband liked it a whole lot too!