Veggie Soup

This soup is quick and easy, chicken broth based with added turkey meatballs and garlic chicken sausage. There is lots of flexibility in how to make it so allow yourself to let the creative juices flow. I try to keep certain items on hand such as dried shiitake mushrooms and Better than Bouillion Chicken Broth for soup stock (they make a vegetarian and beef option too), Trader Joe’s pre-cooked garlic chicken sausages, basic veggies (shallots or onions, garlic, celery, carrots, sugar snaps, broccoli, leafy greens, etc)

Ingredients:

• 5 cups filtered water

• 2 T chicken stock

• 7-10 dried shitake mushrooms

• 1 T ghee

• 1 large shallot

• 3 garlic cloves

• 2 sausages

• 8 small seasoned ground turkey meatballs (quick sautéed in pan first)

• 1/2 cup celery chopped

• 1/2 cup carrots (optional as I kind of like an all green soup) chopped

• 1 cup broccoli florets

• 1/2 cup sugar snap peas, cut in half

• 2 cups chopped kale

• salt, pepper and seasonings of your choice to taste (Trader Joe’s 21 seasoning salute, oregano, basil, fresh herbs; Italian parsley, basil, etc)

Here’s How:

1. Place shiitakes in filtered water in a small soup pot and bring to simmer.

2. Cut up veggies and set aside.

3. While water is heating, take a skillet, get it very hot, add 1 T ghee and saute onion until starting to brown, add garlic and celery and cook till almost done.

4. Remove shiitakes from stock, chop and return to stock.

5. I happen to have leftover raw turkey meatball fixings so one can mold bite-sized meatballs and quickly brown each side and add to soup.

6. Slice 1 or chicken sausages down the middle length wise and brown in saute pan. Remove and cut into bite size pieces and add to soup.

7. Add sautéed veggies, and continue to pan fry; carrots next, then add broccoli, then sugar snaps and add to soup. Add chopped greens at the end, season and Voila!