Vegetable Soup for the Sick

Here’s the truth: you really don’t want to be around me when I’m sick.  I’m the worst.  I’m that person who sits in the corner, looking thoroughly miserably, sniffling up a storm, and openly refusing to take any medication.  Without fail, I turn into this person with the smallest cold.  And I hate taking cold meds because they make me feel like my head will explode.  So the moral of the story here is that if you enjoy being happy, you should avoid me when I’m sick.  And of course, this weekend, I was sick.

Now, when I get sick, my gut reaction is more or less to drink my weight in hot tea and eat as many citrus fruits as I can.  But I know that I need a more balanced diet than green tea and oranges, I know that instead I should be loading up on a variety of vegetables with all the nutrients and antioxidents and whatever the heck else is in there to make me healthy.  But a salad is the least appealing thing ever when you’re miserable and sniffly.

So this weekend, when I was that miserable person I hate, I grabbed all the vegetables I could think of and made one gigantic pot of soup.  All the usuals went in (onion, carrots, celery, parsnip), but then I added some kale (because I love it and because it really is just a chock full of goodness) and cannellini beans (because in theory I’ll still be running around and need the protein for energy), and pepper and zucchini for good measure.   While I normally like some texture in this soup, I boiled it enough so that everything kind of gives up in your mouth with little resistance.  Why?  Because I’m sick, and I just want to drink warm things and watch movies all day.  I can’t be bothered with chewing.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go be miserable for another day or two.  Good thing I made an obscene amount of soup.

Vegetable Soup for the Sick

Serves one sick girl for a long weekend (or 8-10 normal people)

Ingredients:

1-2 teaspoons of olive oil

1 onion

2 cloves of garlic

4 carrots

4 stalks of celery

2 parsnips

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons of dried oregano

2 tablespoons of dried parsley

4 cups vegetable broth (1 box worth)

8 cups water

1 red pepper

1 zucchini

1 pound of kale (feel free to use less, I’m a little kale-crazy)

2 cans of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  Chop up everything.  The carrots, celery, and parsnips should all be about the same size, the pepper and zucchini can be a bit bigger.  Dice the onion into fairly small pieces.  Take out the thick ribs of the kale and rip the leaves into more bite-sized pieces (it doesn’t have to be pretty). 

2.  Heat the oil in the bottom of a large pot and sauté the onion until it starts to sweat, about 3 minutes.  Then add in the garlic, celery, carrots, and parsnips and sauté for another 5 minutes.

3.  Add in the bay leaves, oregano, parsley, vegetable broth, and water and bring the whole mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  If you want a thicker soup, add the beans in now as well so that they can melt down a bit.

4.  After half an hour, add in the kale, zucchini, pepper, and beans.  Simmer for an additional 30-45 minutes.

5.  Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot. 

Enjoy (and if you’re sick – feel better)!