Produce Aisle Soup

 
When the weather gets cooler I love to make soup.  A lot of times I will buy produce that strikes my fancy and just plain looks good and make a soup.  This soup is the one I did yesterday. 

I went to the grocery and saw all the different shades of beautiful greens and began picking up different veggies to go in the pot.  I added in carrots because the Pilot loves them and they added a nice spark of color.  When I went to the pantry for the broth, I saw a can of Fava beans and thought I’d add in some protein.  The soup is nice and light but so nourishing.  The idea here is that you can put in it whatever you want.  Here’s what’s in this one:

1 swirl of Olive Oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 Leeks, sliced thin and washed thoroughly
3 Baby Bok Choy, sliced
1 head Savoy Cabbage, sliced
1 package Carrot Matchstix
1 can Fava Beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans Beef Broth
2 Beef bouillon cubes
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Herbs de Provence, to taste

In a large pot over medium heat, lightly do one swirl of Olive Oil in the bottom.  Add in onions and leeks and let them saute for a few minutes until they are starting to look translucent. 

Add in beef broth and bouillon cubes and let dissolve.  Next add in the Bok Choy, Savoy cabbage, carrots and Fava beans.  Stir together.  Now add enough water to cover the veggies.  Season with salt, pepper and Herbs de Provence and simmer until done to your liking.

I served this with sliced Challah bread that I buttered (ahem, heavily) on one side and ran under the broiler.  When they were nice and toasty, I flipped the slices over and buttered them again and back under the broiler until done.

You can use whatever spices you want but I liked the subtleness of the tarragon in the Herbs de Provence.  It seemed to pair perfectly with the green veggies.