Vegetable Soup Base- 21 Day Fix Recipe

Today's recipe is one I have been making for years!  I especially love to make it as a way to clean out the produce bin and freezer.  At it's heart, is is a low calorie vegetable soup, but I see it has a way to use up ingredients, stretch a buck, and serve as a jumping off point for other meals. 

You can eat the soup plain, but to be honest, I don't.  If you'd like to use it as a vegetable soup, you will most likely need to add additional seasonings.  Because I use it as a base for other soups that I will be adding additional flavor components to, I season it very lightly with season salt.  Most of the flavors come from the other combinations.  

I make this soup in the largest pot I own, and then freeze it in smaller 4 cup batches.  A serving size is 1 cup, but when you add in the other mix in's (see the recommended combinations below), you end up with a pretty big meal! 

Ingredients:

6 cups frozen baby vegetables (carrot, pea, corn, green bean, etc)

1/2 head of celery, sliced

1 large onion, diced

1 family sized bag of baby spinach

1 bag shredded cabbage

48 ounces of crushed tomatoes (low sodium)

2 cloves minced garlic

48 oz low sodium  broth

6 cups water

1/4 cup Season Salt

Directions:

Coat 12-quart stockpot (or 2 large saucepans) with nonstick cooking spray. 

Over medium-high heat, add onions, celery, and garlic; cook 8 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften.  

You don't have to use this brand, this is just what I buy in bulk at Costco.

Add the frozen baby vegetables and cook for a few minutes until they begin to defrost, stirring occasionally. 

Add broth, water, and season salt; heat to boiling over high heat. Add tomatoes with their liquid, breaking up tomatoes with side of spoon. 

Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Stir in spinach and cabbage and simmer until wilted.  

Makes 27 servings. Serving size is approximately 1 cup.  1 serving equals 1 green 21 Day Fix Container.

To make a complete meal, add additional seasonings of your choice and serve with 1 red and 1 yellow 21 Day Fix Container. 

Recommended Combinations:

Thai Shrimp Soup:

2 cups soup+2 yellow’s of rice noodles+ 2 reds peeled shrimp+1/4 light coconut milk (canned)+ red pepper flakes & lime juice

Serves 2- 1 green, 1 yellow, 1 red

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup:

2 cups soup (pureed) + 1 red greek yogurt +1 purple tomato sauce + 1 blue parmesan cheese + fresh basil, Salt and Pepper to taste.  Combine all ingredients except cheese in a blender. Garnish with the parmesan cheese

Serves 2- 1 green, 1/2 red, 1/2 purple, 1/2 blue

Southwestern Chili

2 cups soup + 2 red ground turkey + 2 yellow’s of cooked beans+1/2 purple salsa+1 tbsp Southwest Seasoning + 1 blue cheese

Serves 2- 1 green, 1 red, 1 yellow, 1/2 blue, ¼ purple

Tortilla Soup

2 cups soup + 2 reds chicken + 1 yellow corn kernels+ 12 corn chips, crushed+ 1/2 purple salsa +1 tbsp Southwest Seasoning + 1 blue cheese+ 1 tbsp cilantro+ lime wedges

Serves 2- 1 green, 1 red, 1 yellow, ½ blue, ¼ purple

Cheeseburger Soup

2 cups soup + 2 reds Mini Meatballs + 2 yellows diced potatoes + 2 blue grated cheddar cheese + salt and pepper to taste

Serves 2- 1 green, 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 blue

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