My mom has a special touch with soup.  She has the power to whip up delicious soups without a recipe or a plan.  She can take whatever ingredients are laying around the pantry and create delicious hearty stews.  While I have yet to inherit this superpower,  I’ll stick to making adaptions of delicious recipes.  While the original amounts in this recipe seemed a little off, with a few adjustments the end product turned out great!  This soup is spicy but not too hot.  The vegetables and beans make it hearty and nutritious.  It’s easy to adapt with whatever vegetables you have on hand.  I’d highly recommend this soup.  I might even make it for the upcoming School of Christian Living term without the cheese for a vegan option.

Spicy Vegetable and Bean Soup

Serves 8-10

Adapted from Giada De Laurentis

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 Tbsp ground coriander
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 2 cups tomato juice
• 3 0z tomato paste
• 3 inch piece of Parmesan rind (optional)
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 (15oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup dried lentils
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 summer squash, chopped
• 1/4 cup julienned basil for garnish
• shaved parmesan for garnish

Heat the oil in a large heavy stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add onion, celery, carrot, bell pepper, and garlic; saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.  Add chili powder, coriander, cumin, oregano, and crushed red pepper.  Stir in the tomatoes, tomato juice, tomato paste, cheese rind, and salt.  Add the broth, beans, lentils, broccoli, zucchini, and summer squash.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.