Summer Vegetable Soup

I know that soup is not necessarily a ‘go-to’ meal in the summertime, but it’s a great way to use up vegetables from a garden. This soup is vitamin-rich and features summer veggies that are plentiful. In fact, so plentiful, that we get tired of them sometimes when we harvest them for weeks on end. So instead of one more batch of cole slaw or one more skillet of sauteed squash, use some of these veggies in soup! What makes this unique and easy is the use of bottled BBQ sauce as seasoning. This also thickens the soup. I used a tomato-based, locally produced sauce that happens to be low-sugar, but feel free to use whatever floats your boat. It can be a tomato based sauce or vinegar-based (as we often employ in ENC - that’s Eastern North Carolina for the uninitiated).

This soup would be great with the addition or substitution of bell pepper and tomato. Basically, any combination of veggies will work fine. Also, you can use any broth you have on hand, such as beef or chicken if you’re not vegetarian or vegan.

Ingredients:

1/2 Tbs olive oil

1/2 Tbs. minced garlic

1/4 head purple cabbage, diced

1/4 head green cabbage, diced

1/2 purple or yellow onion, diced

3 small-medium red or purple potatoes, cubed

4 small carrots, sliced into coins

2 small yellow squash, sliced

2 tsp Berbere spice mix

1/4 cup BBQ sauce

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups water

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or stockpot over medium-high heat.
Add onion to pot and cook until onion is sweating and translucent, then add garlic. Stir thoroughly and cook 3 min.
Add the diced cabbages. Cook 5 min, stirring frequently so that cabbage leaves don’t burn.
Add potatoes, and squash. Stir vegetables to thoroughly combine.
Add Berbere spice and BBQ sauce. Stir to coat and cook vegetables 5-ish min to allow vegetables to soak in the sauce.
Add the water and vegetable broth and bring to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 15 min.

Makes 4 servings.