Vegetable Soup for the Soul

Even though I tried desperately to ward off whatever sickness I felt coming on, it looks like I lost the fight. Every day I could feel myself feeling worse and worse, and now I think I've accepted defeat. Pre-weight loss I used to get sick quite often, but now I rarely do. I think the fact that I fill my body with such nourishing foods and get regular exercise helps, but I guess it can't do everything. So, I've been resting, drinking lots of tea and even squeezed in a leg work out to try to get an energy boost. The leg work out was successful for my legs, but not so much for the rest of me. To nourish the rest of my body, I made something that's good for the soul.


Healing vegetable soup
Ingredients
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 cups water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 carrots, sliced into rounds
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 1/2 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup rice or small pasta (I used Trader Joe's harvest blend)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp poultry seasoning (optional, but it adds a more authentic "noodle soup" flavor)
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- Scant 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- S&P, to taste

Instructions
- In a large soup pot, saute aromatics in olive oil until translucent.
- Add water, stock, bay leaves and seasoning and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn on low and simmer for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, add the dry pasta and continue to cook for 10-15 more minutes, or until pasta is fully cooked. Fish out the bay leaves, ladle into bowls, sprinkle with nutritional yeast and enjoy!




This soup is so simple, but so incredibly comforting. I really believe that soup does help when you're sick, and this soup has all the components that I find to be so warming and nourishing. It's light, familiar, perfectly seasoned and easy to put together. All I had to do was chop veggies and let the pot do all the work for me, which is exactly what I needed.


Now I'm going to continue drinking tea, curl up and relax. Tomorrow is crunch time - I have oodles of chem homework to do! Ah!