Spicy Tabasco Garden Vegetable Soup

On my father’s side of the family, nearly every adult person gardens. Last Christmas, my aunt brought THE MOST DELICIOUS vegetable soup to dinner with the Hoyle clan. When asked if she could send over her recipe, my aunt informed us that there was no recipe. A chill went through the room. There hasn’t been a recipe here since 1838.*

Apparently, she’d just gone outside to her garden, gathered some vegetables, roasted some peppers, and then threw everything in a pot with some vegetable stock and a bit of tabasco. Some people are talented in this way. But for both your benefit and mine, I have gone to the trouble of re-creating my aunt’s soup, and actually writing down what went in when, and how.

This soup is perfect for a cold autumn day, freezes and reheats like a dream, and (depending on how much Tabasco you use) will decongest you faster than any medicine currently available in your local pharmacy.

This recipe is full of chopping. I’d advise that you do the majority of said chopping whilst your peppers are roasting. If you, like me, enjoy either listening to podcasts or watching TV while you cook, this recipe will provide a bevy of chopping-while-watching minutes.

*Happy September. To me, it is basically Halloween. I hope this made you feel spooky.

Serves 6-8.

Ingredients

• 1 zucchini (courgette), chopped.
• 1 carton of baby bella OR chestnut mushrooms, chopped.
• 1 – 2 yellow onions, sliced.
• 8 cloves of garlic, crushed and diced.
• 2 celery sticks, chopped.
• 1 red, 1 green, and 1 yellow pepper.
• 3-5 tablespoons butter.
• 1 litre vegetable stock.
• 1 can of chopped tomatoes.
• 1 can of ratatouille.
• A few drops of Tabasco sauce, plus more for serving.
• Salt and pepper, to taste.

Instructions

Part 1: Prepping the Peppers

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 218 degrees Celsius).
2. Wash your peppers and then cut them in half lengthwise. Cut off the stem and scoop out all of its seeds and membranes. Disembowel them like you are auditioning for the next season of American Horror Story: Kitchen.
3. Place your peppers cut side down on a baking sheet that has been lined with aluminum foil.
4. Roast your peppers in the pre-heated oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until the skins are completely wrinkled and a bit charred.
5. Let your roasted peppers cool for a minute or two, and then remove them from the baking sheet and place them onto a plate or cutting board.
6. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel off their skins and discard them. Hide the evidence in your neighbor’s trash cans. No one will ever know your darkest secret.
7. Dice your naked, roasted peppers.

Part 2: While the Peppers Roast

1. Wash and chop or dice all vegetables to your desired thickness. The zucchini (courgette) and mushrooms can be stored in the same bowl after chopping, and the garlic and onion can have their own bowl as well.

Part 3: Putting it All Together

1. In a stock pot or large soup pot, melt 3 tablespoons of your butter over a medium heat. Add your onion and garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the onion softens and the garlic is fragrant. Stir them frequently so they do not stick to the bottom of the pot.
2. Add your celery to the pot and cook for another 3-5 minutes, stirring again so that nothing sticks to the bottom.
3. Add in the zucchini and mushrooms, and more butter as needed. Cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the mushrooms begin to soften and release their juices**. Continue to stir.
4. Add in your roasted peppers, the canned tomatoes, the canned ratatouille, and the vegetable stock. Stir to combine. Bring your soup to a boil. Feel accomplished for making a meal with so many vegetables in it.
5. Reduce the soup to a simmer and add a pinch of salt and a few drops of Tabasco sauce (start with 3-5 and see how you do). Stir and taste, adding salt and Tabasco as needed until the soup is *good*. Simmer for at least 25 minutes.
6. Serve hot and enjoy! Extra Tabasco sauce can also be added to individual bowls depending upon each person’s desired level of spice.

** Gross. Why is this the way recipes always describe this mushroom phenomenon? But I’m doing it too, so here we are.