Our Garden Cream of Tomato & Vegetable Soup

A recipe from Butter with a Slice of Bread blog was an inspiration for today’s summer stew that relies our veggies and herbs from our garden and other pantry/refrigerator supplies that we had on hand. This is designed to be a versatile recipe . . . to be adapted to the veggies, herbs and ingredients on hand. 

Our Garden Cream of Tomato & Vegetable Soup    3 to 4 servings

About 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup diced onion

1 garlic clove, smashed & minced

1 cup diced potatoes

1 cup diced carrots

2 or 3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

1 teaspoon salt or seasoned salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper all-purpose seasoning

About 1 to 1 1/2 cups chicken broth; add more if needed

1 medium zucchini (seeded section removed), diced

2 large tomatoes peeled and diced 

2 to 3 teaspoons cornstarch

1 to 1 1/2 cups whole milk

1. In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté a couple of minutes; add garlic, potatoes and carrots. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until onions are translucent. Add fresh herbs, salt and pepper.
   
2. Add chicken broth. Cover and cook for 10 to15 minutes, until potatoes and carrots are almost tender but not mushy.  
3. Add in zucchini, tomatoes. Heat for another 5+ minutes. Remove stalks left from the springs of thyme and rosemary. 
4. Add cornstarch to the bottom of a measuring cup and then add milk; stir to mix. Then, slowly (while stirring) introduce a bit of the hot mixture to the milk. (Cornstarch will help thicken the soup. The mixture is tempered so that the acid in the tomatoes will not curdle the milk.)
   
5. Add milk mixture to the soup and simmer for a few minutes until soup is hot at slightly thickened. Taste as soup heats and adjust seasonings as needed.
   

Note: I cooked the vegetables just enough so they were tender but still had some body. Adjust cooking time to you own preference. 

Recipe without photos . . .

Our Garden Cream of Tomato & Vegetable Soup    3 to 4 servings

About 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup diced onion

1 garlic clove, smashed & minced

1 cup diced potatoes

1 cup diced carrots

2 or 3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

1 teaspoon salt or seasoned salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper all-purpose seasoning

About 1 to 1 1/2 cups chicken broth; add more if needed

1 medium zucchini (seeded section removed), diced

2 large tomatoes peeled and diced 

2 to 3 teaspoons cornstarch

1 to 1 1/2 cups whole milk

1. In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté a couple of minutes; add garlic, potatoes and carrots. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until onions are translucent. Add fresh herbs, salt and pepper.
2. Add chicken broth. Cover and cook for 10 to15 minutes, until potatoes and carrots are almost tender but not mushy.  
3. Add in zucchini, tomatoes. Heat for another 5+ minutes. Remove stalks left from the springs of thyme and rosemary. 
4. Add cornstarch to the bottom of a measuring cup and then add milk; stir to mix. Then, slowly (while stirring) introduce a bit of the hot mixture to the milk. (Cornstarch will help thicken the soup. The mixture is tempered so that the acid in the tomatoes will not curdle the milk.)
5. Add milk mixture to the soup and simmer for a few minutes until soup is hot at slightly thickened. Taste as soup heats and adjust seasonings as needed.

Note: I cooked the vegetables just enough so they were tender but still had some body. Adjust cooking time to you own preference.