Detox Vegetable Soup

My apologies for disappearing there. I was lucky enough to be home for the holidays, and then Z and I made the most of a long, New Year's holiday weekend. I hope you all enjoyed some much-needed downtime as well!

Home for the holidays! Pictured: me with our niece, Truley; me and Z by my parents' giant tree; me with my cousin and two of my siblings;  and Z with Braylee, one of our other nieces. 

A chilly - but sunny! - hike in Multnomah Falls over New Year's weekend.

Now...on to 2016! I'm not big on resolutions, but I do feel the need to eat a bit healthier thanks to all of the beer, wine, cheese, and baked goods I threw down my gullet over the holidays. Who's with me??

This soup may not actually detox us all, but the copious amounts of vegetables in it does help make up for all of those still-lingering holiday calories. The added pasta and cannellini beans only add to the soup's satiety. And the cheese rind added to the broth gives every spoonful a sultry, comforting flavor. (Because who said eating healthy had to be boring? And cheese-less??).

Here's to a healthy - and very happy - new year!

Detox Vegetable Soup

Yields: 6-8 servings

-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

-1 yellow onion, diced

-2 carrots, peeled and chopped

-2 celery stalks, chopped

-1 large clove garlic, minced

-Salt and black pepper

-Generous pinch of crushed red pepper flakes 

-4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth + 2 cups water

-1 cheese rind (optional; I used Gruyere)*

-1 16-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes (roughly chop tomatoes before adding)

-1 16-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

-1 cup frozen peas

-2 cups cooked rotini pasta (cooked to al dente)

-Extra olive oil, for drizzling

Directions:

1.) In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until it begins to soften. Add carrots, celery, garlic, and spices; cook until all vegetables are mostly softened, about 5 minutes.

2.) Turn heat up to high; add vegetable broth, water, and cheese rind; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer; add tomatoes, beans, and peas. Let simmer for at least 20 minutes; add pasta about 5 minutes before serving. 

3.) Remove the cheese rind. Spoon soup into bowls and drizzle each serving with a little olive oil. Enjoy!

*I save leftover cheese rinds in my freezer and throw them into soups for added flavor. This ingredient isn't completely necessary, but highly recommended!

Also: I highly recommend stirring in some fresh herbs before serving. We used cilantro (not pictured), because it's what we had on-hand, but parsley would work too.

Healthy yet filling and delicious. 2016 is looking great already. ;)

One note: When heating up the soup for leftovers, you will very likely need to add more water or broth (that darn pasta soaks up a lot of the liquid!).

Do you have any goals for the new year?