End-of-winter creamed vegetable soup ready in a snap | Elaine Revelle – Santa Maria Times

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Serve crusty French bread and green salad with creamy vegetable soup.
wooden spoon
Serve crusty French bread and green salad with creamy vegetable soup.
wooden spoon
I love men who cook.
Having grown up when men went to work and the women did the cooking, I didn’t have a father who cooked. He hunted and fished, then brought home his bounty and handed it off to his wife, my mother.
Back then the woman cleaned house while the man went to work.
Women did the laundry, shopping, tended the children, etc. After all, the men had “real” jobs.
Well, times certainly have changed and I think it’s for the better. Today’s economy doesn’t just suggest, it almost demands that households have two incomes and most wives work — a big change from the ’40s and ’50s. 
The bigger changes is that the hubby has taken on more and more of the household chores since both partners are working. 
It’s too bad we’ve pretty much outstripped our incomes, but it’s wonderful that in a healthy marriage both partners share household chores.
And, with that in mind, I have a wonderful soup recipe from one of my “men who cook” friends.
Although spring is in the air and summer on its way, there’s still some soup weather in our future, and this week I have two versions of a delicious, creamy vegetable soup.
This recipe suggests using an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot.
Immersion or stick blenders perform most of the tasks just as a standard (or countertop) blender does with few exceptions, crushing ice being one.
If you are not familiar with them, the biggest difference is physical. Countertops had a jar on top of a motorized base, immersion or stick models are handheld without the jar. Usually no more than 2 inches on the working end, they can be inserted into nearly any container with ease. This goes from smoothies to soup.
Pluses include blending small amounts, quick cleanup and compact storage. Some models come with numerous attachments. There are immersion blenders for every pocketbook. Prices range from under $20 to nearly $350 for the multi attachment, super model. Pick one up and shift to the stick for a versatile appliance that makes everything from soup to guacamole with ease, plus it’s a snap to clean.
Whether you choose to use a standard or immersion blender, here’s a soup that’s vegan, gluten-free, easy to make and loaded with veggies.
Or satisfy your more carnivorous friends and family by replacing vegetable with chicken broth, substitute cream for plant-based milk and toss in some shredded chicken.
In other words, whichever way you roll, give it a whirl.
CREAMY VEGETABLE SOUP
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion diced
2 celery stalks sliced
2 large carrots sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
4 Yukon potatoes diced (3 to 4 cups chopped)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 garlic cloves minced
3 cups vegetable broth
2 cups peas frozen
2 cups corn frozen
2 cups plant-based milk
parsley for serving
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, celery and carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes.
Stir in potatoes, thyme and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add vegetable broth, bring mixture to a boil and simmer until vegetables soften, about 20 minutes. Use an immersion blender to lightly blend until thick but still a little chunky. For a more hardy blend, add whole vegetables after blending. Stir in peas, corn and milk and simmer until vegetables are warmed through and soup has thickened, about 5 minutes.
Serve with crusty French bread and a tossed green salad … hearty and delicious!
Longtime Valley resident Elaine Revelle can be reached at thewoodenspoon@juno.com.

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