Prepare yourself for a long recipe here…but this is first a basic Hearty Vegetable soup that we canned and then a few variations which you can use when you open up a can of this goodness to eat it. This way you can eat the same soup over and over again without getting sick of it…or so one would hope! Someone shared this on a Yahoo group I am part of…I think it was Canning2 but I can’t be certain anymore. If you are looking for canning recipes, support and other junkies like yourself, though, there are lots of great groups on Yahoo to check out!

We haven’t gotten a chance to sample this yet but it smelled great and looking heavenly so we’ll see what the base is like tonight I think.

EDIT Sept. 9, 2008: We had this last night with some hearty, dark bread. Added some extra salt, pepper and a few spices to it but just wanted to try the veggie base on its own the first time around. Since this one wasn’t in a boiling water bath I think it might be that it lacked some flavor of the veggies…but it was still pretty decent. I think with the variations it will likely bring it up a notch. An incredibly filling soup, too. We ended up eating about a cup each and were both full – so I have lunch for today.

Hearty Vegetable Soup
Makes 28 cups (14 pints)

1 pound carrots, cut into 1/2 inch rounds
1 1/2 pounds onions (3 medium), coarsely chopped
4 large stalks celery, sliced
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 pound green cabbage (1/2 small head), thinly sliced (6 cups)
3/4 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/4 pounds zucchini (3 medium), cut in half lengthwise then sliced
2 cans (28 ounces each) whole tomatoes in juice
1 can (48 ounce) chicken broth (6 cups)
6 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 bags (8 ounces each) baby spinach leaves

My canning version of recipe:

In large stockpot (12 quart) heat chicken broth and cabbage until cabbage is wilted. Add rest of ingredients and heat until hot. Fill pint jars with 2 cups of soup.

Process pints for 55 minutes (see Ball Ball Blue Book Vegetable Soup, page 64).

You can can the soup in quarts. You process it for 75 minutes unless the solids take up more than half the jar then you go to 90 minutes.

Each cup is approximately 45 calories, 2g protein, 9g carbs, 1g fat, 4g fiber, 410mg sodium.

Here is the fun part – you can enjoy this soup every day with a different taste!
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Minestrone Soup

2 cups Hearty Vegetable Soup
1/2 cup cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup whole wheat fusilli or rotini, cooked
2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
1 tablespoon basil, chopped

To the soup add beans, heat to boiling. Stir in pasta, heat through. Stir in cheese and basil. Sprinkle with additional cheese.

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Mexican Chicken Soup

2 cups Healthy Vegetable Soup
3 ounces chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/3 cup corn
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons crumbled baked tortilla chips (1/2 ounce)
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

To the soup stir in chicken chunks, corn and cumin. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 3 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, stirring constantly. Stir in tortilla chips. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

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Green Fish Stew

2 cups Hearty Vegetable Soup
1 small red potato, diced and cooked tender
4 ounces skinless catfish or cod fillet, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

To the soup add potatoes and fish. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 3 minutes or until fish turns opaque. Gently stir in dill and sprinkle with feta cheese to serve.

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Southwest Chili

2 cups Hearty Vegetable Soup
4 ounces ground turkey breast
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup salsa
2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese

Cook ground turkey, chili powder and cumin for 3 minutes in nonstick saucepan. Stir in soup, beans and salsa. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 5 minutes to blend flavors. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese to serve.

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Thai Shrimp Soup

2 cups Hearty Vegetable Soup
1 ounce rice noodles soaked in hot water for 10 minutes and drained
4 ounces medium shrimp, shelled
12 snow peas, halved
Pinch red pepper
1/4 cup light coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon lime peel
2 teaspoon lime juice

Heat soup to boiling. Stir in shrimp, snowpeas, red pepper and noodles. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 2 minutes or until shrimp are opaque, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in coconut milk, lime peel and lime juice.

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Goulash

2 cups Hearty Vegetable Soup
4 ounces ground turkey breast
1/2 teaspoon paprika
pinch caraway seeds
pinch salt
1/2 cup egg noodles, cooked
2 tablespoons reduced-fat- sour cream

In nonstick skillet, cook turkey, paprika, caraway seeds and salt 4 minutes or until turkey is browned and cooked through, stirring to break up turkey. Stir in soup; heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 5 minutes to blend flavors. Stir in noodles; heat through. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream just before serving.

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Red Beans and Rice Stew

2 cups Hearty Vegetable Soup
2 ounces turkey kielbasa, cooked and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 sliced green onion (white part only)
1/2 cup red beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup brown rice, cooked
1/8 teaspoon Cajum seasoning
chopped green onions

In saucepan coated with nonstick cooking spray, cook kielbasa with onion until sausage brown. Add soup, beans, rice and seasoning. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 5 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped green onions. Serve with hot sauce.