easy vegetarian soup!

Awhile back I decided I'd like to be able to make my own soup. For the most part canned vegetarian soups are expensive, come in small cans and aren't always available in small towns or bargain grocery stores. Vegetarians are poor too people! So I set out to create a soup that could be made by anyone, anywhere, regardless of season.

WHAT YOU NEED:

3 cans of Swanson Vegetarian Broth

1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables of your choice. What I do is I usually buy one bag of either a California Blend or Italian Blend and then another bag of just regular mixed vegetables.

1-2 red potatoes

1/4 -1/2 clove of garlic depending on your personal taste

seasoning according to taste

(Optional: rice or noodles)

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

Add all three cans of vegetable broth to large pot on medium heat. Add garlic to broth.

While waiting for the broth to warm, wash and slice or dice your potatoes (again according to your personal taste)

When broth becomes warm, add potatoes.

The add either an entire bag of frozen vegetables, or if you plan to mix your veggies, do half and half of each. Two bags would over power the broth.

Wait for soup to boil and reduce heat. I typically let this simmer anywhere from an hour to four hours, depending on how long I have to get it made.

Stir every so often and make sure to taste it. As the broth cooks, the flavor will change and you may need to add your spices of choice.

To beef up the soup (pardon the expression) you can also add rice or noodles. I recommend boiling this addition in an additional pot until it's ALMOST done (or you know, al dente) add the noodles or rice about 10-15 minutes before you plan on serving the dish, in order to keep them from getting too mushy.

This could also be done with fresh vegetables, but I'm keeping in mind that not everyone has access to affordable produce in the winter months. The whole mess usually costs me between 3-5 dollars to complete and will serve 8. It also keeps pretty well in tupper wear and also reheats well. Good option if you're trying to take your own lunch to work/school/etc.