Sunday Soup Day: Green goodness soup

I had to think outside the box today. My father-in-law and brother-in-law are visiting today and they're very particular about what they eat. I wouldn't call them "picky" because they're extremely educated on their food decisions. I thought for a long time what to make for soup day because I knew they wouldn't be up for the creamy soups I've made in weeks past. I started leaning towards a bean soup, but ended up with a completely vegetable soup with all green veggies.

Green has significance for a few reasons. Steve and Ricky are both very environmentally aware, so I thought we'd "go green" today. Besides the environment, green is a popular Christmas color as well as the home digs for the Green Bay Packers who are playing their final regular season home game of the year today. Following the green theme, my grandmother was full-blooded Irish. In her honor, I'm listening to traditional Celtic music--very soothing. Plus, the number one movie in theatres in Avatar and we've all heard the underlying "green" agenda. I thought we'd follow the trend. After all, it's the end of 2009 and we're starting a new decade. I've heard a lot of media outlets report that green is the way to go from here on out.

The only ingredients that I added that weren't green were onion, garlic, chicken broth, crushed red pepper and Parmesan cheese (to add to the top when serving). The pepper gave it a little kick and the soup was surprisingly very hearty and flavorful. There were so many distinct ingredients that nearly every bite had a different taste.

I was extremely happy with the outcome. I cracked a can of Mountain Dew (green can) to offset the onslaught of folic acid. I might end up buying a Prius and voting for Ralph Nader...

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 onions
4 cloves garlic
1 green pepper
1 zucchini
4 stalks celery
1 leek
1 quart vegetable stock
2 cans (10 ounces each) chicken broth
6 ounces peas
10 ounces fresh green beans
10 ounces asparagus
4 ounces spinach and arugula mix
2 tablespoons fresh basil (chopped)
4 ounces green cabbage
1 baby bok choy
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Music: Karen Matheson - An Fhideag Airgrid
Weather: 19 and sunny