Italian Garden Soup

Italian Garden Soup

This is a delicious, light but robust-tasting soup that is quick to prepare and cook. This recipe originally comes from a restaurant where I worked while going to college. No, it was not a dark Italian place, but a private restaurant, Room 500,  at Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke’s Hospital in Chicago, which was filled with hundreds of doctors in white lab coats during the lunch hour.

When I was asked to describe this soup by a customer/doctor, I would say, “It tastes like liquid pizza”, which was a college student’s way of describing a fresh tomato-ey broth engulfed in oregano, basil and fresh vegetables, topped with cheese. Despite my less-than-prosaic description, the doctors were always suitably intrigued (or just hungry) to try a cup or bowl. And they were always very impressed with this great soup.

After college and before my last day at Room 500, I looked up the recipe in the big black recipe binder maintained by the kitchen staff; I had to reduce the servings considerably, as this soup was made in a large vat, using extremely large portions of ingredients (think gallon cans of tomatoes).

• 4 tblsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 cups (32oz) chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 15oz can Italian tomatoes (pear tomatoes, or any type of chopped tomatoes)
• 1 15oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 large or 2 small zuchinnis, sliced (about 1/8″)
• 1 1/2 cups carrots, sliced (about 1/8″)
• 1 1/2 cups celery, sliced
• 1 tblsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tblsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp salt (if not included in tomatoes or broth)
• Pepper to taste
• Mozzerella and/or parmesan cheese  for sprinkling on top (optional)

1. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil in a large pot until soft (about 5 minutes)
2. Add other ingredients, and blend well.
3. Simmer until vegetables are tender (about 15-20 minutes).
4. Top with cheese as desired.

Serves about 6-8. This soup is best immediately after cooking but tastes fine the next day too, although the zuchinni tends to get very limp.

Tastes great with chewy Italian or sourdough bread.

Tags: Italian, soup, tomatoes, vegetables, Vegetarian