Not a big fan of broth soups and yet, my daughter's boyfriend (yes, can you believe my daughter has a boyfriend!! how can they be getting that old??) made this soup for our family yesterday and it was rather good. He added more lemon juice than what is called for and I think that might be why I enjoyed it. He actually used real fresh lemon and then thinly sliced up the lemon and tossed that into the soup as well. The vegetables turned out very crispy and not soggy at all. He also did not include the leeks or garlic as he does not like leeks.



Garden Vegetable Soup
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2004

Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped leeks, white part only (from approximately 3 medium leeks)
2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
Kosher salt
2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped into rounds (approximately 2 medium)
2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
2 cups fresh green beans, broken or cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth
4 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes
2 ears corn, kernels removed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup packed, chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 to 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions
Heat the olive oil in large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the leeks, garlic, and a pinch of salt and sweat until they begin to soften, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes, and green beans and continue to cook for 4 to 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.


Add the stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the tomatoes, corn kernels, and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the vegetables are fork tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and add the parsley and lemon juice. Season, to taste, with kosher salt. Serve immediately.

SERVES 6
Calories: 255
Total Fat: 12 grams
Saturated Fat: 1 grams
Protein: 6 grams
Total carbohydrates: 33 grams
Sugar: 8 grams
Fiber :6 grams
Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
Sodium: 1385 milligrams