Colder weather is upon us, which means soup season is here. There is nothing like the smell of garlic and onion sizzling in olive oil, starting the base of a hearty soup. Soup is one of those one-pot meals that once cooked, can last for days with the same sense of delight and satisfaction when eating it, as the first day. Not to mention your kitchen will have the lingering aroma of carrots, celery and herbs for a day or two.

Being brought up on canned soups, the thought of making soup from scratch was always a little daunting. Recipes were always a must to start cooking anything, making my own modifications as seemed fit. After recognizing typical ingredients and serving sizes of herbs and spices in soup recipes, I decided to embark on my own soup making adventure. The following recipe is the result of my first home-made soup recipe that I am able to call my own. I am thrilled to be able to share it with you!

Winter Vegetable Soup

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

Turkey:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound ground turkey

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ cup low sodium free range chicken broth

Soup:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped

1 pound celery, chopped

3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

3 ¾ cup low sodium free range chicken broth, divided

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon dried parsley

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon dried basil

Dash cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Once heated, brown the ground turkey, about 8-10 minutes.  When browned, add oregano, basil, salt and broth. Simmer over low-medium heat for 5-10 minutes.
2. As the turkey is browning, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a six quart pot. Once heated, add in the onions and garlic. Stir the mixture occasionally until the onions are softened.
3. Stir in the carrots, celery, sweet potatoes, 1 bay leaf and 1 ¾ cup broth to onion mixture. Stir occasionally and simmer about 5 minutes.
4. Add in the remaining herbs and spices, keep at a simmer until potatoes are soft enough to pierce with a fork, stirring occasionally.
5. Once potatoes are soft, add in and stir turkey into vegetable mixture.
6. Add the remaining 2 cups broth to the pot and simmer on low-medium heat 10-15 minutes to meld the flavors.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Enjoy!

** Add chopped mushrooms to soup when re- heating to give extra earthiness to the dish.