A hearty soup: My favorite soup of all time

I happened upon a hearty soup recipe this last fall and have since made it my own. I believe soups should be hearty and easy to make. They should freeze well and be delicious. They should taste scrumptious and have some flexibility... This delightful soup captures all of those criteria, and I think I would be doing a disservice to the world if I didn't share this soup with you. 

First things first. Chop your shit....  I hate when I come across a recipe that is like, do this, then immediately do this, and I am like, wait.... it's going to take me how long to chop up that butternut squash!? Then my onions burn instead of caramelize and I eat pizza instead of my delish organic soup. See what I am saying here?

This is a vegan soup. It is definitely flavorful enough on its own. If you are looking for some good for you vegan fats, add some perfectly ripe avocado and you'll be on cloud nine. 

Or, if you are fine with a little cheese, which I am on occasion, mozzarella and/or parmigiana cheese pairs quite nicely with this dish. Mozzarella would be my first choice. 

So let's get down to it.

Organic Ingredients:
1 small - medium butternut squash (or simplify your life and get the organic freezer pack of it).
1 medium sweet potato - or a yam... (yams have more fiber too)
1 small onion - diced
4 celery stalks (or so) - chopped
2-3 carrots - chopped
3 cloves of minced garlic (or more if you like)

1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1 can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas) - drained and rinsed
1 cup quinoa
1 can of diced tomatoes
2 cartons of vegetable stock
3 bay leaves
2 cups of kale - de-ribbed and torn into 1" pieces
2-4 tbsp olive oil
-

Warm 2-4 tbsp olive oil in the bottom of a soup pot - like a big soup pot. Throw in your diced onion, celery and carrots and let them cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Stirring regularly. Add garlic and rosemary .

Throw in your cubed butternut squash and sweet potato, stir to coat the veggies, then cover for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so they don't stick to the bottom of your pot. 

Next, add your tomatoes (if they are in tomato juice, that's good - just dump the whole can in!) garbanzo beans, quinoa, bay leaves and stock. Let that simmer until your potatoes and squash are fork tender. 

Just when you are ready to serve, throw in your de-ribbed kale. It will wilt perfectly as you eat it. Serve with crusty bread or cheese! 

Also, make sure to share some with your friends! Everyone loves a good soup made with love! Garnish cute jar with rosemary. 

If you want to freeze this soup, put it in the freezing container, then let it cool completely before putting it in the freezer, otherwise you will certainly have what looks like freezer burn, but is really condensation burn... No one wants burn. Let it cool. 

Other options: my mom made a version of this soup recently too, and she roasted the sweet potato and butternut squash before adding it to the soup. I am not one to enjoy doing excess dishes, so I don't do that, but the sky is the limit with this dish. Do what you will with it! Make it your own! Do whatever feels right.