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VR's Somewhat Mediterranean Vegetable Stoup
It's stoup (or stewp), as they say, cuz it's a pretty hearty soup - almost a stew. I add some chicken for protein sometimes.
In a big bucket, cook until tender:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
Then add a chicken breast or two, if you like, cut into pieces and just brown it a bit.
Then dump in:
1 28 ounce can of diced or whole tomatoes with the liquid (yummy!)
1 15 ounce can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained (liquid not as yummy)
1 15 ounce can of vegetable or chicken broth
Some capers (about 1/4 cup)
About a buzillion kalamata olives, pitted (okay, maybe just 1/4 cup or so)
Some roasted garlic cloves (1/4 cup)
2 tbsp tomato paste
Some oregano (1 tsp dried) and maybe some other herbs and spices as you like
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Cover this bad boy, turn the heat down, and let it simmer for 35 minutes. Along the way, check the liquid level and add some water as needed.
Now add:
1 zucchini, sliced
1 summer squash (or similar), sliced
Cover and simmer another 15 minutes. Just make sure the chicken, if present, is cooked. But don't overcook it or you'll have mushy veggies - yuck!
Serve with crumbles of feta cheese and some nice, fresh, crusty bread. You can also serve it over pasta, if you like. This stuff is fabulous, in my opinion, particularly heated up for lunch for the rest of the week. Did I mention it contains kalamata olives? Yum!
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