I’m a whimsical lady. It’s one of my best and most frustrating qualities. The best decisions I make in life are made on a whim. The most memorable adventures I go on are taken on a whim. And the best food that I make is made when I have no plan or a clue as to what I am actually making. Nothing that I plan or organize ever goes as well as the things I do and/or create on a whim. I should really just stop planning and embrace that my intuition is much smarter than my over-thinking brain.
In fact, this 30-minute Sausage & Veggie Soup is coming to your eyes and hopefully your dinner tables because of one of those whimsical nights in the kitchen when I cooked from my heart, instincts, and available provisions instead of off my meal plan.
I think it was a Thursday night. A cold, rainy, blah Thursday night when I got home late (silly San Diego traffic), with an over-tired 5-year-old whining that she was hungry (growth spurt) and a text message from my husband that he was going to be home late (more San Diego traffic). I had had less than an awesome day at work and getting dinner on the table was about the last thing that I wanted to do. But the family had to eat, so I decided to get cracking in the kitchen.
As I glanced up at my weekly meal plan, my nose wrinkled at the options I had to pick from. I shivered, realizing I was still wearing my rain-soaked coat and shoes. As I removed them and switched in dry leggings and an oversized hoodie (dinner cooking essentials, in case you were not aware), I thought about how I wanted something cozy and easy for dinner. Like, dump-it-all-into-a-pot-and-walk-away-to-snuggle-with-my-little-girl-while-it-cooked kind of easy. I opened my fridge and saw the mason jars of freshly made bone broth staring back at me. Soup! I would make dump-everything-hearty-comforting-and-nourishing-into-a-pot soup.
Soon, I was chopping up all the random veggies and throwing them into my soup pot with some sliced sausage, rice and the inspiring bone broth. A hint of a few spices and dinner was soon simmering away while I played Jenga with my daughter. By the time my husband made it home from his daily commute, dinner was done and we all got to sit down to enjoy a relaxed and cozy meal.
Planning in life (especially for healthy meals) is always great, but sometimes you have to see where inspiration, circumstance and broth will take you.
Serves 4-5
Ingredients:
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1 cup diced carrot
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1 1/2 cup diced zucchini
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3/4 cup green peas
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1 1/2 cup roughly chopped kale, loosely packed
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8 ounces sausages, sliced into coins
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1/3 cup white jasmine rice
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4 1/2 cups broth (I used bone broth)
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1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
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1/2 teaspoon sea salt
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1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions
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Combine all ingredients except zucchini and peas in a large pot, stirring to combine.
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Bring to a boil on medium-high. Once boiling, lower heat and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until carrots are tender and rice is cooked through.
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Add peas and zucchini into the soup and cook for an additional 5 minutes
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Enjoy warm or let cool completely and store leftovers in fridge for up to 4 days.
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