Jan. 3rd - Vegetable Soup with bread

Seems like we've done a lot of bread the past few days.  I was trying to use up the leftovers from New Year's eve.

This vegetable soup has a basic recipe and then I usually add whatever veggies I have on hand.  If you add something more like barley or find that you've added too much pasta at the end, you can use a bit of vegetable broth to thin it down.

1/2-1 onion pureed
1/2 cup mushrooms finely chopped (or ground with onion for picky eaters)
1 tblspoon canola oil
1 stalk celery chopped
1-2 carrots chopped
1 med-large potato diced
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil leaves
3/4 cup lentils (rinsed)
1 handful of chopped cabbage (or chopped kale or spinach (if using spinach wait to add until pasta)
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
6 cups of vegetable broth ( I usually make from the powdered vegetarian chicken style broth)
1/2 cup of dry alphabet pasta (or other small pasta)
1/2 cup frozen peas
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onion and mushroom in oil for 1-2 minutes.  Add other vegetables.  Add the stock and lentils.  Add tomatoes and sauce, then cabbage to your liking.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add pasta shapes and peas, simmer another 10-15 minutes.

This makes a lot--about two meals worth and some lunches for my family.  We usually freeze another portion and save some out for lunches.