Uncle Bill's Light Vegetable Soup

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 4 cups vegetable broth or 4 cups chicken broth
• 8 cups water
• 4 tablespoons chicken soup base or 4 tablespoons vegetable bouillon cubes
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, chopped small
• 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, include juice
• 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally 1/8 inch thick
• 1 large yukon gold potato, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
• 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons chili powder (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon dried dill weed
• 1/3 cup small shell pasta
• 3 large celery ribs, cut ino 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 cup frozen tiny peas

Recipe

• 1 in a large cooking pot, add broth, water and chicken soup base and bring to boil.
• 2 in the meantime, in a frying pan on medium-high heat, melt butter, add onions and saute for 5 minutes or until translucent.
• 3 add tomatoes and cook until reduced and sauce starts to thicken, about 10 minutes; set aside.
• 4 to the cooking pot, add carrots, potatoes, garlic, pepper, salt, chili powder, hot red pepper flakes, dried dill weed and pasta and cook until pasta is el dente, about 10 minutes.
• 5 add onion/tomato sauce, celery and tiny peas and cook for another 5 minutes.
• 6 adjust seasonings to taste.
• 7 serve soup hot.
• 8 refrigerate any unused portions.
• 9 you can use all water instead of chicken broth or vegetable broth. use 1 vegetable bouillon cube or 1 teaspoon of chicken soup base for each 2 cups of water.
• 10 you can also use a small penne pasta of your choice, or pearl barley, macaroni or basmati rice instead of small shell pasta.