Energy Soup Bowl

Recipe #27: http://www.sobeys.com/recipe/energy-soup-bowl/

Yep, soup again. But only because I'm replenishing all the frozen soup that I've eaten from past recipes. Besides, I need some energy and this recipe is all about that.

This recipe was pretty easy, save for the mounds of chopping in the boring prep part that always takes me longer than they say it will. I skipped out on the rutabaga because they don't come in 1/4 cup sizes and I don't really like them anyway. I used a potato instead because it was on the verge of kitchen death and looks the same colour as a rutabaga when you cut them both up. I was going to use frozen beans instead of the green beans called for, but figured I'd have enough vegetables without them and chucked them back in the freezer. Maybe next time. I also deleted the red pepper (blech) and dillweed which I don't own. However, I finally bought cumin today, even if I didn't use it for this recipe. I got tired of seeing it listed in other ones.

I ended up using 1 cup of potato, about 1 cup of broccoli, and 6 tbsp of the barley in lieu of the rice that I didn't have and wasn't going to buy 3 tbsp worth. I also ran out of chicken stock at the 4 3/4 cup mark so I made up the difference with beef stock. I have to go replenish my stock of stock soon, ha ha ha. I had a can of white kidney beans on hand so I used them instead of red ones, and I substituted 1 tsp of squeeze tube basil for the dried stuff. I also substituted 1/2 tsp of thyme for the dillweed. No idea if they taste similar but I think they're both green.

Aside from my soup forgetting how to simmer after the addition of the celery, cauliflower, etc., there weren't really any issues with it. It smells quite good although I haven't yet tasted it. I was too busy choking down the Cinnamon Oatmeal Breakfast Pudding for dinner.