Chunky Vegetable Soup

Last night around 11:00 I got pretty bored. Blame it on a bad episode of the Golden Girls.

Anyways. I had finished the last of my Spicy Black Bean soup earlier that day and since everyone knows soup is better the longer it sits, I decided to go ahead and make another pot. I had planned to make minestrone, but I didn't have any dark red kidney beans, celery, green beans, or red wine. I decided to just clean out a bunch of stuff in my pantry and I was really, REALLY happy with what developed.

This soup is really thick and hearty, which is what I like in a soup. Chunky soups are always my favorite. They're more substantial and it's easier to make a meal of it.

Chunky Vegetable Soup
Ingredients

• 3 14.5 oz. cans of tomatoes (drained, but reserve the juice)
• 1 14.5 oz. can of chick peas (rinsed & drained)
• 1 box of frozen spinach; thawed and drained well
• 1 medium onion; roughly chopped
• 4 cloves of minced garlic
• 2 carrots; peeled and chopped into disks. 
• 1 skin on zucchini; chopped
• 4 C of chicken stock
• 2 T. of chili powder
• 2 T. of cumin
• 1 T. of cayenne 
• 2 T. flour
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a dutch oven or heavy soup pot coat the bottom of the pot in olive oil. Saute the onions, garlic, carrots, and zucchini for 2-3 minutes. 
2. Add the tomatoes and the spinach and let all cook together for a few minutes. Sprinkle the flour into the reserved tomato juice and whisk together until their are no lumps remaining. Pour the liquid into the pot.
3. Add the four cups of stock and the spices. 
4. Let simmer together, the longer the better. 
5. Serve with crusty bread and some freshly grated Parmesan on top.

(Not entirely accurate... I left out the onion & garlic when calculating...)