spicy vegan vegetable soup

i looked back, and it turns out that it has been over a month since i've posted a recipe here!  that is crazy since i'm constantly cooking/baking.  life has just been too hectic lately to stop and take the time to photograph any food.  on sunday, i had the opportunity to make a few meals for the week and actually photograph them.  one of the things i made on sunday was this soup.  i made a big pot of it, and it has been feeding us for lunch all week.  a few years ago, my mom bought us these travel soup containers, and they are just perfect for carrying our soup into work with us.

this soup is super tasty and healthy.  it's packed with 8 different veggies and it has a little kick to it too.  i love base recipes like this because you can really personalize them and make them your own by adding/omitting any veggies and you can play with the spice level to your personal taste.

spicy vegetable soup
prep time: 10-15 minutes
cooking time: 45 minutes
yields: 8-10 servings

ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow cooking onion, diced
5-6 carrots, peeled and diced
5-6 celery stalks, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 zucchini, diced
24 oz. mushrooms, stems removed and diced
8 oz. kale, chopped
1 can (28 oz.) low-sodium crushed tomatoes
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 cups water
2 teaspoons italian seasoning
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
hot sauce to taste
salt and pepper to taste

directions:
in a very large soup pot over medium heat, warm the oil.  saute the onion, carrots, and celery until tender.  add the garlic, zucchini, and mushrooms.  cook for 5 minutes.  add the kale, tomatoes, vegetable broth, water, and seasonings.  stir well.  bring to a boil and then simmer covered for 15-20 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are all tender.  serve warm.

enjoy!

love, laurie