Ratatouille Soup

We've all seen the movie. And if you haven't, it will find you.

This soup turned out much better than I thought it would be. I had it planned on our menu because we still had a zucchini lying around. It had the Manchild's distinct teeth marks in it. He must have found it earlier in the week, and I hadn't noticed it until I was cleaning and chopping it up for the soup.

How the heck did he get up there? I keep my fresh veggies in tiered baskets on a counter in our kitchen. He's not allowed in the kitchen (unless strapped into his highchair) anymore, so I'm convinced he grabbed it when he was too close to the veggie baskets... and then someone just put it back with the teeth-marked side hidden. Well played. I had no idea.

I wasn't sure how well-received this soup would be in the Blondie household - as I've said before, Ryan likes the meat, and this soup didn't have any of it (well... besides the chicken stock). However, with the addition of pasta (whole wheat at that), it lasted minutes, and the lack of a meat-dominated soup never came up in conversation. The steaming hot bowl of fresh veggies and pasta warmed our little home on the corner, and paved the way for a beautiful weekend.

As we're harvesting the fresh gifts of the land, this soup would honestly be perfect to sneak a taste of everything in one place.

Ratatouille Soup

Ingredients:
3 T EVOO
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 medium eggplant, peeled and diced
1 medium zucchini, seeded and diced
salt and pepper to taste
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
6 cups chicken stock
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes with their juices
1/2 lb whole wheat pasta shells

a handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
a few fresh basil leaves, julienne
parmesan cheese for sprinkling

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in deep pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add onions, garlic, bell peppers, eggplant, and zucchini. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook until softened, about 7-8 minutes. (stirring occasionally)
3. Add the tomatoes and chicken stock and bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
4. Stir in pasta and cool al dente. Stir in parsley and basil, adjust salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Recipe Source: Rachel Ray Yum-O; The Family Cookbook