Vegetable Soup

It's fall time again. What does that entail? Yummy, hearty foods. Veggie soup is the perfect recipe as we're getting into fall. We still get our large portions of vegetables, like we did during the summer, but now are eating it as a hot, main course. I always loved my grandma Shoaf's recipe for vegetable soup. She used all fresh veggies from her garden in it. There would be a large soup pot on the stove, ready for anyone to enjoy. I love my grandma's cooking. But, I will confess, I will never cook as good as her. So here's a cheater recipe that I use to make a vegetable like my grandma's.

Vegetable Soup

1 medium onion  $.49
2 cloves of garlic  $.12
3 carrots  $.32
2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning  $.06
6 cubes chicken bouillon  $.12
1 can corn  $.69
1 can peas  $.22
1 can green beans  $.69
1 can diced tomatoes  $.59
4 cups water
1 chicken breast, cooked and diced  $1.00
1 cup egg noodles  $.16
1 tsp. salt

Dice onion, mince garlic, and peel and dice carrots into small pieces. In a large pot, saute onion, garlic, and carrots in a small amount of oil over medium heat. Cook until onions are transparent. Add Italian seasoning and chicken boullion and stir. Cook 2 minutes longer over medium low heat. Add water and undrained diced tomatoes. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, or until the carrots begin to soften. Drain and add other vegetables. Add chicken and noodles. Cook until noodles are soft. Depending on how chunky or soupy you want this recipe, you may want to add more water.

Ideas: Try adding bell peppers, ham chunks, beef chunks, or potatoes. (If you do potatoes, peel and cut them into small pieces. Saute them with the onion, garlic, and carrots to begin their cooking process, because they take a long time)

Total Estimated Cost: $4.46
Servings: 7
Cost Per Serving: $.64