A Plus Attitudes

It is a snowy day so I thought this Italian-inspired soup, straight from Italy would be the perfect meal on such a cold, snowy day.

I first had this soup when we were in Italy earlier this January 2022. Our Italian cousin, Giulia, brought over a batch to my mother-in-law’s apartment where we were staying, the day after we arrived. It was the perfect light, flavorful dinner for a tired, jet-lagged family!

I loved this dish so much(as did my family) I decided I had to recreate it. Unfortunately I didn’t get the name or the recipe from Giulia, so I went by memory and taste instead.

This is my third attempt at making the Italian-inspired soup, and probably my best batch yet! Roasting the bell peppers is the way to go and a can of fire-roasted tomatoes was a flavor boost for sure(although I’m sure that wasn’t what Giulia used, but it still works for me)

I’m not sure what to call this delicious Italian vegetable soup, so feel free to offer some suggestions. It has basically 4 main ingredients: zucchini, tomatoes, potatoes, and bell peppers. 

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

1 large zucchini
2 -15 oz (or one large 1lb 12oz can) cans of diced fire roasted tomatoes
5 medium sized golden potatoes
1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, 1 orange bell pepper
1 tbs roasted garlic sea salt
1-2 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 c water
1 T extra virgin olive oil

PREPARATIONS

1. Prep by vegetables :

• wash all the veggies and towel dry
• Slice and or chop the bell peppers
• chop the potatoes
• chop the zucchini

2. In a large frying pan,

• heat the olive oil, add the herbs and garlic salt on medium heat for about a minute
• Add the peppers stirring and turning frequently, until the pepper skins start to blister and turn brown in spots. This gives them a a pan-roasted flavor and makes the soup more flavorful and sweet. Then cover them for about another minute to steam them(you can also lower the heat at this time to low)
• Once the peppers are done, transfer them to a large sauce pan on a low heat and cover them.
• Use the same frying pan the peppers were just cooked in, toss in the zucchini and potatoes. With a spatula, turn them several times to season them in the leftover oil, herbs and pepper juices. Then cover them and cook them on low to medium heat for about 7-8 minutes.
• Transfer the zucchini and potatoes to the large sauce pan with the peppers. Pour in the can of fire roasted tomatoes and add about 1/4 cup of water. Stir the ingredients and then cover. Cook until the potatoes and the zucchini are fully cooked.
• You can adjust the heat to speed up the process, but a low heat allows for the soup to simmer and get a delicious, sweet flavor

Once the soup is done, serve in a bowl as is or with a nice slice of rustic Italian bread or crostini. You can also toss in some croutons if you like.