Easy, Pantry-Friendly Vegetable Soup

I am writing this from what feels like full-hibernation. We, like the rest of the world, are basically on lockdown. Social distance, a phrase not even in our vocabulary, is now our life. We’re hunkered down, staying close and changing all of our patterns to keep this terrible virus from spreading.

And it feels weird.

Today I homeschooled my kids for the first time. And while I don’t like to brag, I only gave one detention and raised my voice three times. I consider that a win. All joking aside, this is out of my comfort zone. I’ve always loved our teachers, but today I basically worship them. This is tough stuff. Managing just three kids with different learning styles, different temperaments and different attitudes (not all of them pleasant) is a challenge I’m not sure I was prepared for. 

Scratch that, I’m positive I wasn’t.

But here we are. This is our life right now. And we have two choices.

We can choose to live in fear and anxiety OR we can choose to trust that even in this dark and uncertain time, there is a God who is above all time and uncertainty who holds us in his hands.

We can choose to ignore the warnings because we aren’t in the “danger zone” and we’re not likely to get seriously ill OR we can choose to take proactive measures without a second thought because it’s not about us, but rather about protecting our most vulnerable.

We can choose to complain and find fault, feel frustration because things aren’t going exactly our way, being inflexible in our learning styles and expectations OR we can choose to give grace to parents who are trying their best to become teachers overnight and teachers who are doing their best to adapt at lightning speed to meet the ever-changing needs of a newly distanced student body.

We can choose to be negative and afraid of doomsday OR we can choose to see the light and focus on the good that is going on in the world right now.

Trust me, there is SO VERY much of it.

There are entire groups of people being formed and organized to help those in need. FB groups created especially to get food and supplies to those at too high of a risk to go out and get them.

There are businesses offering services for free–online workout classes for the masses (Dwell Yoga is offering amazing yoga on FB right now), Grubhub waiving delivery fees so that small, local restaurants can say afloat, museums offering virtual tours and normally pay-to-play educational websites offering free services for students during the shutdown. Comcast offering free internet so students can go to school remotely when normally they would not be able to and charities mobilizing to feed the kids most at risk of going hungry during the school closures.

Y’all, this is God’s hand. Whether we realize it or not, when we step up and help and put somebody first or choose kindness and selflessness over fear, frustration, and selfishness, that’s God right there. He’s here and he’s working and he’s ALWAYS been in control.

This stinking virus, it might be winning little battles right now, but rest assured, God has already won the war. So find the good, chill out with your people, and settle in. If you keep your eyes open, this huge inconvenience might actually turn out to be the biggest blessing in disguise. If you let it.

Easy Pantry-Friendly Vegetable Soup

Now I am not one to lecture, but here’s the deal. One of the things that is so confusing and frustrating to me is this mad dash panic at the grocery store. Not only is it mildly weird (hello–toilet paper??) but it’s also completely unnecessary IF you have a stocked pantry and you know how to use it. Yes, I know I’ve been preaching this for way too long and probably sound like a broken record but do you get it now? (insert Dr. Kim Jong voice here)

There’s a reason way beyond the normal “I want to know what to make for dinner every night.” The reason is illustrated across the nation right now–if you have a pantry stocked with essentials at ALL times, a potential shut down of two weeks should not send you into a panic. You should feel confident that you can feed your family for the foreseeable future with what you have on hand. Sure, your kids might get super tired of rice and beans, but honestly, they’re probably spoiled on an always accessible run of pleasure-foods anyway so maybe they need this for bigger existential purposes.

But that’s a whole other story.

The point is, that having a stocked pantry and a set of recipes you know how to cook from it is a vital life skill. It’s almost survival in times like these. Last year I walked you through my plans for a well-stocked pantry (complete with printable grocery list–you’re welcome) AND consistently add to my Toolbox recipes page so you can have an up-to-date database of easy recipes at your fingertips. It’s the best way I can help you prepare for daily life AND a global pandemic. This is it–the only tool in my toolbox.

And that’s where this recipe comes in. It’s an amazingly satisfying vegetable soup that is (wait for it…) ENTIRELY pantry-friendly. Everything in this soup is something you should have on hand at all times with a stocked pantry. There’s nothing crazy or unique here. They’re all staple items, assembled to make one delicious soup. On my Instagram I shared a LIVE video of how to make it and the entire video, me talking and all, was only 20 minutes so it’s also an incredibly easy and fast soup to prepare. (If you’re not following me over there what the heck are you waiting for?)

I highly recommend this soup this week when we’re all in a panic and beyond, when we’re not. It’s just a good reminder of the simple things in life. Kind of like this momentary pause on life. 

Peace love and social distance,

Meg 

Easy Pantry-Friendly Vegetable Soup

March 17, 2020

By:

Ingredients
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon oregano or basil or mixture of both
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 cups frozen assorted vegetables
  • 2 cups small pasta (I used elbow mac)
  • Refrigerated pesto (optional)
Directions
  • Step 1 In a large pot, cook pasta until al dente, reserving 2 cups pasta water before draining. Set aside.
  • Step 2 In a stockpot, heat a drizzle of oil on medium-high.
  • Step 3 Add onion and garlic, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook until translucent.
  • Step 4 Add spices, rubbing quickly together in your palm before dropping in. Stir.
  • Step 5 Add tomato paste and stir completely, until the onions and garlic are completely coated. Stir continuously so the paste doesn’t burn.
  • Step 6 Add in tomatoes and broth, stirring to incorporate and scrape up the goodness on the bottom of the pan. (be careful as it may splatter at first)
  • Step 7 Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.
  • Step 8 Add in beans. Stir and salt and pepper.
  • Step 9 Add in frozen veggies.
  • Step 10 Cook for 10-15 more minutes or until veggies are cooked through and the flavors have incorporated.
  • Step 11 If you want more broth, use the reserved pasta water to add body as well as flavor. Be sure to save the pasta water too as you can use it to add liquid to the soup for leftovers.
  • Step 12 To serve: place pasta in the bottom of bowl and ladle soup on top. Add a dollop of pesto if desired. ENJOY
easy pantry friendly veggie soup pin