End-of-summer vegetable soup

When I woke up Saturday morning to dark clouds and pouring rain, I knew exactly what I was going to make later that day.  It was time for soup.

I had a myriad of CSA vegetables that I needed to use up, and there is no better way to use up vegetables than throw them in a soup.

As the final days of summer slip away and you make your last trip to the farmer’s market, load up on those vegetables you wait all winter for and give them a good-bye hug with this soup.

Even though the rain cleared up by lunch time, the air remained crisp and this soup was a perfect light dinner.  And my favorite part of having a big pot of soup in house:  instant leftovers ready for lunch the next day.  Soup always tastes better the second (and third!) days and I love just having to heat the pot.

You can be liberal with this recipe.  Use whatever vegetables you have on hand; soups are forgiving like that.  I gave it a Southwest flare with the black beans and seasonings and topped it with some butter-lime tortilla strips and fresh lime juice.  {To make the crunchy tortilla topping, I cut corn tortillas into strips, topped them with soy-free Earth Balance butter, fresh lime juice, and salt, and baked under the oven’s broiler for a few minutes.}  You’ll be happy if you decide to do the same.

I have a feeling I’ll be making this soup at least one more time before summer is officially over.

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