Shelly's Recipe

POTATO VEGETABLE CHOWDER

Category: Chowders

5 cups vegetable broth (water is fine, but not as tasty)
1 cup tomato or vegetable juice
1 cup peeled tomatoes, cut in small pieces
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup green beans or yellow wax beans
1 cup onions, finely chopped
1 cup zucchini or yellow squash, thinly sliced
1 cup leek, chopped
2 cups unpeeled red potatoes, diced
2 tsp salt
1 cheesecloth bag of fresh herbs of choice (parsley, basil, etc.)

Bring liquid to boil in a deep soup kettle. Add all vegetables and seasonings. Turn down heat to simmer and partially cover the pot. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Serve hot with crusty whole wheat bread and a light fruit dessert.

Variation: Almost any vegetable but onions, tomatoes, and the potatoes can be substituted for another vegetable. Do not use the cabbage family because the flavor is too radically changed. Green peas and baby lima beans are a great addition, as is 1/2 cup of corn kernels.

Bring the liquid to a boil in a separate pot, add to crock pot on high. Add everything else and cook on high for 45 minutes or so, then turn down to low. If you add frozen peas, do not add them until you are ready to serve, then stir them in.