Slow Cooked Vegetable Soup

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, halved and sliced ¼ inch thick
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 medium zucchini, halved and sliced ½ inch thick
• 1 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
• 2 medium stalks celery, thinly sliced
• 8 ounces cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, quartered
• 2 cups frozen artichoke hearts (one 9-ounce box), thawed
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
• 1 15-18 ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, with their juice
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 bouillon cubes (vegetarian or beef)
• 1 tsp. rosemary, dried or 1 sprig fresh
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 2-inch piece Parmesan cheese rind, plus finely shredded Parmesan for garnish (optional)

Directions
Pour oil into a large ovenproof pot (about 6-quart) and arrange potato slices in an even layer over the oil.
Sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon salt. Layer in zucchini, leeks, celery, mushrooms, artichoke hearts and ¼ cup parsley; sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Pour tomatoes over the vegetables and nestle Parmesan rind into them, if using.
Stir in bouillon and spices, crushing rosemary between your hands before adding to soup.
Add water (the vegetables will not be completely submerged), cover, and slow cook on high for 2 hours or low for 3-4 hours, until vegetables are soft but not soggy.
Garnish with additional parsley and parmesan, if desired.

No Slow Cooker? Bake Soup as Directed:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Pour oil into a large ovenproof pot (about 6-quart) and arrange potato slices in an even layer over the oil. Sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon salt. Layer in zucchini, leeks, celery, mushrooms, artichoke hearts and ¼ cup parsley; sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Pour tomatoes over the vegetables and nestle Parmesan rind into them. Add water (the vegetables will not be completely submerged), cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
Once boiling, transfer the pot to the oven and bake, covered, until the vegetables are tender, but still firm, about 45 minutes. Season with pepper and serve garnished with parsley and Parmesan, if desired.

SERVES 4: 3.5 – 4 vegetable servings per bowl

Back when my son was a toddler he was veggie-phobic, which admittedly broke my heart bit-by-bit on a daily basis. To bypass his bias, I would sneak veggies wherever I could, hiding them in smoothies and in this meatloaf, which became a family favorite, making its debut during the inaugural Glorious Greens Challenge in 2015.
I’m happy to report by age 4 his tastes broadened and now he’s open to almost anything (except seafood, so I still have some work to do)!

Give this recipe a try to get in a little extra veg for yourself or a reluctant family member and let me know how it goes!

Ingredients

• 2 lbs of ground bison (beef, turkey, or pork can be used if bison is unavailable)

• 3 eggs, whisked

• 1/2 onion, diced

• 1/2 of a red bell pepper, chopped small

• 2 tbs of olive oil (to sauté vegetables)

• 2 cups of vegetable pulp or mixed vegetables, blended until chopped fine (broccoli, chard, carrots, peppers, zucchini, whatever is in the fridge!)

• 1 tsp of salt

• 1 garlic clove, minced or pressed

• 1 tsp of oregano

• 1 tsp of thyme

• 1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce, or ketchup

Directions

Preheat oven to 350º F. Sauté onions and peppers over medium heat in a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil until just tender. Add vegetable pulp, garlic, and spices to the sautéed vegetables in the pan, stir gently. Remove saucepan with vegetables from heat, set aside.

Put uncooked ground bison in a large bowl and pour the whisked eggs in and mix into the ground meat with your hands until just mixed in, then add the veggies from the saucepan and pour into bowl, mixing into the meat until it is well incorporated. Now form the mixture into a loaf shape and center in a loaf pan or meatloaf pan – it should be a little smaller than the size of the pan. You may need two loaf pans for this! Finally, pour over the BBQ sauce or ketchup to cover top and sides of the meatloaf.

Cook for 60-75 minutes. If you use a meat thermometer, the internal temperature of the meatloaf should reach 155º F. Avoid overcooking! Remove from oven and allow to set for about 10 minutes before slicing. This allows the egg to firm up a bit and prevents the meatloaf from crumbling. Add extra BBQ or your own sauce as desired and serve.