A Vegan Soup Concoction!

This is your typical "kitchen-sink" concoction of vegetables in a smooth, yet peppery broth. I came up with this when I couldn't find a recipe that called exactly for the things I had on hand. This is one of my favorites. A great soup to make a huge batch of and freeze for a quick lunch or dinner.

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Serves: 6
• Yields: 6 2 cup servings

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 1  white onion, chopped
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  zucchini, sliced into half-moon shapes
• 3  quarts water
• 1  bay leaf
• 1⁄3 cup nutritional yeast
• 1  tablespoon dried basil
• 1  teaspoon sea salt
•  fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1 1⁄2 cups canned black beans
• 1⁄3 cup long grain brown rice, uncooked
• 1  cup frozen corn
• 1  cup frozen carrots
• 1  cup fresh spinach, chopped
• 1  cup fresh kale, chopped

Directions

1. Heat olive oil on medium-high heat in large soup pot.
2. Add onion, garlic, and zucchini and sauté until onion is tender.
3. Add water, nutritional yeast, bay leaf, sea salt, pepper, red pepper flakes (if using), and fennel seed. Stir well.
4. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
5. Boil for a few minutes and then reduce heat to simmer.
6. Simmer for at least an hour, but you may simmer longer, if desired.
7. Note: Depending on your taste, you may need to add more salt than indicated above. I make my soups low-sodium and add salt, if needed, when I'm eating it.