Soup, Vegetable or Chicken-Vegetable (No-Salt-Added)

Since commercially made soups are really high in sodium (even the reduced sodium ones) and the no-salt-added ones aren't very tasty, I make my own soups. I freeze this one in one-cup containers and use it (and other soups) to break up the monotony of my daily lunch salad.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 15 mins
• Yields: 12 cups

Ingredients

• 6  cups  no-salt-added chicken stock (see other recipe coming soon)
• 2  cups water (purified)
• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 1  small  vidalia onion
• 2  carrots
• 2  stalks celery
• 2 (15 ounce) cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, including juice
• 2  cups  frozen  no-salt-added peas
• 2  cups corn (buy 3 ears)
• 2  cups green beans (buy 3 large handfuls)
• 1  medium yukon gold potato
• 1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added black beans or 1 (15 ounce) can  no-salt-added navy beans or 1 (15 ounce) can  other no-salt-added  beans, drained, rinsed
• 2  tablespoons  flavor enhancer (see other recipe coming soon)
• 3  ounces no-added-salt tomato paste
• 1  teaspoon black pepper
• 2  cups  diced  cooked chicken (optional)

Directions

1. Make chicken stock.
2. Add olive oil to soup pot.
3. Chop onion, carrots, and celery.
4. Heat olive oil over medium heat.
5. When hot, add onion, carrots, and celery.
6. Saute until softened.
7. Add chicken stock and water and increase heat to high.
8. Add remaining vegetables except tomato paste, and Flavor Enhancer.
9. Bring to a boil.
10. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
11. Mix tomato paste in 1/2 cup of the broth and add to soup.
12. Add black pepper.
13. Increase heat to high to return to simmer, then reduce to medium-low.
14. Simmer for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
15. Add chicken, if using, and cook for 5 minutes.
16. Set aside enough soup for rest of week.
17. Freeze remaining soup in one cup containers for future use.