Vegetable Soup Recipe
Adapt this traditional Amana colony soup recipe to whatever vegetables are on hand.
This vegetarian soup can be adapted to whatever vegetables you have available.
Photo by Fotolia/Magdalena Kucova
Soups were a vital part of the communal kitchen repertoire, as they were able to feed a large number of people simply, and typically with ingredients that were always on hand. Not a day went by when some soup was not served, especially for the noon meal.
In late summer, one of the most commonly served was Fransozensuppe, or “French Soup” in the Amana German dialect, which was made from a variety of fresh vegetables harvested from the kitchen garden, and is in many ways a Germanic-version of minestrone.
The following recipe should be seen as a suggestion, and you should make yours based on the produce available in your garden: celery, green beans, fresh lima beans, turnips, or most other produce will also work well. The only things that should always be present are the tomatoes, cabbage, and onion.
While this recipe makes 12 servings at least, it keeps well in the refrigerator and freezer, so there is no reason to make a large batch and then be able to enjoy a simple dinner at some point in the future from the leftovers.
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