Crazy Pot TOMATO VEGETABLE SOUP
about 6 cups Spicy Tomato Juice (V-8 or regular work well too ~ I only had 4 cups left, so added 2 cups of water)
4 carrots, peeled & sliced............................................about 4 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 large white or yellow onion, chopped.............2 TB garlic, chopped or minced
1-2 TB extra-virgin olive oil.......................................1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1-3 tsp. Kosher salt (depends how much salt/seasoning is on/in the other stuff you add)
2 TB fresh parsley, chopped.......................................1 bay leaf
1/2 package frozen corn (1 can, well drained, is fine too)
PEPPERS: If I had any bell peppers, I would like to have added about 1/4 cup chopped bell peppers, and 1/2 jalapeno pepper (seeded & minced)
I had about 1/4 cup coleslaw left, so added that too ~ chopped cabbage would be fine
also had about 3/4 cup leftover baked beans, so in they went too! (a drained can of any type of beans would be just fine)
What's that?.....about 1/2 cup of leftover steamed fresh broccoli florets? in they go too!
1/2 tsp. crushed or cracked red pepper.................1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. dried oregano......................................................1 tsp. dried basil
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Heat the olive oil up on medium-high in a Dutch oven or soup pot, while you chop the onion. Then toss the onion and garlic into the pot, while you chop the celery and carrots (stir the onion & garlic a few times, so they don't burn). Add the celery and carrots; cook for a few minutes while you get everything else together.
Now toss everything else into the pot and bring to a boil. Give it a stir (and a quick taste ~ adjust the salt, if needed). Lower the temperature to simmer; cover and let it go for at least 45 minutes.... but several hours is just fine too (if it gets too thick, you can just add more water ~ but be sure to check the seasoning then to see if it needs more salt, pepper, vinegar or herbs).