Growing Vegetable Soup

Do your children enjoy vegetable soup? Vegetable soup can be exciting to make and delicious to eat. This is true, especially for children, if you pair it with a story about growing vegetables or making soup! Making soup together can become a fun family event. Children are more likely to taste what they have helped prepare. For instance, exposure to different foods helps encourage children to taste and enjoy a variety of foods. Therefore, when children learn about the importance of eating vegetables, it can help them in making lifelong decisions regarding their health.

“Growing Vegetable Soup”, written and illustrated by Lois Ehlert, is a bright and colorful book. This delightful story for young children explains the process of growing vegetables. It includes planting seeds, watering them, weeding, and watching the plants grow. Finally, plants are harvested and ready to make into a vegetable soup.

Vegetables provide Health Benefits

Ask your child what their favorite vegetables are and if they know where the vegetables come from. Then talk about the color of each vegetable. Is the vegetable grown above the ground or below the ground? Additionally, discuss how each color of vegetables helps their body grow. Eating different colors of vegetables is called eating the rainbow. For instance, each color of vegetable provides many health benefits that can help protect us from chronic diseases.

• Red vegetables (tomatoes and red bell peppers) are rich in lycopene. They work to protect cells against damage.
• Orange and yellow vegetables (carrots and sweet potatoes) are good sources of carotenoids. They promote healthy eyes, skin, and immune system.
• Green vegetables (asparagus, broccoli, green beans, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts) are rich in cancer-blocking chemicals.
• Blue and purple vegetables (red onion, eggplant, purple potatoes) have powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins. These help keep blood vessels healthy.
• White and brown vegetables (mushrooms, garlic, potatoes and onions) contain compounds which help improving blood pressure and cholesterol.

Vegetable Soup Recipe (Makes 8 to 12 servings.)

Ingredients: (use these vegetables or choose others, depending on their availability)

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 medium potato, peeled and chopped
• One cup green beans (canned, frozen or fresh) (if fresh, children can break/snap the beans into pieces)
• 1 stalk of broccoli, broken into bite size pieces
• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped (or 1 can stewed tomatoes)
• 1 green pepper, chopped or torn into small pieces
• 1 cup corn, (canned or frozen)
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• Seasonings:
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1⁄2 cup chopped parsley
  • One teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • One teaspoon dried thyme
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Wash hands and all food contact surfaces with soap and water.
2. Rinse fresh vegetables under cool running water.
3. Peel and chop or break vegetables into bite-size pieces.
4. Add vegetables, vegetable stock, and 4 cups of water to a large pot.
5. Bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until vegetables are tender, an hour or two, depending on how soft or crunchy you prefer your vegetables.
7. Add seasonings; simmer for about 10 more minutes.
8. Remove the bay leaf and allow the soup to cool.

Enjoy this delicious and healthy creation with your family!