Okra Baby Bella Soup

Stephe did it again. Tonight was his night to make supper, so off to the store he goes for inspiration. Home he comes with okra, baby bellas, zucchini, and so on, not knowing exactly what the finished product would be. What he created was another incredible soup - a masterpiece in my opinion. This is now my new favorite soup.

Of course my favorite side to a bowl of soup is whole grain bread with butter, and a cold glass of milk! Divine.

Thanks again honey!

Okra Baby Bella Soup:

16 oz bag frozen okra, chopped

2 cups spinach, torn

8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced into large pieces

2 zucchini, cut into bite sized chunks

5 scallions, chopped- greens included

2/3 cup brown rice

2 Tbsp Better Than Bouillon vegetable base

2 Tbsp lemon pepper

1 Tbsp oregano

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/4 tsp ground peppercorns

5 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 bay leaves

10 cups water

Parmesan cheese (fresh)

In a large cooking pot, combine all of the ingredients - Except the Cheese. Bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat, and continue to simmer until the rice is cooked (approximately 20 to 30 minutes).

Ladle soup into serving bowls and top with fresh parmesan cheese.

* What makes this soup extra special is that the spinach and the cilantro came from my own garden. Before long the zucchini will be blooming like crazy, too. What a joy it is to walk out into my own backyard and harvest the food I'll be eating for that meal. It doesn't get any fresher than that!

Happy gardening to all my fellow gardeners. And to all of you who think you don't have room for a garden, you'd be surprised what you can grow in pots. I live in town with no room for a traditional garden, so I have a fun "pot" garden. What a delight to watch it all grow. I think of it as a reciprocal process. I nurture and tend to the plants, and in return the plants produce food that provide nourishment for my body. Now that's a beautiful experience!