To fuck or to cook?

[notcasesensitive]

This is what I came up with for our first foray into a winter soup this year. It is a cross between a vegetarian tortilla and a minestrone (or even a vegetarian chili).

ncs's Vegetarian Tortilla-strone

4 cups vegetable broth (I use 2 of the premade boxes that you can buy in any grocery store)
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
1/2 yellow onion
2 cloves fresh garlic
1 large russet potato
1 can whole kernal corn
1 can white beans
1 cup small shell pasta
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
tabasco, salt and pepper to taste

Sautee diced bell pepper, onion and garlic with a touch of oil until soft. Add to crushed tomatoes in food processor and puree untill all pieces are blended. Boil diced potatoes on stove for 10-15 minutes. In a large soup pan, heat vegetable broth, potatoes, oil and vinegar and tomato/pepper mixture. Drain corn and beans and add to soup. Salt, pepper and tabasco to taste (I used a lot of fresh ground pepper, not much salt and probably about a teaspoon of tabasco (spicy!)). Simmer 15-20 minutes. Cook pasta per instructions and add to soup right before serving.

Makes 6 large servings.

Tasty.