Judy's Vegetable Soup From Cans (American)

Directions

1. Saute/fry the onion and garlic in the extra virgin olive oil. Add in the rest of the ingredients, season to taste with basil and thyme, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and cook about 20 min to cook the rice. Serve warm. It shouldn't need much salt.
2. Judy says, "I never make this soup exactly the same twice. It depends on what I have on hand. It is easy, quick, not too heavy, and tastes wonderful." I agree - I made it twice with different herbs and beans - threw in some tired vegetables from the fridge, too.
3. Comments: If ever there was a pure American Frontier soup, this is it. In fact, it reminds me of American novelist Willa Cather's recipe for Vegetable Soup, from vegetables which are "run through a grinder then home canned; then in Winter add in contents of jar to soup stock" - from a handwritten note she put inside her copy of The White House Cook Book. Judy Teeter, who contributed the preceding recipe, is a true New Mexican, creative cook, passionate singer (who sings with the local chorale), and is from Los Lunas, New Mexico - far from Cather's 19th century Nebraska. But the end product is pure and hearty anywhere, anyhow. Judy says it's great "for when time is short, but you want something really good!"