Autumn Soup (or Harvest Stew)

I made this hearty crockpot recipe up one day as the weather turned cold. I used a lot of harvested produce locally from my garden or others, but that's not essential in making this meatless meal delicious. I added the bacon as an afterthought towards the end for the carnivores in the family. I just hope I remember all that I put in it!

2 cans beef broth

2-3 cups water (less for stew, more for soup consistency)

2 cups black-eyed peas (cooked)

2 cans kidney beans, drained

1 can white beans, drained

2 cans diced tomatoes (Italian-styled preferrable)

2 cups banana squash, cubed (any yellow squash will do)

2 cups zuccini, cubed

2 cups carrots, diced or coins

1 med. onion, diced

1 Tbs. garlic

1+ Tbs. Italian seasoning

dash cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper to taste

1 sm. pkg alphabet pasta (optional)

Bacon

Put all (except alphabet pasta and bacon) in crockpot on low 7-8 hours or until cooked through. Add alphabet pasta the last hour (my pasta got a little mushy when I added it 2-3 hours before serving). Crumble pre-cooked bacon on top before serving.

And that's Harvest Stew! Feel free to modify as needed according to what you have in your pantry and fridge (which is why I used the name Harvest). If you add the alphabet pasta, you could change the name to Back-to-School Soup.

I guessed on the proportions above because I wasn't really paying attention as I added, so hopefully it tastes edible. I served it with warm bread and cold apple cider for a complete autumnal meal.

Here are some images that I had in mind while I concocted this recipe for the season.

Happy Autumn!