"Jambalaya" Vegetable Soup

I gave this soup the name "Jambalaya" Vegetable soup as I took a lot of the inspiration from making Jambalaya in the past. This is a healthy, vegetarian version, but with all the flavor! I wanted a soup that would be packed with vegetables and some carbs, to go along side the chicken I was serving.

Ingredients:

2 -14 oz cans Diced Tomatoes (with or without added peppers/ onions /etc)

1 bag frozen cut Carrots

½ bag frozen Okra

1 Yellow Squash, seeds removed & cut into bite size pieces

1 medium Yellow Onion, chopped

6 cloves Garlic, pressed or chopped

6 cups water / Vegetable Broth*

1 diced Red Pepper

2-3 stalks sliced/ chopped Celery

1 cup Brown Rice

2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 T Butter

1 t Thyme

1 T Smoked Paprika

¼ t or less of Cayenne Pepper

Heat large pan on medium-low heat, add olive oil and butter. Once hot, add garlic and onions and sauté 4-5 minutes. Add squash, red pepper, celery and continue sauteing 5 more minutes. Add frozen vegetables and canned tomatoes (including juice). Cook until vegetables no long appear frozen. Add vegetable broth and spices. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, until low boil occurs. Add brown rice and stir well. Reduce to a simmer and continue cooking 20-30  minutes until rice is done. Makes 6-8 servings.

* I use  Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base , which can be found at most grocery stores next to the canned broth. I personally like the "Better Than Bouillon" bases much better than canned or cubed broths as they are much more flavorful, and more cost effective. Each jar makes 38 servings.