Italian Fiesta Vegetable Soup

So, WHY am I making soup on this hot, Hot, humid day?

Well, I roasted up some gorgeous Cornish Hens a while ago and the leftover bones, brownings and scraps were too beautiful to just toss.

I made almost 4 quarts of bone broth, using a 2-day process, and needed to turn it into soup.  I can, and do, give it to my dogs and cat mixed with their dry food, but it's just too good not to put some in a big pot of something!

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Vegetables: 6 stalks celery, 3 carrots, 1/4 green pepper, a big handful of garlic cloves.

Later, 6 stalks of Swiss chard, 1 can black-eyed peas-drained, 1 can diced tomatoes, 2-6oz cooked chicken - optional. 

Chop and sauté the first vegetables listed, into a 5 quart pot with 2T of EVOO.  Season and simmer until sizzling and lightly cooked.  Add the tomatoes, bouillon soup base, black-eyed peas,  and the chopped chard stems.  Cover and let simmer together, 15 minutes, add bone broth a little at a time when needed.  Slice the Swiss chard leaves into long 1" wide pieces, then cut into thin ribbons.

Add this to the pot along with half a big bunch of fresh Italian parsley, sliced.  Simmer on low another 10 minutes, check fl.  Meanwhile, cook up some thin pasta noodles, drain and add to the soup.

Serve topped with fresh grated strong, hard cheese and crusty buttered Italian bread. . .Lin