Here it is....Oooah's Famous Zucchini Soup!!

"Oooah" with the grand-daughter
 who named her 

Well, I'm breaking from 159 weeks of bread-recipe sharing......After several requests for the zucchini soup recipe I spoke about in last week's blog , I thought I may as well make that the "recipe du jour". Here's a little bit of the history behind the soup..... 

My wonderful, wonderful mother was an elementary teacher, owned an antique shop, hooked rugs (she called herself "the antique hooker" - haha!), loved being "Oooah" (that's what my daughter, her first grandchild, named her and it stuck) and she was a fabulous cook. When Dave and I  moved back to Ohio, she was a huge help to us in so many ways. She helped me wallpaper our first dining room (back when wallpaper was in style); she recovered our pitiful-looking couch; she loaned us money for the down-payment on our first house (though she could ill-afford it).....the list of contributions goes on and on! But one of our favorite things was when she would cook for us.....no one fixed lamb at Easter like Mom! Even when the meal wasn't a fancy holiday feast, her meals were outstanding. It is hard for me to believe, but her zucchini soup was one of my veggie-hating-hubby's favorites! Loaded with peppers, onions, tomatoes, zucchini and celery, it is PACKED with flavor! EVERY time I serve it, I get a request for the recipe. And every time, I am proud to share it in her honor. 

So, my friends, I share this absolutely delicious recipe with you in honor of my mom! Go back through the recipe archives and I'm sure you'll find a bread recipe that you'll want to serve with this soup (maybe the garlic knots.....) I'm urging you - try this recipe on a cool fall day! It makes a nice pot full, so either share it or freeze some for a cold winter night! ENJOY!! 

Ooaah’s Zucchini Soup- Everyone’s  Favorite!

1-2 lbs. Med.sweet Italian sausage, browned well and drained

2 Cups chopped celery

2 lbs.  Zucchini,chopped

1 ½ cups chopped onion

10 cups stewed tomatoes (5 Cans,14 ½-16oz.) -I blenderize these, as my family doesn’t like tomato chunks

1 beef bouillion cube dissolved in 1 cup water

1 Cup tomato juice (I often do not have the juice on hand, so I substitute some spaghetti sauce diluted in a cup of water ) 

2-3 chopped green peppers 

1 tsp. Sugar

2 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Oregano         

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

½ tsp. Basil

¼ tsp. Garlic powder

Mix all ingredients in a large Dutch oven. Cover and simmer till veggies are tender- 1-2 hours. Serve with grated cheese and garlic bread (Check out our recipe for garlic knots!!)  . This freezes well- make it in the summer with fresh veggies-serve it on a cool fall night! Makes lots!

Here it is....Oooah's Famous Zucchini Soup!!