I love this soup. I like to have the vegetables cut medium it makes is hardier. But if you prefer smooth you can always chop smaller or puree. I also omit the bay leaf because I don't like bay leaf. I also use a ham hock from left over Easter or Christmas dinner.
Throw together the fixin's in the morning and enjoy a steak-and-peppers main simmering in a tomato-based sauce for dinner. Melty Swiss cheese is the clincher.
This was my winning entry in the Annual Power Facts Recipe Contest sponsored by Alabama Power. I think it was in 2004. Warning: it's loaded with fat, calories and TASTE!!
A little heat, a little cool and a lot of Southwest flavor wrapped up and ready for a fork. If variety is your thing, try it one week with beef, the next with pork.
