Comfort Food (a repost)

(I have posted this recipe before, but it has been a long time, and since I just made this soup yesterday and it is so delicious, I've decided to share it with you again!!)

When I miss home away from home (Portugal), I go straight to my portuguese cooking books. I don't know how to explain it, but just thinking about portuguese food is truly comforting to me!! As I have mentioned before, one of my favorite things to do is portuguese soups (sopas), and, thankfully, my kids love it too...!! I shared a recipe for a garbanzo soup with spinach here, and this time I would like to share one of our family favorites, and a super easy one, too!!

Sopa de Cenoura com Feijao Verde

(Carrot Soup with Green Beans)

4 to 5 medium potatos, cubed

3 large carrots, cubed

1 medium onion, cubed

1 lb bag frozen french style green beans (of course you can use fresh green beans, I just love shortcuts if they work!)

Throw the cubed potatos, carrots and onion in a pot, cover with water (water level whould be a couple of inches above vegetables) and cook for about half an hour. I often add a Knorr vegetable bouillon but that is optional.

Once the vegetables are cooked, I use my favorite kitchen appliance, the hand blender, to puree the soup right in the pot! Check the consistency of the soup, I usually add a little water at this point to bring it to the right creamy consistency. Add the green beans and bring it back to a boil for 5 to 10 minutes (the frozen green beans are already cooked, so they really don't need much cooking time). The last touch in all my soups is a generous few tablespoons of olive oil, added just a minute before turning the heat off. Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!!!