Week 132: Mexican Vegetable Soup with Braised Beef

Since mother nature has decided to cool down for a few days, I took it as a cue to create a menu that features one last hearty soup before lighter summer fare is permanently here.  

On the menu for MONDAY, MAY 11th is MEXICAN VEGETABLE SOUP WITH BRAISED BEEF and ROASTED RED PEPPER BREAD.  This delicious soup is loaded with tender cubes of meat and a variety of tasty vegetables, such as tomatoes, corn and zucchini, and garnished with ribbons of cilantro and radish coins.  Homey and complex, it hits all the right buttons!! 

The soup begins with browning the beef to intensify the meaty flavor of the soup. Once browned, onion and garlic, along with the spices oregano and cumin, are added.  Next, homemade chicken stock and diced tomatoes are incorporated and brought to a boil.  Finally, diced potatoes, carrots, zucchini and corn are dropped in.  The soup is garnished with fresh cilantro, lime juice, and radish coins.  

The bread companion this week is my Roasted Red Pepper Bread.  This beautiful, braided bread combines the sweetness of roasted red peppers with a little kick from the black pepper.  And if you manage to save some bread, it makes fantastic toast the following morning!!

**Please note that all soup is now delivered in disosable containers to avoid cross-contaimination, it is automatically added to your purchase.  And while we love seeing your faces when we make our deliveries ... for the time being we will be leaving your dinner on your front porch so we can avoid breaching social distancing guidelines.  All pick up orders will be from 5-6:30 PM  as Z Place is currently closed on Mondays during this crisis.  Thank you for your patience as I try to accomodate everyone under these unusual circumstances.