There is a stand at the Farmer’s Market that sells freshly shucked peas; creamers, purple hulls, and pinto beans.  It instantly woke my desire for soup and cornbread so we collected sweet vidalia onions, jalapenos, several ears of fresh corn, a basket of ripe red tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes and purple hull peas, all the ingredients for a delicious soup.

Especially for an all-vegetable soup, homemade broth will add a ton of flavor.  Onion, carrot, celery, parsley, and garlic are common base ingredients, you probably have a few ragged specimens lying around, while a tomato and a few corn cobs will sweeten the broth and reinforce the flavors of the soup.

Whatever you find fresh at the farmers market, that is what you can use here.  We enjoyed warm bowlfuls with zucchini corn muffins on a day that was only 98 degrees, a break from the heat on a North Texas day.

Late Summer Market Soup

1 small onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 or 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped into tiny pieces

2 fresh tomatoes, chopped

1 pint purple hulls, black eyed, or creamer peas

4 ears fresh corn, cut from cob with a sharp knife

2 small potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks

Vegetable Corn broth, recipe below

Film the bottom of a large pot with grapeseed or olive oil.  Add onion and carrot and saute until tender, 5-7 minutes.  Add jalapenos and tomatoes and cook a few more minutes, until tomatoes release their juice.  Add peas, corn, potatoes, and broth to cover.  Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, at least 45 minutes and up to a few hours to effectively blend the flavors.  This soup is also good the next day.  Season before serving with salt and pepper, to taste.  Serve with warm corn bread.

Vegetable Corn Broth

Fill a large soup pot with water, about 6 cups.  Add one large onion, cut into eighths, a few roughly chopped carrots, a stalk or two of chopped celery, one smashed garlic clove, one tomato cut into quarters, 2 corn cobs, a few sprigs of parsley and/or thyme, and freshly ground black pepper.  Bring to a boil and remove any foam that floats to the surface.  Lower heat to a simmer for 45 minutes.  Strain and reserve.  Can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for up to a few months.