Vegetable and White Bean Chowder

Are you experiencing Autumn weather yet where you live? I keep reading other blogs talking the about the sudden drop in temperatures they are having, with lovely crisp mornings and cooler evenings. I'm a little jealous. Our highs are still up in the 90's, but I was able run errands today without breaking a serious sweat every time I walked out to my car, so that's something, I guess.

I'm looking so forward to being able to wear jeans, sitting around the outdoor fire with friends on weekend nights, and being able to actually go to the park and playground during the middle of the day for a playdate, without being miserable. It is a little ways off, but that hasn't stopped me from buying an obscene amount of winter squash already or making lots of soups.

I've had my eye on this soup for quite a while now. Based off of a Moosewood recipe, it's a vegetable-laden soup with a broth base with just a hint of creaminess. Simple and easy, I love that it contains ordinary, everyday ingredients. Ones that you quite possibly already have in your refrigerator and pantry. And the beauty of it is, it's totally adaptable recipe to whatever veggies you do have on hand or prefer. The original version didn't have the white beans, but I thought the inclusion of them really helped to make this filling enough for a meal in itself.

Vegetable and White Bean Chowder
adapted from Cate's World Kitchen and Moosewood's Very Creamy Vegetable Chowder (sourced from CDKitchen)
serves 4

1 tbsp butter
2 tsp olive oil
2 crowns broccoli, roughly chopped
1 small red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper (I used a Cubanelle), chopped
2 carrots, sliced
2 celery ribs, sliced
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic
3 cups vegetable stock
1 cup 2% milk
3 tbsp Neufchatel cheese (or regular cream cheese)
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil (or 2 tsp dried)
1 15 oz can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup coarsely chopped baby spinach

Heat a Dutch Oven or large soup pot over medium heat. Add broccoli, peppers, carrots, celery and onions and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic (and dried basil, if using), cooking for another minute.

Add stock and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are just tender. Add milk and cream cheese, stirring until cream cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Stir in fresh basil, beans and spinach and cook until heated through, another minute or two.