Thick & Hearty Veggie Tomato Stew

This was my first successful attempt at creating a thick veggie stew, & I'm pretty damn proud of it :D
As always, when making a stew, I overestimate how many veggies I need & end up with a massive quantity of soup. However, I love soup so much that there has never been a time where I've even had to freeze it or throw any out :) I made this a few weeks ago at home, and then again last night with my sister. (I'm staying in Edmonton for the holidays w/ family & friends.) As I was writing up this post, she said she wanted to make a big stew for her boyfriend, who had been working for 12 hours out in the cold and snow. Guess what? They both loved it :) We each had two big bowls! The only thing we did differently was swap out the squash for rutabaga, and it was just as fantastic!
Once you make this (and I know you will!)...try to stop at one bowl :P

From my kitchen, to yours <3

Ingredients:
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
4 large carrots, chopped
1/2 bunch celery, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 head cauliflower, chopped
1 head broccoli, chopped
2 parsnips, chopped
8 cups veggie broth
2 cans tomato paste
2 tbs dried thyme
1/4 green cabbage, chopped
1/2 large butternut squash, cooked
1 large can kidney beans

Directions:
1) Put all ingredients except the last 3 into your crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours, until veggies are crisp-tender.
2) Add in remaining 3 ingredients one hour before ending cook time. Serve warm :)

peace, love, food <3
Char, xo