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1
wash and trim the onion, carrots and celery and dice them.
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2
put the onion, carrot, celery and olive oil in a larger, non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat.
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3
stir the vegetables every few minutes so they don't burn.
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4
once the vegetables have softened, after 7-10 minutes, add garlic, herbs and water.
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5
turn the heat down to low so the pan is just simmering.
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6
After simmering for 10 minutes, carefully puree the soup using an immersion blender.
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7
(use electric mixer if no blender).
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8
OPTIONS BELOW--choose an option or two to make the soup your own:.
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9
strain the soup through a fine sieve to make a clear broth.
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10
add 2 cups vegetables and simmer until vegetables are cooked--about 10 minutes.
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11
add 1/2 cup of barley, rice or pasta or other favorite grain and simmer until cooked.
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12
replace 2 cups of the water with 2 cups of chicken or beef broth.
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13
add 3 cups of already-cooked dried beans (lentils, pintos, etc).
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14
add 1-2 cups of finely chopped, cooked meat or fish and heat through.
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15
with raw meat or fish, cook it first, then drain off fat if the meat is very fatty and begin the soup adding the olive oil and veggies --
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16
add 1 cup of cream or half and half at the end of cooking to make into a creamy soup.
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17
add 3 tablespoons of tomato paste and 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, stir in and heat through.
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18
add 1/2 cup very finely chopped spinach; if already cooked, then heat through, otherwise, simmer the spinach for 3-4 minutes.
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19
get creative with garnishes to put on top--croutons, shredded cheese, mint or parsley, teaspoon of sour cream, paprika sprinkle.
