Quick and Easy Soup

There are all sorts of soup recipes available on the internet, but this soup, invented by my sister Leslie, is one of my all-time favourite soups.   It's so easy to make, you could easily go from start to finish in thirty minutes, so it makes a great, quick dinner after a long day at work.   The longer the soup is simmered, the more flavourful it becomes.  It's also good as a cold soup.

Leslie's California Mix Soup

• 1 large Spanish or Vidalia onion
• vegetable broth (use a low sodium brand, or your own home-made, then add your own salt to taste)
• 1 bag of frozen California mix vegetables (this is carrots, cauliflower and broccoli)
• spices and seasonings of your choice - I use freshly ground pepper and rosemary and thyme and a touch of cumin and coriander

Directions

1. Add about a half cup of the vegetable broth to a heavy soup pot and bring to a boil.
2. Coarsely chop the onions and add them to the pot.
3. Saute the onions until they are translucent.
4. Add about a pound to a pound and a half of the frozen vegetables to the pot.
5. Add enough vegetable broth to the pot to cover the frozen veggies, add your seasonings and bring to a boil.
6. Let the veggies boil for about five minutes, then reduce the heat and simmer for about ten to fifteen minutes.
7. Using an immersion blender, puree the veggies.  You could also transfer the veggies in batches to a food processor and then return the puree to the pot.
8. Ladle into bowls and serve.

Options

• I like to open a can of black beans and add them to the soup after I have pureed the veggies.  This turns the soup into a complete meal.
• If you cut up a potato or sweet potato and add it to the pot with the frozen veggies, you will get a thicker and creamier soup.