Vegetable Soup Revisited

This is one you might like to try - a few thousand times. Every time you do, it will of course be different. It will evolve, vary, and take into account the season, and your mood, and your muse.
Creative cooking is easy, but sometimes you need a kick-start. This is it.
There is no list of ingredients, these depends on seasonal availability. The one mandatory ingredient you must use is cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. “Pure olive oil” is simply not an option. Supermarkets sell this, Greek or Italian is best. Bit pricey, but priceless.
The vegetables should be of the freshest quality, and organic is a plus. If the vegetables are not fresh, the soup will fail and you probably won’t make it again.

Here is a sample to follow, to serve 2.

Take five cups of water, and bring to the boil.
While the water is heating, add the following
I small onion sliced
1 small carrot cut thick
I small potato, diced
I handful of snow peas, toped and cut into three
Three or four cloves of garlic finely chopped
Turn the soup down to a low simmer

A handful of okra (only is soft and tender) cut into two. These give the soup a smooth consistency.
I medium tomato, diced (can buy tinned organic ones from supermarket)
I/4 of a red capsicum, sliced.
I medium wedge of pumpkin, diced
I cup of sliced mushrooms. If you're into super foods, Shitaki mushrooms are the ones to seek, fresh from your local supermarket (Coles in Sydney). They have interesting medicinal properties. Description:

google found:
ï Shiitaki mushrooms contain an antiviral substance known as lentinan, which stimulates the immune system to produce more interferon, a natural compound that is known to fight cancer and viruses.

ï Additional studies demonstrate that shitaki extract promotes the activation of macrophages, and the proliferation of bone marrow cells, thereby possessing an immuno-stimulating activity and anti HIV effect.

ï Shiitaki mushrooms also contain an important source of vitamin D needed for calcium absorption, which is not found in many foods.

ï Shiitake mushrooms contain lentysine and eritadenine, two ingredients that help lower the level of fat in the blood, which aids in lowering the blood pressure, and reducing fatigue. This is also used in the Orient for sexual dysfunction, aging, gallstones, ulcers and diabetes, to name a few.

ï Shiitake are free of the natural carcinaogens found in the common white button mushroom.

ï The shiitake does not lose its nutrient value when cooked at high temperatures.

now add...
Any herbs you are growing, or bought fresh, finely chopped.
Include some celery, with some green celery leaves.

To give the soup more body, and nutrition, add half a tin of cooked beans. Buy the organic ones from your supermarket.
Alternately you can add tofu, or add some buckwheat at the beginning (try 1/4 cup) or lentils ¼ cup again, at start. (Both will cook in time by the time soup is ready).
Now add I/4 cup of the olive oil.
Season according to taste:
We recommend Organic Shoyu, (if you prefer plain salt, use sea salt. Free running salt should be thrown away), and Red Ochre Bush Tomato & Chilli Dipping sauce (from you supermarket).
You can add brocoli spikes about 10mins before soup is ready. Brocoli overcooked is yuk.
Grated fresh ginger is nice too.
Taste soup regularly –you will be amazed at what you have created.
Simmer for further 15-20mins.
Enjoy!

Can be served neat, or blended, or topped with grated Parmesan cheese or lemon juice, and with sour dough organic bread – a complete meal.
To make it chunkier, cut food larger, esp. potato and pumpkin.
Pumpkin cut small will dissolve, which you might like too.
Regulate how thick you want it, by adding water, but only a small amount.
If you have a food processor by all means use it to make preparation easier.
This is sample only, there are thousands of vegetables to use, and variations you can make, like adding small tin of coconut milk, or Bonsoy soya milk.

Next time you will make it different. You’ve got some ideas already.
Slow – Foods is fun, eh?