Wonderfully pure, a "vat" of this stuff lasts about a week, depending on how much you eat each day. Eat as much of the soup as you like, as often as you like.

　　

Ingredients

1 head green cabbage, finely shredded or chopped

　　2 large onions, chopped

　　16 to 28 ounces canned tomatoes, chopped with juices

　　2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped

　　4 celery stalks with leaves, chopped

　　6 carrots, peeled and sliced

　　1/2 pound green beans, stem ends snapped, sliced on the diagonal

　　Black pepper to taste

　　Chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, sage, dill, cilantro, or thyme

　　

Garnish

Balsamic vinegar or lemon or lime juice

　　Minced fresh herbs

　　Chopped green onions

　　

To Prepare

Step 1

Prep all the ingredients as directed in the recipe list.

　　

To Cook

Step 2

Put all the vegetables in a big soup pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and boil gently for 10 minutes. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until all the vegetables are soft. Stir in the black pepper and chopped herbs.

　　

To Serve

Step 3

This soup can be served hot or cold. It can be pureed or partially pureed to vary textures. It can be seasoned differently for variety, with balsamic vinegar, lemon or lime juice, different fresh herbs, or chopped green onions.

　　Reprinted with permission from An Exaltation of Soups by Patricia Solley. © 2004 Three Rivers Press