The Easiest Soup in the World

Ex-Pat Mama's Note:

This is a thick delicious completely vegan soup. You can use virtually any vegetables you have in the house. I've written the recipe based on what I used this week, but it always changes - and it is always delicious. The only warning I have is regarding color: if you use a mix of orange veggies and dark green leafies - the soup will taste good, but it will have a fairly revolting color! An immersion blender and a pressure cooker make this soup even easier to prepare, but they are not necessary.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 5 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 head cauliflower, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 medium potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1/2 butternut squash, cut into chunks
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups vegetable broth

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven or pressure cooker. Add the onion and sauté until lightly browned - 6 minutes or so.
2. Add all the remaining vegetables EXCEPT the garlic. Stir and sauté another 4-6 minutes.
3. Add the garlic during the last minute of cook time. Adding the garlic at the end prevents it from burning and becoming bitter.
4. Pour the veggie broth over all. It should just barely cover the veggies if you want a hearty thick soup. If you want something thinner use more broth to fewer vegetables.
5. I use a pressure cooker, so at this point I close the lid and allow the pressure to increase. I keep it at pressure for about 15 minutes and then allow the pressure to release slowly over time. If you don't use a pressure cooker, simply cover the pot and boil the daylights out of your soup until the veggies are almost mush - 30 to 45 minutes should be good.
6. When the pressure has released, or the boiling time is over, I use my immersion blender to puree the soup completely. If you don't have an immersion blender you can carefully pour the soup into a regular blender and achieve the same results.
7. Now ladle yourself a bowl and enjoy!