Eureka! They Will All Eat It Vegetable Soup

In my eternal quest for simple, healthful foods that all the picky eaters will enjoy, I made this one tonight and so am saving it here for posterity. With one kid trying to gain weight, another trying to lose, a third who despises tomato-based soups and a fourth who likes only candy and eggs, it is tough. Remembering that they all eat the soup at our local pizza shop (why is all food better when it comes from a pizza shop?), I did a copycat version myself, and they gobbled it up. A tip of the hat to the late Linda McCartney, whose soup recipe I changed to come up with this.

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 1  onion, chopped
• 3  stalks celery, chopped
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 4  carrots, sliced
• 8  ounces  shredded cabbage (cole slaw mix in a bag works well)
• 2  potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 4  tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (or 1 tbl dried)
•  water
• 4  small tomatoes
•  salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat oil in soup pot, and saute the onions, celery and garlic for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the carrots, cabbage, potatoes and herbs, and mix well.
3. Add enough water to cover the veggies, plus another 2" of water, and simmer with the lid on for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally (or not).
4. Add liquid if necessary.
5. Drop the whole tomatoes on top of the soup and leave them there for a few minutes while the skins get loose. Then remove tomatoes, slip off the peels, and cut into large chunks, which you then add to the soup.
6. Simmer another few minutes, and season to taste.