HANK'S VEGETABLE SOUP

Vegetable soups are nourishing, healthful, great tasting, and easy to prepare.  Soups contain nutrients needed for optimal health, including fiber, minerals, vitamins, RNA, balanced protein, and complex carbohydrates.

Use a variety of your favorite vegetables. Include root vegetables (carrots, potatoes, onions), green leafy vegetables (kale, collards, chard, spinach), and others such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, leek, and celery.  Also use garlic, parsley, ginger root, and herbs such as thyme, oregano, basil, and marjoram. Add any of your favorite vegetables.

Avoid overcooking ingredients: consider the specific cooking time needed for each vegetable to determine when it can go into the pot (for example, root vegetables and leafy greens cook more slowly than broccoli or spinach, which can be added later). It’s easier to prepare ingredients ahead of time while the water is heating (which also helps avoid overcooking). The ideal cookware for vegetable soups is a 5-quart or larger steel pot or glass pot (e.g., Corning visionware). If you use a large pot, you’ll have enough soup for a quick meal any time. Soup stores well in the pot, but you can also transfer it to smaller containers (e.g., mason jars) for easier storage.
 
Ingredients: 1 bunch kale, 1 bunch collards, 1/2 bunch red or green chard, 5 large carrots, 3 medium potatoes, 1 large onion, 1 small apple, 1/2 head cabbage or cauliflower, several mushrooms, 1-3 cloves garlic, 6 stalks celery, 1-3 stalks broccoli, 2-3 tomatoes, 1 bunch spinach, 1 bunch parsley, seasonings such as sea salt (about 1 tablespoon), herbs (thyme, oregano, marjoram, basil, etc.), fresh ginger, etc.
 
Directions:  Heat 1.5 to 2 quarts of water in a 5-quart pot. Wash vegetables while water heats (or before). After the water and vegetables are ready, begin to cut and add the vegetables in the order listed above under ingredients.  Depending upon the size of your pot, you may have to adjust the amounts given above.  Cook the ingredients on a medium-high level until the carrots or potatoes are no longer hard and are only slightly crunchy.  If more water is needed, add it after the cooking is complete so that the pot does not boil over (this will also terminate the cooking process). Remove the pot from the heat and serve.  After cooling, store the remainder in quart glass jars or in the pot in the refrigerator.

There are infinite variations on this basic recipe. You might try by adding small amounts of fish, organic poultry, or organic, lean red meat (ground or sliced). Experiment with ingredients and enjoy a different soup every time!