I can always tell when I’ve been eating too much junk because I start craving vegetables. The other day I was seriously jonesing for the vegetable soup at Souplantation (their restaurants only seem to be called Souplantation in California, everywhere else they’re Sweet Tomatoes). I don’t know exactly what’s in this soup, but it’s full of all different kinds of veggies and it is seriously fantastic in addition to being very healthy. Eating at Souplantation is rather expensive, though, so I decided to try to create my own version at home.

I made a quick trip to the grocery store and got a little carried away in the produce section. I tossed spinach, zucchini and mushrooms into my cart, along with red bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, haricots verts, and a butternut squash. When I got back home I unpacked, assembling some of my purchases along with a few more from the fridge on my counter, and went into a chopping frenzy.

I kind of love chopping things. (It helps that I have an awesome chef’s knife, a half-dozen cheap IKEA cutting boards, and plenty of counter space.) And this soup was almost nothing but chopped things. I chopped and chopped, adding things to the pot on the stove as I finished them, then simmered the whole shebang for 20 minutes or so.

This is a very by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of soup. I used the vegetables that sounded good to me in the proportions I liked, but if you hate mushrooms you could leave them out. And if you love zucchini and want to triple the amount I used, or add frozen peas or chopped spinach, that’s okay too. It’s customizable!

And oh, man, was this soup ever good. It was exactly what I needed—healthy yet completely yummy. My mom and Annalie loved it too, so bonus points for that! After dinner I decided I wanted to blog the recipe, and I hadn’t taken any photos while I was cooking. I made up another bowl of soup just for photos, and even though I’d just eaten a large serving and finished off Annalie’s portion, I couldn’t help but eat that bowlful too! It was that tasty.

The not-so-secret finishing touch was balsamic vinegar. I drizzled a little bit into each bowl as I served, and it added just the right touch of bright flavor. I imagine a splash of red wine vinegar or even lemon juice would have the same effect, if balsamic isn’t your thing. I personally love it and use it every chance I get. Someday I’m going to buy the really good kind, the smoky, syrupy aceto balsamico tradizionale that costs $100 a bottle, and then I’ll probably never want the cheap kind again. But for now, this Trader Joe’s brand suits me just fine.

I had one small moment of sadness as I slurped my way through a large bowlful, when I thought, It’s too bad Troy isn’t here, because he would love this stuff! I’m writing the recipe down here before I forget it, so I can make it again sometime when Troy’s home. And now the rest of you can make it too.

Very Vegetable Soup
Makes 8-12 servings

• olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 large onion
• 2 stalks celery
• 2 large carrots or approx. 15 baby carrots
• 6-8 white mushrooms
• 1 zucchini
• 1 red bell pepper
• a handful of fresh haricots verts
• 14-oz. can sweet corn
• head of broccoli
• half a head of cauliflower
• 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
• 3-4 c. chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 tsp. dried thyme or 1-2 Tbsp. fresh thyme
• fresh chives (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper

In a large stockpot, pour a little bit of olive oil (maybe a tablespoon or two, it’s up to you) and put it on the burner over low heat. Mince the garlic. Chop the onion, carrots and celery, adding to the the pot as you finish each vegetable. With each addition, stir a bit, then leave it to cook over very low heat as you continue chopping.

Chop the mushrooms, zucchini, and bell pepper. Add to the pot and stir. Continue cooking over very low heat as you chop the haricots verts, broccoli and cauliflower into small pieces.

Add the diced tomatoes and chicken broth to the vegetables in the pot and turn the heat up to medium-high. Stir in the remaining vegetables including the partly-drained corn, the bay leaf and the dried thyme. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are cooked.

Add the fresh herbs and salt & pepper, adjusting to taste. Serve with a small splash of balsamic vinegar in each bowl.

Leftovers of this soup would probably freeze nicely.