Creamy Vegetable Soup

You can make a delicious homemade and healthy soup in 10 minutes. The basics for this soup can be changed to fit most vegetables that you like. Broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, mushroom, leek and potato, carrot, pumpkin or squash, onion (or 4 onion; leeks, onion, shallots, green onions), all work well in the base recipe. Add cooked chicken, pork, shrimp, or beef to the soup for a heartier soup. You can garnish the soup with shaved Parmesan, shredded cheddar, green onions, chives, sour cream, or crumbled bacon for additional flavor.

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil or butter

1 small onion, chopped

1-2 cloves of garlic (optional)

2 cups of vegetables, cleaned and cut into 1-inch dice

4 cups chicken broth (or 2 cans)

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon fresh herbs like thyme, dill, oregano, sage, or rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried herbs

2-4 tablespoons cream or half-and-half (optional)

In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, add oil and onion and sauté onion until light brown. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add vegetable, chicken broth, salt and pepper, and herbs. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and use your immersion blender to puree mixture to the desired consistency. You can also hold some of the vegetables aside, if you don’t want a complete creamy soup. Add the cream or half-and-half if desired and heat through. You can also add more chicken stock or water if soup is too thick. Taste for seasoning and serve. Garnish if desired.