In The Soup!

Sometimes when you are working with lovely fresh ingredients, the best thing to do is to keep it very simple. Winter vegetables in Bangladesh is so lush, varied and fresh, even with the smallest of efforts you can have something everyone would like to taste and enjoy. A few days ago I had a yummy vegetable soup at my mom's place. When I managed to get her to share the recipe, I was surprised by how easy it was. When I tried it myself, the result was so good that my very very non vegetarian father-in-law opted to have his entire dinner with the soup only! Actions sure did speak louder than words! This soup is a nice filling soup. Add some nice bread or garlic bread on the side and you have a healthy meal that even people who are on a diet can enjoy without much guilt. Just make sure the vegetable you put in are fresh and of good quality.

Hearty Vegetable Soup
Serves 6-8

Cauliflower - 1 (cut into medium size florets)
Celery Stalk - 1 cup (roughly chopped)
Zucchini - 1 cup (roughly chopped)
Carrot - 3 medium size ones (roughly chopped)
Potatoes - 3 medium size ones (cubed)
Tomatoes - 4 (boiled, peeled and pureed) or 1 cup tomato juice (best if fresh)
Spring onion (white parts only) - 1/3 cup
Peas - 1/3 cup
Chicken or Vegetable stock - 2 1/2 cups
Salt to taste
Butter - 1 tablespoon or 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon butter or margarine
Ground Black Pepper - 1 teaspoon

Heat the butter or oil in a deep pot. Add the spring onion and fry for 2 minutes. Add the celery stalk and fry for another 2 minutes. Add all the vegetable except zucchini, cook for 3 minutes. Add the stock cover and cook over low heat until the vegetable is quite tender. Add the tomato puree/juice and zucchini and cook for another 5 minutes.

Take a potato masher and mash the vegetable into small bits. Make sure you do not puree the vegetable. The bits will be uneven. Don't worry about that. Check for seasoning. Add salt if needed.

Remove from heat, sprinkle the freshly ground black pepper on top. The soup is fairly thick. Serve piping hot with a nice bread on the side.

Enjoy!!!!!