HEALTHY VEGETABLE SOUP

herbs/spices to suite your fancy: oregano, basil, bay leaf, majoram, curryandwhatever else you have that seems like it would taste good. This recipedeveloped from the "Cabbage Soup Diet" soup that an old friend to do fromtimeto time. We disagreed over the health risks of the diet, but both agreedthatthe soup was delicious. This soup really is everlasting. I make up a hugestock pot of it and leave it in the fridge, adding more fresh stuff as theweek goes by. I stay away from using vegetables like Broccoli and Cauliflowerbecause they aren't as nice if they get overcooked. The beans and potatoes,andpasta if you add it, tend to dissolve over time and after the third orfourthday the soup gets really thick and stew-like. I don't know for sure howlongthe soup will last before it stops looking like an appealing meal, we'vealways finished it by the 5th day. Here are the instructions:

In a really large pot, heat a Tbsp of oil and fry up the onion, and then thecabbage until tender. (You don't need to do this - if you are worried aboutthat little bit of oil just add the raw beans/lentils and water and bring themallto the boil - I think that onions always taste better if they are friedfirst,but that is just me) Add the lentils/raw beans and about 6 cups of water.

Bringto the boil and cook until lentils are just tender. Add soup mix, tomatoes,spices, herbs and vegetables. Vary the order - veggies like carrots takelongerthan spinach. Vegetables can be added later, and be cooked as the soupreheats. Likewise, seasonings can be changed later as well.

This is a very flexible soup, and very cheap. The more starchy stuff youputin the more filling the soup will be - tvp and a bit of soy sauce makes a goodaddition as well.

Have fun!

Serves: too many to countPreparation time: 30-45