A Family Recipe: Winter Vegetable Soup

       I have fond memories that are associated with this vegetable soup. My mother would always make this in the wintertime, flooding the house with its beautiful aura; I remember waking up to the smell of simmering vegetables and my mother's happy humming. This soup can easily be recreated anywhere, as it consists of vegetable broth, tomato puree, green beans (optional), yellow onions, cherry tomatoes, bay leaves and/or basil leaves, cabbage (optional), yellow corn (optional), your favorite bean (optional), and sliced carrots. It can be made in bulk, as I did, with many leftovers to spare (which can be very helpful for having a convenient, quick meal for when you feel you're too busy to cook something from scratch). This soup is also brilliant when paired with peanut butter-filled crackers or a pinch of a french baguette, fresh from the oven, if you're into that!
       Literally, the cooking process is throwing all of these ingredients together (no matter the order) into a deep-dish pan on 'medium' heat, allowing it to simmer for a bit. The longer it simmers on the stove, the more the vegetables cook and the soup, overall, becomes more flavorful. You can swap out whichever vegetables you prefer; this dish is really catered to your liking. I wish you the best in your vegetable soup endeavors, and do get back with me if a particular vegetable combo speaks to you and you feel like sharing! Never hesitate to begin healthy traditions; it all begins in the produce section.