Spur-Of-The-Moment Vegetable Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or a combination) or 2 tablespoons olive oil (or a combination)
1 lb carrot, trimmed, peeled, and thinly sliced
1 large onion, coarsely chopped (Spanish is recommended)
2 celery ribs, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 -2 garlic clove, split, germ removed, and thinly sliced
1 piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped (1-inch piece)
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 sprig fresh thyme
salt
6 cups chicken broth (plus more for thinning)
1 small potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
fresh ground pepper

Preparation

Place a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat; add in butter and or oil.
When the butter is melted, or the oil is hot, toss in the carrots, onion, celery, garlic, ginger, rosemary, and thyme.
Season with salt and decrease heat to low, and give the ingredients a couple of turns to coat them with butter or oil.
Cover the pot and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring a few times, until the vegetables are very soft but not colored.
Remove the lid, pour in the chicken broth, increase heat, and bring to a boil.
Toss in the potato cubes and adjust the heat so that the soup is at a simmer.
Partially cover the pot and let the soup simmer gently for another 20 minutes or until the potato can be mashed easily with a spoon.
You may serve the soup as is or puree it; remove the rosemary and thyme sprigs.
If serving as is, taste soup and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Or puree the soup in a blender or food processor, or use a food mill or immersion blender.
Taste it for salt and pepper and reheat it before serving.
If you find the soup a little too thick for your taste, when you're reheating it, pour in enough additional chicken broth or water to get the texture you like.