Italian Harvest Vegetable Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 cups chopped celery (4-5 stalks)
2 large carrots, peeled
1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia
2 tablespoons canola oil (or safflower oil)
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into 1/2-inch strips
1/2 bell pepper, sliced into 1/2-inch strips
6 cups water
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup corn kernel (frozen and thawed, or fresh)
1 cup fennel bulb, chopped (or 1 teaspoon whole fennel seed)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
4 -5 ounces baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
1 small zucchini, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

Preparation

Chop celery, carrots, and onion into 1/2-inch dice.
Heat oil on medium-high in a large, heavy-bottom stockpot. Add celery, carrots, and onion. Saute until edges are golden brown, about 10 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium and add garlic and bell peppers. Stir frequently for 1-2 minutes, then add water, tomatoes, corn, fennel, oregano, thyme, and rosemary.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 30-40 minutes. Add spinach and zucchini, simmer another 5 minutes, salt and pepper to taste, and serve.