Bean and Vegetable Soup

Is it snowing there? It is snowing here to beat the band. Like God is shaking out His feather pillows. The world is covered in a blanket of white.
How many clichés can I think of?

But there's nothing like cold and snow to make soup seem appealing, and this is one of my favorite soup recipes. It's even Vegan (I think) and I love meat, so you know it's gotta be good if I even like it without meat. And, as all my recipes, it is highly customizable. If you don't have any celery, but you have leeks - add them! You want it to be Italian, add some basil, tomato sauce, and noodles! You hate broccoli? Who doesn't? Skip it! Add a handful of spinach! Add some chopped up brussel sprouts! Throw in some frozen peas or green beans! Mix this baby up!
Anyway, here's a recipe (adapted from Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Cookbook):

Bean and Vegetable Soup:

1 medium Onion
4 Cloves Garlic
2 Carrots
2 stalks Celery
2 cups chopped Red Potatoes 
1 (very-small) head Cauliflower or Broccoli (*NOTE: I added 1 normal-sized head of broccoli this time, and Travis complained that it tasted and smelled like "Broccoli Soup" - it's powerful stuff.)
2 medium Tomatoes (OR - 1 can diced / plum tomatoes, drained)
6 cups Vegetable Broth (or whatever you have on hand - Chicken, beef, water...)
1 can (drained and rinsed) Beans (I've used Black-Eyed Peas and Great Northern Beans to great success)
Small handful of whatever chopped fresh herbs you have (this time, I only had parsley and it tasted great.)

Ready for how easy this is?

1. Chop up all your veggies. Sautee them all (except tomatoes, frozen veg and spinach - if you're adding it) in a glob of butter or a splash of olive oil, with salt, pepper, and the herbs and seasonings of your choice.

2. Add your broth and beans to the veggies. Bring to a boil. Turn down and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

3. Add remaining ingredients (spinach, tomatoes, etc), and heat through.

4. Eat that delicious stuff with some homemade bread and cheese.

5. Feel warm and happy inside.

You're welcome.