Serves 8
This is a Green take off from the Basic Vegetable Soup recipe from the book called French Women Don't Get Fat, it's without the potatoes and carrots otherwise it's the same.
6 Sticks of asparagus
1 small cabbage
2 leeks
2 zucchinis
2 celery ribs with their leaves
2 medium-size yellow onions
Freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
Small bunch of fresh parsley
10 cups of water
1. Peel the vegetables. Cut the asparagus and cabbage; wash the leeks carefully and slice them crosswise. Slice the zucchinis and celery as well, and quarter the onions. You should have about 8-10 cups of prepared vegetables. Use the same amount of water.
2. Place all the vegetables in a stockpot. Season with a grind of fresh pepper, add the salt, thyme, bay leaves, and parsley, and toss with the vegetables. Add the water. Cover and bring to boil slowly. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Drain the vegetables, reserving the cooking liquid. Purée the vegetables in a food mill using the cooking liquid over the purée to thin them out. Reheat the soup until the first boil. Taste and correct the seasonings and serve.
At the end of the fall, Mother would add the last tomatoes of the garden and in the dead of winter half of a celery root, but you can add whatever you like. Same for herbs -- suit your fancy.
Adapted from the book French Women Don't Get Fat http://www.mireilleguiliano.com/recipesnew.htm