A fall soup ...

This soup is good for using up veggies, and it makes a nice soothing soup on a cool evening.

To a large crockpot, add:

A protein source: Two pounds of either diced tofu, chicken, beef, or a one pound can of beans. Or you can mix and match - one pound chicken and one pound beans, for example.

Diced veggies, 6 to 8 cups' worth (depending on the size of your crockpot): potatos, carrots, onions, celery, rutabaga, turnips, leeks, mushrooms, etc. Also peeled/diced winter squash. What do you have in the veggie drawer? Warning: the leafy stuff doesn't do well (like spinach or chard) -- the cooking time is too long for them, they just fall apart. You could add them just before serving if you wanted. Also, bear in mind that some veggies have notoriously strong flavors in soups -- kale, collards, broccoli and cabbage come to mind. You could use them if you want, just be warned. You could make a soup with just these veggies, potato, and onion if you wanted. It would be a sturdy soup.

Seasonings: minced garlic and/or ginger, cayenne, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, dill ... what do you want? not all seasonings work well with each other. I like either an Indian theme (curry powder, tumeric, cayenne, ginger, cumin seed), or a Mediterranean theme (garlic, cayenne, basil, thyme, oregano, parsley). I have a nice curry paste that I make up sometimes, it lasts for a month or two depending on what all I use it for. But what do you want? dill/garlic? summer savory? Cinnamon, chocolate powder, and peanuts pureed with water? Mint/garlic/and lemon juice? Add plenty, it's a large pot!

Broth: sure, you could use water; you really could. But pre-made broth adds a really nice richness. I like Imagine broths. You could try their mushroom broth for extra depth of flavor, but veggie broth or chicken broth are really nice too. Add enough to make sure everything is covered with broth.

Do you want it to be tomato-y? if so, add a can of tomato sauce or crushed tomatos.

Turn on the crockpot, put the lid on it, and let it run till it's bubbly, the meats are cooked, and veggies are tender. It's a crock pot - this takes a 3-6 hours.

Before serving, taste it -- does it need salt? If so, add it to taste. And consider what might be nice as a garnish - plain yogurt and minced cilantro is good for the Indian seasoning. Minced garlic and oregano for the Mediterranean seasoning. But hey! it's up to you. Enjoy!

Invest in a good olive oil

This is my recommendation. I bought a tiny bottle of a really good one, mostly because the store was allowing taste-tests of a couple of different types. I fell in love with this one - it has a spicy flavor to it, all by itself. I plan to use it for salad dressings (just with a good vinegar and salt), or even just plain on steamed veggies.

See if you can find a place that will allow taste-tests, and even if you can only afford a teeny bottle, get one that you adore.

Because we should all adore the food that we use to nourish ourselves.