Homemade Vegetable Soup

Sooo...this is a real treat...because this is a recipe that I didn't pilfer from anyone...I completely made it up.

Which may...or may not...be a good thing.

See, I just got off 14 days of Master Cleanse...I have eaten anything but this lemon juice/maple syrup/cayenne water for 14 days.

And the first day you're off, you have to SIP orange juice all day (best damn orange juice I ever tasted)...and THEN...depending on your stomach (listen to your body, they say)...you're supposed to eat vegetable soup. Homemade vegetable soup, with vegetables only minimally cooked. No seasoning. Nothing canned or processed.

Vegetables...and water.

I can't TELL YOU how excited I was to make this soup.

The first day you eat it, you're supposed to really just stick to the broth...minimal solids. Then each day introduce more and more solids into your tummy.

So...I think you know that I cheated. First of all, I used a Vegetable Stock and Vegetable Broth as my base. I used certified organic stuff...but still.

And I didn't MINIMALLY cook stuff...but here...I'll let you see for yourself...

So, first I poured a whole box of vegetable stock in my pot, and a whole box of vegetable broth. I put the stove on warm and let it heat oh-so-slowly.

Then I diced a whole onion and several stalks of celery, and sauteed them with a couple tablespoons butter and some pepper and sea salt.

I'm just a rule breaker.

Oh, yeah, Baby Bellas...come to mama...

When those were soft, I added about 8 oz sliced Baby Bella mushrooms and cooked them just until they smelled DIVINE, and then I dumped them in my waiting (and now lukewarm) broth.

Then I sliced up a zucchini, and a yellow squash, and one, whole, peeled eggplant. I didn't bother peeling the zucchini or squash...but I DID the eggplant. I'm weird like that. I also cut those zucchini and yellow squash slices in half to make little half-moons, but I cubed the eggplant.

Shapes and colors...

I like varying shapes and textures in my soups.

Then I added, like, 4 or 5 tomatoes, all chopped up...seeds and all.

Just put the whole bunch in there...seeds and all...

 About now I saw I had more veggies than broth, so I added another box of vegetable broth. My eyes are DEFINITELY bigger than my stomach...this is a LOT of soup. But since it's all I'm supposed to eat for the next couple days, I'm going BIG.

After the broth, I added a whole bag of spinach...stems removed.

Spinach added...pre-wilt...

Now here's where I break the rules AGAIN...I added a can of water chestnuts. I know, I know...but I like them in soup!! What can I say?

I know, I know...nothing processed...but I couldn't HELP myself!!

I added some sea salt and generous amounts of pepper, and I turned up the heat to make it boil. Once it boiled, I turned it back down to a low simmer and cooked until everything was soft and yummy (except those water chestnuts).

Now I'm gonna eat it...slowly...and I'm gonna chew the veggies (which are already soft) until I can pretend they're just broth, too.

I love soup.

I love vegetables.

I am SO HAPPY to eat again!!

Heaven in a stock pot...

courtesy me!!!