When I was working on my first cookbook, Soup – A Kosher Collection, we had a baker working in our catering company who baked gorgeous torts, wedding cakes, and everything else, but claimed she couldn’t make a good pot of soup. I couldn’t understand because, to me, a pot of soup is one of the most forgiving things you can cook. Unlike baking, where you mix ingredients and put them in the oven and hope they turn into something delicious, a pot of soup lets you add a little more of this, and a little more of that until the soup is exactly how you want it.

This soup is exactly that kind of recipe. I like to go to the store, see what they have, and throw it into the pot. But if there’s a vegetable(s) in here that you don’t like, leave it out or replace it with something else. Just remember that all ‘hard’ root vegetables should go in at the beginning and more delicate vegetables like zucchini should go in for only the last 10 minutes or so.

I use vegetable broth for this, but you can replace it with chicken stock, and it would be delicious. But using vegetable broth keeps the recipe parve and vegan and adding a bunch of fresh dill at the end adds great flavour.

Vegetable Dill Soup

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A soup packed with chunky vegetables and flavoured with dill. Parve and vegan and great for Passover!

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 carrots, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and cut 1/4-inch thick
• 1 small rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 small celery root, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 small red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3 cups green cabbage, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 parsnip, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 12 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
• 2 small zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup packed chopped fresh dill

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, salt, and pepper and saute 2-3 minutes, until the onion has started to soften but not brown.
2. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute.
3. Add the carrot, rutabaga, celery root, potato, cabbage, and parsnip and saute another minute.
4. Add the stock, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Add the zucchini and simmer another 10 minutes, or until all of the vegeables are fork tender.
6. Add the chopped dill and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
7. Taste, checking for salt and pepper, adding some if necessary.
8. Serve immediately or chill and reheat when ready to serve.