Spring vegetable soup

Quick and filling. The salad bar is a great place to harvest small amounts of vegetables.

Soup Base
1 quart broth
Olive oil
1 medium onion, diced coarse
2 medium carrots from salad bar, diced or shredded
1 medium rib celery from salad bar, diced
Garlic, minced

Spring Soup
4 medium new potatoes, diced
1 cup green peas, fresh from salad bar or frozen
½ pound thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup egg noodles
4 ounces fresh spinach (1 cup or so) from salad bar
¼ cup fresh mint leaves if available

For the soup base: Heat oil in Pan. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth, bring to a simmer, and simmer 10 minutes. Strain and discard vegetables

For the spring soup: With the soup base at a simmer, add new potatoes, peas, asparagus, and noodles and simmer until vegetables are tender and noodles are done, 8 to 10 minutes. Add spinach and simmer 3 minutes longer. Stir in mint. Let stand as long as you can to let flavors blend before serving.

2-4 Servings