This recipe was taken from SUNSET VEGETARIAN COOKING (no longer in print).

Chock-full of good crunchy vegetables, this soup speaks with an Italian accent.  You might follow it with other Italian favorites, like an antipasto platter and frittata.

• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 medium-sized onion, chopped
• 1 large stalk celery, sliced
• 1 large carrot, sliced 1/8″ thick
• 1 large thin-skinned potato
• 2 large tomatoes
• 4 cups of vegetable stock (home-made)
• 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dry basil
• 1/2 small head cauliflower, broken into flowerets
• 2 small zucchini, sliced 1/4″ thick
• 1/2 pound fresh green peas shelled
• Salt and pepper
• About 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

In a 5-quart pan over medium heat, melt butter.  Add onion, celery, and carrot; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft but not brown (about 10 minutes).

Meanwhile, peel potato and cut into 1/2″ cubes.  Peel and dice tomatoes; you should have 2 cups.  Add potato, tomatoes, stock and basil to pan.  Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add cauliflower and zucchini and simmer for 10 more minutes.  Add peas and simmer for another 5 minutes or until all vegetables are tender.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Pass Parmesan cheese at the table to sprinkle onto soup.  Makes six 1 2/3-cup servings.

Per serving: 9 grams protein, 21 grams carbohydrate, 24 milligrams cholesterol, 178 calories.