I road my bicycle to work today. It was quite pleasant but at 33 degrees and the wind in my face, I wanted to make soup as soon as I got home. Over the past few years, I’ve taken some liberties with my mother’s classic vegetable soup by adding a can of black beans, some basil, garlic, some kale or maybe some sweet potato. It’s almost always delicious, but it hasn’t been tasting right to me. The best part about making Mom’s recipes is that they evoke such strong memories of family. It’s not quite like having my mother in the house, but it certainly works on many levels. So I thought I’d post this recipe again (first posted last March 25), with its original directions.

Ruth Gordon’s Vegetable Soup

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced thin
• 1/3 c. chopped parsley (or a whole parsley root if you can find one)
• 1 14 oz. can tomatoes, chopped
• 2/3 c. frozen peas
• 2/3 c. frozen beans
• 1 medium potato, diced
• a small handful of oats
• a small handful of rice
• a small handful of barley
• salt to taste

In a large soup pot, saute the onion in the oil, add all of the rest of the ingredients and cover with water. If you’re lucky enough to find a parsley root, peel the root, leave on any greens, and throw the whole thing into the pot. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for at least 1-1/2 hours, keeping over a low heat until serving, and cooking all afternoon if you like. Remove and discard the parsley root before serving the soup.