1 (15 oz.) can vegetable stock
1 (29 oz.) can tomato puree
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
8 cups water
1 large carrot, medium dice
2 stalks celery, medium dice
2 red-skin potatoes, medium dice
1 1/2 cups broccoli crowns
8 button mushrooms, diced
1 tbsp. black mustard seeds
4 pinches ground black mustard
2 tsp. fine sea salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. onion powder
1 1/2 tbsp. ground coriander
3 tbsp. chopped parsley
2 tbsp. dried thyme leaves
3 tbsp. dried basil leaves
3 tbsp. dried oregano
4 dashes ground black pepper
6 handfulls pasta of choice (rotini, fusilli, ziti, noodles)

In a large saucepan or stockpot, add vegetable stock and water and bring to a boil. Add diced carrots (hard vegetables) and full-boil for 5 minutes. Stir in Tomato Puree and Paste. Allowing to rolling boil for another 5 minutes. This begins softening the carrots.

Add all other fresh vegetables and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Then add the herbs & spices, stirring them in.

Simmer this for 30 minutes, partially covered. Stir in the pasta and simmer, partially covered, for another 10 minutes.

Test the softness of the carrots – if they still have just a little crunch, the soup is done. Add more simmer time if not.

Allow the soup to cool before serving (this allows the flavors to work together as it cools). Serve warm.

Makes about 1 gallon of soup. Enjoy!

Chef's Note: You can add almost any vegetable in this soup. Just remember to add the hard vegetables in at the start.

Submitted by: Chef Gordy Evans