Vegetarian Vegetable soup

[herc]

Tomato Vegetable Soup

1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes; undrained
1-2 lg ribs celery; chopped
3 md potato; cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 med onion; chopped
1/2 c (or a little more) sliced carrots
1/2 c baby limas or butterbeans
1 clove garlic; minced
1/4 tsp salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 pinch black pepper (I like a lot of black pepper)
1 vegetable bullion cube
1 c hot water
you can also add corn or okra

You can cook this on top of the stove, or in the crockpot. Basically throw it all in except the potatoes, and simmer! Add the potatoes about 20min into the cooking process (if on the stove), and about 3hrs in if you are using the crockpot. This soup is really almost impossible to mess up—you can use any combination of ingredients, and it will turnout great! It does freeze pretty well, but undercook the potatoes slightly if you are going to freeze it. It is a great “warm” food, and for me a comfort food. In the summer, my mom canned and froze vegetables, and in the winter we would eat them. It is awesome served with a lot of cornbread ( I like it served over cornbread) My mom added ground beef and omitted the bullion, but I find it tastes just as good with the bullion (or vegetable stock if you have it available!) Be sure and use good high quality bullion, as cheaper ones are sometimes too salty, or better yet, only add half a cube and do a taste test.