SUDDENLY, SOUP

The first time I cooked a bunch of vegetables in stock, then pureed the whole mess of 'em in the food processor was something of a revelation to me: Plain old vegetable soup was transformed into a thick, creamy, extremely substantive dish that I could dress up with garnishes and call a very satisfying supper.

I thought about this yesterday as I spooned a few quarts of pureed vegetables, a.k.a. soup, into a pot for warming. A friend watched and asked, "What's in that?" Broccoli, mostly, some spinach, tomatoes, onions, carrots, chives and other herbs, and vegetable broth, I replied. Cook it all down in a cauldron, whirl in batches in the old processor, then re-heat. Season along the way. In the end, you can pump it up by sprinkling, oh, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or perhaps Gruyere on it, stripping across the top some roasted red peppers, or a adding big squirt of fresh lemon juice. If you're looking for a recipe, you're poking around in the wrong kitchen. Saute your veggies, add some broth, simmer till all's soft, then puree. That's it.

Everyone's always thinking there's cream in them thar veggie soups of mine. Nope. But it does taste creamy.

What's your favorite wintertime soup?