Many Cream Soups

1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoon butter or margarine
½ cup chopped onion
1 stalk celery, chopped and I include the green leaves if any
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut julienne style
½ teaspoon salt
dash pepper

Sauté the above ingredients. Always start with these ingredients. While sautéing, add the spice and vegetable suggested with the soup of your choice below. Sauté 2 to 3 minutes and then add 2 cups chicken broth. Simmer until tender. Strain vegetables from broth and puree until desired consistency of soup. Add back into broth and blend with 1 or 2 cup of half and half. Simmer until hot. These soups are cream of soups.

Asparagus Soup: add 2 cups cut up asparagus, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1/8 teaspoon mace.

Green Bean Soup: add 1½ cup green beans and ½ teaspoon dried savory crushed.

Broccoli Cheese Soup: add 2 cups broccoli, ¼ teaspoon thyme and dash garlic powder. Add 1 lb. Velveeta cheese, chopped when you add cream.

Carrot Soup: add 1 cup sliced carrots, 1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley and ½ teaspoon basil.

Cauliflower Soup: add 2 cups sliced cauliflower and ½ teaspoon curry powder.

Celery Soup: add 1 cup sliced celery and 2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley and ½ basil.

Mushroom Soup: add 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms and 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg.

Pea Soup: add 1½ cups shelled peas or defrosted peas and ¼ cup shredded lettuce, ½ cup diced ham and ¼ teaspoon dried sage.

Tomato Soup: add 4 medium peeled, quartered, seeded tomatoes and ¼ teaspoon basil.

Zucchini Soup: add 1½ cups unpeeled, seeded zucchini and a few dashes of ground nutmeg.

Chicken Noodle: add ½ to 1 cup cubed chicken and 1 teaspoon thyme. Add any noodles when you add the broth. Bring to a boil and then simmer till soft. You can add cream at this point for cream of chicken noodle.

Vegetable Beef Barley: add 1 cup leftover stew meat or brisket and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add 2 cups beef broth in place of chicken broth. Add ½ cup barley when you add the broth and bring to a boil and simmer until soft. You can add frozen green beans also.