Chef Margie's soup for when you are stranded in a blizzard!

Not Your Everyday Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

One large Sweet Potato, cut in chunks
One large Onion, cut in chunks
Three stalks Celery, cut diagonally in about 1” pieces
Two medium Carrots, cut as you like them
One clove Garlic, minced
One large bag Spinach, or package frozen Spinach
Two cups chopped up Tomatoes

If you have these lying around the icebox, they would be good:
One Leek, carefully cleaned and sliced, white part only
One bulb Fennel (Anise), sliced in strips

Butter for sautéing
Water for boiling

Bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
A little Thyme, to taste

Preparation:

Boil the Sweet Potato, and
if using frozen Spinach, cook it half the time the package suggests.
If using fresh spinach, just make sure it is nice and clean.

Saute the Onion, Celery, Carrots, Garlic, and Leek and Fennel if using;

When the onion is nice and yellow and the carrots have softened a bit,
Add the Tomatoes.  Season well with Salt, Pepper (I prefer White Pepper), Bay leaves, Thyme

When the Sweet Potatoes are nearly the consistency you will want them in the soup, add all other ingredients and let bubble merrily until you are ready to eat it.

Enjoy!