During the Occupy movement, my mom lived in Chicago.  She wasn’t quite up to camping out downtown, but felt it was important to contribute in some way.  She created a soup brigade, cooking large pots of soup with neighbors, and then shuttling them downtown to feed the protestors.  Her efforts got her in the paper! This is her recipe.

1 T olive oil
1 shallot (I use white onion, or any other) thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 piece fresh ginger, chopped
½ rib celery, chopped
1 lb. carrots, sliced
1 fennel, white only, thinly sliced
coriander
salt, pepper,
chicken broth or water
Heat oil in a stock pot.  Add the shallot, ginger and garlic and cook until soft.  Stir in
carrots, fennel, salt, pepper, cook until vegetables begin to soften.  Stir
in coriander, cook 1 min.  Add broth or water and simmer until vegetables can
be mashed.  Puree vegetables in the blender and add  butter.

My mom adds, “I am not that precise with the ingredients.
The general combination is good anyway. I like more ginger and fennel.
It makes a big pot full, can be heated up easily, and you get all the
goodness and fiber of the veggies, nothing is wasted.
Look at Google for recipes.  Try some of the lentil soups.  Lentils
are a very healthy legume.  Once you have soaked them for a few hours
in water, they cook quickly.  Also great as a healthy  salad, throw in
anything you have in the fridge, and wine vinegar and olive oil.
Keeps for a while, too.”