2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
4 cups freshly chopped tomatoes with their juices (alternately, use 1 quart canned tomatoes)
4 or 5 sprigs fresh herbs (My blend: 2 thyme, 1 rosemary, 1 sage leaf, 1 bunch basil)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a pot over medium low heat.  Add the diced onion.  Cook the onion for about five minutes, or until translucent.

Add the carrot and celery.  Cook for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the garlic and bay leaf, stir and cook for another minute.

Pour the vegetable broth into the pot.  Increase the heat and bring to a boil.

Add the diced tomatoes.  If your herbs are in sprigs, just toss them in, you’ll retrieve them later.  For basil, I like to chop it before adding, use about 6 good sized leaves.

Cover the pot with a lid, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf and any whole herb sprigs you used.

Grab your immersion blender and give the soup a good blending with it.  Alternately, you can carefully pour the hot soup into a blender and blend that way, but be sure to only fill the blender jar half full at a time, and be very careful with the hot soup.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Soup Vegan Vegetarian