I have never quite understood why some people think of soups as cool weather dishes. I can eat a bowl of soup anytime of the year.

Vegetable soup has been a favorite for many years. It was one of the few soups my mother made when I was growing up. Perhaps that was because of the availability of vegetables from the garden.

Years ago, when my daughter, Twila, and I worked together at a farm implement dealership, we looked forward to getting a bowl of vegetable soup from a nearby supermarket deli. Of course, we would always get some freshly baked cornbread to go along with it. It was wonderful. Just thinking about it makes me hungry.

When I was planning a simple lunch for myself, I decided that some vegetable soup would be good. A quick inventory of ingredients reaped a harvest of foods for the soup pot. I seldom use a recipe for vegetable soup. I just use whatever I have on hand.

In the freezer, I found some frozen mixed vegetables, which was a good starting point.

I didn’t plan to add any kind of meat, but I thought that a hint of beef flavor might be tasty, so I added a can of beef broth.

Tomatoes are a “must have” for vegetable soup, so I chose a can of tomato sauce and also a can of diced tomatoes.

For a little added flavor, I opted for an envelope of onion soup mix.

A friend had brought me a fresh head of cabbage from her garden, but I didn’t want to use that. I was saving it for crispy coleslaw. There is such a difference in coleslaw made with fresh-from-the-garden cabbage and that made with the store-bought kind.

I remembered that I had a little cabbage left over from a head I had purchased a week or so ago, so I chopped it up and put it in the pot.

Soup’s ready. Tasting time. The first taste told me that it needed just a little something. I remembered that I had some McCormick’s Perfect Pinch Vegetable Seasoning, so I added a teaspoon. It was just like I wanted. If you prefer, you can just use salt and black pepper, to taste, instead of the special seasoning.

This is a perfect soup for anyone who is on a low-fat diet. There is no fat added other than the tiny bit that is in the beef broth. I use the kind of broth that is 99 percent fat-free. Of course, if you are eating it because it’s good for you, you might need to leave off the hot buttered cornbread that I enjoyed with my first bowl.

This is just a good basic recipe, so take it and add your own special touch. If you want vegetable beef soup, simply add some shredded cooked beef roast or some cooked ground chuck.

Easy Vegetable Soup

1 (16 ounce) bag frozen mixed vegetables
1 (14.5 ounce) can beef broth
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
3 cups water
2 cups (approximate) chopped cabbage
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 teaspoon McCormick’s Perfect Pinch Vegetable
Seasoning (or salt and pepper, to taste)

Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.