Soup of nothing

My grandma loves to cook. She has made everything from Ottolenghi at least once, she is also the best at Indian cooking and when I come to visit, there is always a butter cake on the table.

“Well, I’ll just put it away for now, you probably won’t take any, just see what you feel like.‘ Grandma knows me very well.

Her sandwiches are also incredibly divine. Not sliced sturdy sourdough bread, she cuts a wafer-thin slice from it. On top, she spreads a layer of butter.

“Just a tiny bit, okay, Jet?”

“Yes grandma, a tiny bit.”

The sandwich is topped with cucumber, pepper, and salt. So simple, so delicious.

So I always look forward to coming over for dinner and the table is filled with little things. Grandma prefers to cook lots of small bites rather than one big dish. I like that. Tomato salad, a bit of mackerel with a (mini) dab of mayo, a small bowl of risotto, grilled zucchini with roasted hazelnuts (very Ottolenghi) and a broad bean mash. Sigh.

But for all this, we always start with a soup of nothing. As long as I can remember, that has been standard in a pot on the stove. I used to help out sometimes and got to operate the food mill that finely chopped all the vegetables and with which I eventually made soup. Now grandma has recently gotten a blender.

Alright, soup of nothing, I’m going to give you the recipe because it’s so delicious and so easy. Exactly how I want it. It’s made from leftovers or vegetables that need to be used up. Seriously, anything can go in.

I asked grandma for the recipe:

“I always start patiently by sautéing an onion in olive oil. Low heat, it really takes about a quarter of an hour.

Then you add whatever vegetables you have (left): tomato, zucchini, cauliflower, leek, more onion, carrot, just to name something. I chop them small first and then sauté them.

Then add boiling water with a stock cube, it doesn't matter which one. And... an (old) slice of bread to bind it a bit. Blend and you're done. In the past, you always did that with the sieve, remember, Jet?”

Well, this seems like perfect weather for a soup, let’s see what’s still in my fridge.