Sweetpea's Spring Soup

I made this sweet spring soup for my little five year old, Sweetpea (not her real name). A combination of fighting a cold and losing her front teeth has made her feel a little sour. "Shall I make you a soup for lunch?" I ask. She nods. "Vegetable soup" she says. Happily, that's the only kind I make!

This soup had lots of wonderful spring veggies: little potatoes, tiny florettes of cauliflower and broccoli, English peas, zucchini, and sweet spring carrots. To make it more of a meal, I added the pretty flower-shaped Fiori pasta. I used pasta sauce to fill out the vegetable and water broth and added a little chopped fresh basil right at the end. It was ready in 30 minutes.

Sweetpea's Spring Soup:

1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 large spring onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp butter
5 little potatoes, cut into eight
5 spring carrots, sliced
1/3 cup cauliflower, little florettes
1 cup vegetable broth
2-1/2 cups water
1/2 cup Fiori pasta
1/2 cup pasta sauce
1/3 cup broccoli, little florettes
1/2 lb English peas, shelled
1 zucchini, quartered, then sliced
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
salt & pepper

Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Cook onion for 2-3 minutes over med. heat. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add butter, potatoes, carrots, and cauliflower. Cover and cook 6 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. Remove cover and add the vegetable broth and water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and boil for 2 minutes. Turn down to a simmer, and add the pasta sauce, broccoli, peas, and zucchini. Simmer partially covered for 10 minutes. Add the fresh basil and cook 1-2 minutes more.