Whether you shop at the Farmer’s Market or your local grocery store, look for pre-packed assortments of vegetables for a cheap soup. This recipe achieves the taste of a caldo, a Mexican-style vegetable soup that I’ve come to love almost as much as Tom Ka Gai.  Just dice the veggies, sauté in a teaspoon of oil, and add 2-4 cups of broth.

Sample recipe ingredients

• 1 zucchini squash
• 1/2 chayote squash
• 1/2 to 1 cup chopped green cabbage
• 1 small to medium onion
• 1 pod garlic (optional)
• 3 stems cilantro
• 1-2 carrots
• 1 piece of corn on the cob (uncooked)
• 3-4 green beans
• 1 stalk celery
• 1-2 small potatoes
• 1  jalapeño pepper
• 1 teaspoon oil (any kind)
• 2-4 cups broth (any kind)
• 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

Cut all the vegetables into pieces about the size of your thumb.  Thick veggies like carrots and potatoes should be cut smaller to the size of your thumbnail because they take so much longer to cook. Sauté garlic and onion in oil for 1 minute, add remaining ingredients and sauté for 5 minutes.  Add broth, bring to boil.  Turn down to simmer and cook 10 more minutes or until thickest veggies are tender.

Makes 4-6 cups of soup.

Photo Gallery: