Summerfield Vegetable Soup

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, sliced thin
• 2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• 2 bulbs fennel, trimmed and sliced thin
• 1 red pepper, cored, seeded and cut in large pieces
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram, or 1/2 tablespoon dried
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1/2 tablespoon dried
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1/2 tablespoon dried
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup Italian plum tomatoes, fresh or canned, drained and chopped
• 2 cups glace de veau dissolved in 4 cups warm water, or 6 cups well-flavored veal or chicken stock
• 1/2 pound fresh spinach, rinsed and chopped
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Freshly ground nutmeg to taste

1. Melt butter in a heavy soup pot over medium heat.
2. Add onion, mushrooms, garlic, fennel and red pepper, and stir to coat with butter.
3. Sprinkle with salt and cook until vegetables are limp and onion is transparent.
4. Add herbs and cook 1 minute, stirring.
5. Add tomatoes and glace de veau.
6. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, 30 minutes.
7. Add spinach and cook just long enough to wilt.
8. Process soup in a food processor, in batches if necessary.
9. Add a little sour cream to each batch.
10. Return all the soup to the pot and bring back to a simmer.
11. Add more salt, if desired, along with black pepper and nutmeg.
12. Serve immediately.

butter, onion, mushrooms, garlic, fennel, red pepper, salt, fresh marjoram, fresh oregano, thyme, bay leaf, italian plum tomatoes, water, fresh spinach, sour cream, freshly ground black pepper, freshly ground nutmeg

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/4559 (may not work)