Vegetable Soup

I need to use up all the vegetables in the crisper and I think this recipe will be just the thing....

Basic Vegetable Soup
Serves 8

My mother cooked all the vegetables in water. Although potatoes were always included, the choice of other vegetables was often a matter of availability. The trick was the finish. Here it is:

2 potatoes (about 4 ounces each)
1 small cabbage
2 leeks
2 carrots
2 celery ribs with their leaves
2 medium-size yellow onions
Freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
Small bunch of fresh parsley
10 cups of water

1. Peel the vegetables. Cut the potatoes and cabbage into small cubes; wash the leeks carefully and slice them crosswise. Slice the carrots and celery as well, and quarter the onions. You should have about 10 cups of prepared vegetables. Use the same amount of water.

2. Place all the vegetables in a stockpot. Season with a grind of fresh pepper, add the salt, thyme, bay leaves, and parsley, and toss with the vegetables. Add the water. Cover and bring to boil slowly. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1½ hours.

3. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Drain the vegetables, reserving the cooking liquid. Purée the vegetables in a food mill using the cooking liquid over the purée to thin them out. Reheat the soup until the first boil. Taste and correct the seasonings and serve.