The midsummer wealth of vegetables and herbs makes it a pleasure to prepare this satisfying soup. Despite the bountiful ingredients, the soup is quick to make.

This is one of those recipes that help you hone your chopping skills. When chopping, dicing or slicing, it is always good to have a sharp knife, clean food and hands and a good knife technique. My partner, Dan, and I chose to do a knife skills class at Great News Cooking School in Pacific Beach. When you have a very sharp knife, life is so much easier and quicker in the kitchen, but more attention is required.

This veggie soup uses different cutting styles, so you will be a pro in no time. For those readers in whose hands a knife is a dangerous thing, we recommend a mandolin and a peeler. A mandolin is a flat panel, usually plastic, with a blade located in the middle, just above the board height. Using the food holding handle, you slide the veggies over the blade and perfectly sliced wedges falls down.

This soup is a great way to get your required amount of veggies for the day. The Mayo Clinic is a big fan of this recipe, and with all the healthy ingredients, you will see why. Soups are also good because half the digestive process is done by cooking, so it is easy to digest. A dash of hot sauce or a little yogurt makes it a recipe you can reinvent as a leftover. Have fun in the kitchen, sharpen those knives and make something good for yourself and your loved ones!

If you have suggestions, ideas or recipes you’d like to share, e-mail me at gltrecipebox@gmail.com.

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until soft and translucent, about four minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds; don’t let the garlic brown. Add the tomatoes, oregano and cumin and sauté until the tomatoes are softened, about four minutes.

Add the stock and bay leaf and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and bring to a simmer. Add the carrot and bell pepper and cook for two minutes. Add the zucchini and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about three minutes longer. Stir in the lemon zest and cilantro. Season with the salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaf.

Ladle into individual bowls or mugs and serve immediately.