This is what you make when you have a bounty of spring vegetables. Or rather… when you had a bounty of spring vegetables and now all you have left is a random assortment.

This particular day I had a half bulb of fennel, half an onion (why do I always have a half of an onion?)… some parsnips, a couple of carrots and a few chard leaves that were on the wilty side. I cooked these things down into a pretty humble soup, but sometimes a humble soup is just what you need.

To kick it up a notch, make a pistou (a french version of pesto – stronger and without nuts). It’s traditionally made with basil but I took some liberties and mixed in a few tarragon leaves that I happened to have.

Pretend you are eating this peasant meal somewhere in Provence and pour yourself a nice glass of rose. (I realize rose isn’t in my photo above, but ideally it would have been).

I realize this ingredient list may look a bit long, but feel free to adapt this and use up whatever veggies you might have on hand.