
This is a delicious fresh-tasting soup that uses vegetables you may still have growing in your garden. Even if you don't, buy some and make this soup anyway! Home-grown or not, the fresh vegetables give this soup a rich taste. I still have lots of cherry tomatoes and I was happy to dump 2 cups of them into this soup.
And I am very proud of my carrots. This was the first year I have ever grown carrots and I am happy to report that they grew! I really had my doubts. The seeds are so tiny. But they grew like regular carrots -- and taste much more intense - sharp and sweet. They keep their fresh taste, along with the tomatoes, zucchini and basil (yes, I still have lots of fresh basil), and they hold up well even after 10 hours of cooking.
I used dried beans because the long cooking time is perfect and the taste is wonderful.
Adapted from A Year of Slow Cooking, but using some different vegetables and excluding pasta.