Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Soup

I threw this together the other night and it was one of the best soups I've ever made. The amounts are approximate. 

  Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Soup 

- 1-2 whole carrots, sliced 

- 2-3 pieces of celery, chopped 

- 3 bay leaves, whole 

- 1/3 of a large onion, chopped (I used a Maui sweet onion) 

- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced 

- 1 large sweet potato, peeled, cut into bite sized pieces (approx. 1") 

- 1 small/medium head of cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces 

- handful of fresh green beans, with ends trimmed, and cut into bite sized pieces 

- 1 whole Anaheim chili* with the stem removed 

- 10 cups vegetable broth** 

- 1 Tbsp. Overboard spice*** (A special blend of Rosemary, sage, Thyme, Cayenne, Marjoram, Black Pepper, Onion Powder, Celery Seed, and Lavender.) 

Put all ingredients into a large stockpot with a lid and bring to a boil, then reduce to medium and simmer until veggies get soft. Check it at 15 minutes but it may need about 30 minutes of simmering. 

NOTES: 

 *Anaheim Chili - These are the long and slender bright green ones that are less hot than jalapeños but add a lot of flavor to a dish. If you add it whole, it shouldn't make the soup very "hot", only flavorful. I wouldn't recommend substituting chilies unless you are familiar with the spiciness of them. 

 **Vegetable broth - I'm sure any variety will be fine but I used a vegetarian "chicken" style from Whole Foods Market that you can get in the bulk bins in powder form. I used 8 cups water mixed with the powder and one 14oz. can of Swanson's vegetable broth (because I needed to use it up). I believe that the sodium in the canned broth gave the soup enough salt. With that said, if you used 8-10 cups worth of canned broth, be aware that it may be too salty and you should taste it and add water if necessary. 

 ***Overboard Spice - This blend is available from Spice Traders & Teas. However, most of the ingredients are common in a well-stocked spice rack and you could mix up a Tbsp. worth yourself. 

- I put the spices in several layers of cheesecloth and made an herb sachet (see instructions below). They also sell small cotton sachets with a draw string at specialty tea stores (and maybe Cost Plus) that would be good for this purpose.