I don’t know about you but I love soup anytime of the year. My mom cooked excellent soups and I hope that I come close to her expertise. This soup can contain almost anything you harvest from your summer garden with a couple of additions from your well stocked pantry. Use this recipe as your starting point, your only limitations are your garden and culinary imagination.

4 cups Chicken or Vegetable stock, homemade or store bought
8 small Yukon Gold, Rose Gold or other thin skinned potatoes, quartered
1/2 to 1 pound Green Beans (I used Yard Long Pole Beans and Chinese Red Noodle Beans from my garden)
1 pound Okra, caps cut off and sliced
2 medium Zuchinni, grated
1 large Sweet Onion, large chop
1/4 cup Onion Chives or Garlic Chives, chopped
8 ozs cooked, diced Ham, (could be leftovers, from the deli or even a canned ham from the pantry)
Sea Salt and fresh Ground Black or White Pepper to taste (I use Celtic Sea Salt since it is minimally processed and retains mineral content.)
Additonial water if soup becomes to thick

In a large pot combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes. Serve with crackers or homemade bread.