We all know we should be eating lots of vegetables every day so why not do it with this versatile soup, one that is easy to make and easy to change? Plus, it's also the kind of soup that is great for that, "What to do with the leftovers," question.

Vegetable soup can be considered antioxidant heaven. Carrots and the Swiss chard give us Vitamin A. Swiss chard also provides lutein, and tomatoes provide vitamin C and lycopene. The garlic is also a good source of selenium, quercetin, and Vitamin C.

What you'll need to serve 8:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced ½-inch thick
2-3 celery stalks, sliced ½-inch thick
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
6 cups chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes and their juices
1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed and leaves chopped
1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 zucchini, halved and sliced ½-inch thick
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for individual servings

What you'll do:
Heat the olive oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, oregano and thyme and sauté until tender and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.

Add the broth and tomatoes with their juices and then the Swiss chard, bell pepper and zucchini. Bring soup up to a boil and then lower the heat. Allow the soup to simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the 1/3 cup grated Parmesan.

Ladle soup into bowls. Serve, passing additional cheese separately.

Thoughts and variations: Substitute ½ head of green cabbage or bunch of spinach for the Swiss chard. You can also add one of the following to make the soup a bit heartier: can of white beans, ½ cup uncooked barley, orzo, lentils, or rice (while soup is simmering). Substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth if you want it entirely vegetarian. Use beef broth and add some cooked ground beef. Add ¼ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper with the oregano and thyme if you would like to add a bit of heat. Leftovers, either cooked grains or vegetables can also be easily added to the soup.