I don't use recipes, unless I'm going for a specific effect--say, a Japanese-style noodle soup with very clear broth or something like that.

I'm kind of semi-vegan, more for health reasons than anything. Also for my health, I prefer to cook without salt or fat--that's what I love about soup: you can have a full meal without any of either if you want.

Soup is easy, easy, easy to make vegan!

Quick and dirty you want, eh?

Unless I'm doing something special, here's what I always use:

onion (fresh or dried)
garlic (fresh, dried, or minced from a jar)

dried shiitakes (I found them in one international grocery for only $24 for 5 lbs. That was over a year ago and I'm only 2/3 of the way through the bag.) I break them into pieces while they're dry because they're brittle and break easily--neater than cutting them up when they've reconstituted.

Get these going in the water as soon as you can.

parsley
oregano
basil
rosemary (powerful stuff--go easy on it)
thyme

...or use an Italian seasoning mix, which will have the above five herbs in it...

If you're not going to use salt, feel free to be heavy-handed with the herbs--none of this quarter-teaspoon stuff like you see in recipes. Except for the rosemary.

can of diced tomatoes, or tomato sauce, or a few dollops of tomato paste

frozen vegetables by the handful, or cans of beans, or leftover rice, or leftover pasta

for thickeners: handfuls of instant mashed potato flakes, nutritional yeast, handfuls of tvp (Texturized Vegetable Protein)

Simmer until onions are transparent.

voila!

Can you tell my Mom is Italian?

I don't think I've left anything out. But it's soup, so even if I have, it's hard to really botch it up. The only thing you really *have* to have is water.

I make a lot of soup all at once, enough for two or three or four meals. Or for company if I want to be a veggie un-lonely soul.

Hope this helps.