Since we are in the middle of the 'eat till you gain a few extra pounds' Holiday season, I thought it would be good to present a healthier kind of recipe. (I don't want to make the bath scale groan any louder myself. And yes, healthy recipes like that really do exist.) This one is a recipe that is not loaded with all kinds of no-no ingredients: vegetable soup.

Unfortunately I am not talking about those wonderful cream soups, but they too can be made healthier by cutting back on the bad stuff. Stock or broth based soups, though, can be very nutritious for the calories they carry. These soups can still be delicious even when made fat free, and the salt can be held in check too.

I had been looking for a really good, yet simple, recipe for vegetable soup for some time. Believe it or not, I was having no luck finding something appealing in all my cookbooks. I think it was all the different seasonings added. I finally just went into the kitchen, got out a pot, and put in only what I wanted to taste. This recipe has no seasoning other than the vegetables - it doesn't need any. This is the final recipe I have been working on for some time to get just right. I hope you like it.

For the soup, place all ingredients in a stock pot and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook till vegetables are tender, about an hour. While the soup cooks, try making the bread and serve the two together. Preheat oven to 400 deg F. In large bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and oil. Gradually stir in flour, 1 cup at a time, using enough flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Divide dough into 4 equal portions; shape into balls. Let rest 10 minutes and roll each ball into 12" circle. Place on greased cookie sheets. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with salt and pepper or sesame seed. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely on wire rack. Bread will be irregular in shape and browning. To serve, break into pieces. Makes 4 cracker breads.