Universal Vegetable Soup

Steps

1. Rough dice the mirepoix (celery, carrots, onions) into small batons and then rough cubes.
2. Heat a large stockpot over medium heat with 2-3 tablespoons of fat. Add the diced mirepoix to the pot.
3. Cook the mirepoix for two to four minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, adding salt as needed.
4. Rough chop all chosen vegetables (red bell pepper, Yukon gold potatoes, yellow squash, leeks, shiitake mushrooms). Clean and quarter-cut the leeks before rough chopping them along with the other vegetables.
5. Add an additional tablespoon or two of oil to the pot. Add the chopped vegetables and a generous pinch of salt. Stir everything together to coat all ingredients in the oil.
6. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and let the mixture cook for about five minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften slightly.
7. Add flavor enhancers: three cloves of sliced garlic, one tablespoon each of gochujang and tomato paste. Stir these in until homogeneous.
8. Increase the heat to high and stir constantly for one to two minutes to reduce the pastes and coat all ingredients with flavor.
9. Pour in 2 cups of chicken stock and about half a cup of shiro dashi (or equivalent liquid). Add enough water if needed so that the liquid barely reaches the surface of the vegetables, but does not fully submerge them.
10. Stir the mixture, bring it to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover with a lid and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the vegetables are extremely soft (or less time if leaving them whole/al dente).
11. Transfer the contents of the pot to a blender or food processor in batches. Blend on high speed until smooth.
12. If desired, add more chicken stock or water to thin the soup consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt as needed.
13. Ladle the finished soup into bowls. Top with optional garnishes such as heavy cream, croutons, chives, parmesan cheese, or black peppercorns.