Howdy Folks,

Thanks to everyone for all the great recipes. Looking forward to trying a bunch of them

I'd like some suggestions for help in tweaking a recipe.

I took a recipe from ZenHabits.net simply called "Best Soup Ever" and have tweaked it a bit.

Here's a link to the original -
http://zenhabits.net/2007/03/recipe-best-soup-ever/

Here's my tweaked version - (Sorry, no quantities listed as I tend to cook on random. Unless specified, assume about one 15oz (425g) can in volume for each item.)
Ingredients
• spinach, broccoli, carrots
• one red onion, diced
• a couple cloves of garlic, diced
• chicken bullion, 3-4 cubes
• white rice (sometimes I use brown or even 50/50 mix)
• 1 can each kidney beans and white beans (aka great northern beans)
• water
• fresh garlic, black pepper and Italian seasoning to taste
• pesto
• olive oil

Directions
• Dice all the veggies and open the cans of beans
• Precook the rice, about enough to fill a 15oz can when fully cooked
• Put about 16oz of water in a pot and add the bullion, about a tbsp of pesto, some Itallian seasoning & about a tbsp of minced garlic, a bit of black pepper & bring to a slow boil
• Heat up the olive oil in a large pot and saute the onion and garlic
• Throw each main ingredient into the bullion mixture one at a time, allowing the mix to come back to a boil before adding the next but save the spinach for now. Continue until veggies start to get a little soft. <I also find that the onions seem to like to sink and stay sunk unless i add them later in the mix>
• Add in about 2 tbsp of pesto and some Itallian seasoning & bring to a boil again
• Now put in the spinach and bring to a final boil then set aside to cool

Okay, according to the original recipe, "You know when it is seasoned right when you taste it and say, 'Oh … my … God!'"

In the original and subsequent versions I've not quite gotten to that "OMG" level but I feel I'm *really* close but I've no clue what else to do to it.

I've been making a pot of this stuff every Sunday for well, for more Sundays than I care to admit! ;)

My only remaining ideas are -
1) substitute the rice for barley or throw it out entirely
2) throw in some diced bell peppers

Suggestions? Comments? HELP!

did I miss the meat? Is there no meat in it?