This simple recipe is so easy to make that it barely requires a recipe. Use these instructions as a template for your own improvisation. Use leeks instead of onion if you like, or fennel in place of celery if that's your thing. Grated fresh ginger pushes the flavor in an Asian direction and a splash of fish sauce will boost the umami. Or, add a little ground cumin and coriander to the vegetables as they cook, and then garnish the finished soup with chopped avocado, fresh cilantro, and fresh lime juice when you're in the mood for Mexican. Chicken soup is the ultimate blank canvas, endlessly adaptable to whatever direction you want to take it.

3 tablespoons olive oil 

1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped

3 carrots, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

Salt and black pepper

1 qt. chicken bone broth

Chopped fresh herbs such as parsley or dill, optional

In a large dutch oven or saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped carrot, onion, celery, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until the vegetables begin to sweat and lose a bit of their rawness. Add the chicken bone broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Ladle the hot soup into serving bowls, drizzle with olive oil, and season to taste with flaky sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and maybe some chopped herbs like parsley or dill.