Grandma's Vegetable Soup - by Stacey

When I was a little girl weekly we'd go over to my grandma's for lunch which would always be a 3 course meal usually starting with homemade veggie soup. As an adult and living away from home I'd often especially when feeling sick or a bit down find myself craving a good bowl of grandma's veggie soup. 

Ingredients
1 smoked ham hock
2 carrots 
3 celery stalks (including the leaves of one stalk)
1 onion
3 ~ 4 potatoes 
1 parsnip
1 cup soup mix
1~2 litres of water
2 tsp chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste

1. Finely chop all the veggies and put into a large saucepan with a bit of oil to sweat off first.

2. Cover with water and put the hock in add stock and soup mix 

3. Slowly simmer for 2 hours (or more can be done in the slow cooker) topping up water if needed. Then remove hock and when you can remove the meat and put it back in the soup.  Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

I've substituted the ham hock for shredded cooked chicken and added pasta instead of soup mix - just add this later near the end of cooking.