Roughly chop zucchini, green beans, and celery. Chop the celery into 1/2-inch pieces or less to eliminate stringiness, but otherwise, don’t worry about being perfect with your pieces, since the soup will be blended.
Place all the vegetables in a saucepan and cover with 4 cups cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and partially cover. Cook until soft, about 25 minutes, then turn off the heat.
Meanwhile, mince your ginger and set aside until needed. Roughly chop your fresh herbs, and set aside.
Use an immersion blender to blend the vegetables into a smooth puree. You can also use a regular blender to puree, but be sure to allow the soup to cool before blending, and/or leave room for steam to escape.
Add fresh herbs and salt, and blend a little more
Heat a teaspoon of ghee in a tiny skillet or saucepan on medium heat. After the ghee melts, add the cumin seeds. Once the cumin seeds start to brown and become aromatic, add fresh ginger, and continue to sauté until lightly browned. Turn off the heat and transfer the spices to the blended soup along with the fresh lemon.
Stir well, and taste. Does it need more salt? Does it need more lemon?
Notes
Substitutions and additions
Substitute the ghee for olive oil or butter.Blend in half an avocado for a richer version with healthy fats.Substitute with different spices in the ghee, such as turmeric, coriander, black pepper, or garam masala. Add any powdered spices after the seeds, and sizzle for about 20 seconds.Substitute the ginger for garlic and/or onions.Try additional or alternative seasonings, such as cayenne pepper, tamari soy sauce, or miso.Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds for added protein and crunch.