Vegetable Soup with a light broth

This is the soup that I made for tonite's dinner. Yum!

It is a wonder that a simple mix of vegetables add so much flavor in this simple but immensely satisfying soup.
Flavor base: 2 cloves garlic, 2 carrots; 2 stalks of celery; 1 med onion - all diced and lightly sauteed in olive oil.
To this add coarsely sliced vegetables: 3 small potatoes, 1 red peper, 1 yellow squash, 3-4 tomatos, 1/2 cup spinach, 1 cup frozen green peas (or other veggies in similar amounts, not a whole lot). Sautee some more.
Add 1 carton of veggie stock, bring to a boil and then simmer for 40-60 mins after adding Seasoning: i.e. 1 tsp of thyme powder (or dry thyme), 2 tbsp chopped basil, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp pepper, salt to taste

Croutons make this into a meal. Cut white bread slices to triangles (it is more fun that way), sprinkle 1 tbsp olive oil and optionally dice 1 tbsp butter into small pieces and sprinkle over the bread slices. Bake at 350 deg for 8 mins; turn the broiler on for 2 mins watching carefully in the oven so it doesn't get burnt.