Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the tomato paste, salt and spices and stir well. Cook over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring often.

Step 2

Add the onions, carrots, garlic, celery and parsnip. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often (if you notice that veggies are starting to burn, just add 1/4 cup of water until the 5 minutes are up)

Step 3

Add 6 cups of water, bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes

Step 4

Add the diced tomatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, zucchini and yellow squash. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 45minutes to 1 hour minutes, or until the veggies are tender (See Note 2)

Step 5

Add the chopped cilantro, turn off the heat and let it sit covered