1 onion
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
1 clove garlic
2 potatoes
1 bay leaf
cumin, coriander, marjoram, thyme, black pepper, salt (only small amounts of these, especially the cumin, coriander and pepper)
chicken, beef, or other animal stock.
8 cups water
oil
Cut one onion, one carrot, one celery stalk and one clove of garlic like so.
Make a "Zhirvak." This is the word for the mixture of oil, onions, carrots, celery, cumin, pepper, salt, and coriander. Cook well until there is a lot of juice coming out from the vegetables.
Add the potatoes, sliced into small pieces. and fry them for a few minutes so that they start cooking in the Zhirvak. You will boil them in the soup the rest of the way to cooked.
Add 8 cups of your broth or stock and bring to a boil.
Add the marjoram, thyme and bay leaf.
Boil the soup together to mix the flavors and to cook the potatoes the rest of the way.
Enjoy.
This is called a winter soup because of the amount of fat is has and because all of the vegetables used are those that can be stored for long periods of time such as during winter.