Barbara quite often makes soup with fresh vegetables....we wind up eating away at it

Yes, it can have that effect on you.

1 onion
half a white cabbage
Half a head of broccoli
Handful of red lentils
handful of pearl barley
Stock (cube) - chicken or veg
Knob of butter or a bit of olive oil
Boiling water

Soak the lentils and barley overnight (so that the veg isn't overcooked by the time they are done).
Shred the cabbage, joint the broccoli and chop the onion
Fry the onions, cabbage and broccoli for a couple of minutes, dissolve the stock cube in water, add to the onions etc, throw in the lentils and barley, add more water to bulk out, salt/ pepper to taste, 20 minutes.

Now you can wind up on THAT.