It couldn't be easier or faster to prepare this soup. My wife Gloria calls it "fridge soup," because I make it with whatever leftover vegetables I have in the refrigerator. In the time it takes to bring the water to a boil, I can usually shred the vegetables for the soup. (I use the large-holed side of a box grater.)

Serving: 4

5 cups water

1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (about half a zucchini)

1 cup shredded peeled carrot (about 1 carrot)

1 cup shredded onion (1 medium onion)

1 cup shredded white button mushrooms (2-4 mushrooms)

1/3 cup minced scallions (about 3 scallions)

2 cups (loosely packed) coarsely chopped salad greens

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons instant grits

About 4 teaspoons unsalted butter or olive oil

1 cup shredded Swiss (Gruyere) cheese

Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add all the vegetables to the boiling water along with the salt. Bring the soup back to a boil and boil, uncovered, for 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle the grits on top of the soup, reduce the heat to low, and cook gently for 2 to 3 minutes longer. (You will have about 6 cups.)

Serve hot in soup bowls, spooning about 1 teaspoon of the olive oil or butter on each serving and topping each of the bowls with a few generous tablespoonfuls of the cheese.

Reprinted with permission from Jacques Pepin Fast Food My Way by Jacques Pepin (Houghton Mifflin, September 2004).

Source: Jacques Pepin