Vegan minestrone soup

Onion: Peel and dice. You don't have to be too precise!
Garlic: Peel and chop.
Carrot: Peel (or wash really well) and cut into cubes.
Leek: Chop off the ends and cut in half lenghtwise. Rinse out all of the dirt, with the green end pointed towards the sink. Then slice.
Cauliflower: Take out the stem and cut off the florets.
Mushrooms: Brush off any dirt and slice.
Courgette: Cut into the same sized cubes as the carrot.

In a large pot, heat up a little oil or water.
Sauté the onion, garlic, and the bay leaves.
When the onion is soft and translucent, add in the carrot, leek, cauliflower, and mushrooms. When you've added the mushrooms, add a pinch of salt. This encourages moisture loss from the mushrooms and they will soften more quickly.
Lastly add in the courgette.

Sauté the vegetables for about 3-5 minutes or until they have softened a bit. Then add in the dried Italian herbs. I used a store bought mix.
Sauté for a minute or so before adding the tomato paste.
Sauté the vegetables with the tomato paste for about 3 minutes on low heat, then add in a pinch of salt and a good amount of white pepper.
You want to use white pepper instead of black pepper because white pepper dissolves in the soup while black pepper doesn't and that gives a slightly odd taste.
Add in the chopped tomatoes and the vegetable broth. Also add in the celery leaves at this point.

Let it come to a boil. Once boiling you can add in the orzo or the other pasta you're using.
Give it a stir occasionally and simmer for about 10 minutes. You want to taste and see if it needs more salt or pepper.
Once the orzo (or other pasta) is cooked, you can scoop out the celery and bay leaves.