Growing up in Scotland certain things were staples in our diet. We ate a lot of root veggies because my aunt and uncle ran a farm. Herbs and spices also were not all that common when I was little. This is a very easy soup to make with the vegetables that grow very easily on the east coast of Scotland but are easily found in many grocery stores. We would eat it almost every weekend. The turnips and onion especially give it a phenomenal taste, precluding the use of stock.