Hi Ruralgurl! I'm a soup fanatic, so I'm always on the lookout for a good recipe. The recipe below is from allrecipes.com:
1 tbspn olive oil
1 large onion
2 stalks celery (including some leaves)
2 large carrots
1 bunch gren onions, chopped
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
8 sprigs fresh parsley
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tspn salt
2 quarts water
1) Chop scrubbed veggies into 1-inch chunks.
2) Heat oil in a soup pot. Add everything but salt & water and cook over high heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently.
3) Add salt & water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered for approx. 30 minutes. Strain & discard veggies.
I always tend to add whatever veggies I have lying around (in addition to what's listed.) My favourites: fennel, basil, pea pods.
For a beef stock, I recommend broiling the bones with a tiny bit of seasoning salt & lemon pepper at about 400 degrees for approx. 1/2 hour. (This really brings out the flavour.) You can then just add the bones to the above stock.
Best of luck with the surgery and enjoy the soups!