Mexican Tomato Broth, plus Mexican Tomato Broth with Avocado and Lime

The Tomato Broth:

1 large onion, sliced
1 large zucchini, sliced
1 cup of diced tomatoes, fresh or canned (if canned, use the juices)
6 cloves of garlic
1 carrot, sliced
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 or 2 (depending on your taste) handfuls of fresh cilantro
1 handful of fresh parsley
1 handful of lentils
A generous pinch of anise seed
2 teaspoons of dried Mexican oregano (or 8 sprigs of fresh)
1 jalapeno, halved
2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon of peppercorns, lightly crushed
Tomato paste, to taste

Put all of the ingredients except the tomato paste in a large soup pot or Dutch oven with 3 quarts of water.

Bring it to the boil, lower the heat and simmer, partially cover, for 2 hours.

Strain the broth. Taste for salt and adjust if needed.

If you wish to enrich the broth, add the tomato paste, a teaspoon at a time, until you find the flavor you desire.

Serve in mugs with a good sandwich.

For the Mexican Broth with Avocado and Lime:

6 cups of Mexican Broth
1 large avocado, removed from the skin and sliced
1/4 cup of finely sliced white onion
Several pinches of dried Mexican oregano
1 serrano chile, thinly sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges

Heat the broth and ladle it into bowls.

Add some avocado slices, some onion slices, and some oregano to the bowls.

Serve with the serrano slices and the lime wedges on the side.