Healthy Mushroom Soup (Broth-based)

When it's cold outside, there is nothing better than warming up from the inside out with delicious soup.  But many soups can be cream-based which, while very flavorful, can pack on the calories and grams of fat.  So this is a healthy broth-based mushroom soup, rich in earthy flavors and veggies.  I love to serve this as a starter to my Braised Beef Short Ribs Family Dinner and it's part of my Winter Soup Series.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. butter
3/4 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, sliced
1/2 carrot, diced
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 pkg of Bella mushrooms, thoroughly washed, stems removed, chopped
1/2 cup water
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. sage
salt & pepper to taste

1. Over a medium heat, add butter and onions and carrots and cook until onions begin to caramelize.
2. Scrape up any pan drippings and add celery , garlic paste and mushrooms and the water. 
3. Once veggies soften and mushrooms shrink, add broth and seasoning and reduce heat to medium-low.
4. Cover and let soup simmer and blend flavors stirring occasionally for at least 15 minutes or allow to simmer for awhile over a lower heat setting.