Take your knife and CHOP. CHOP. CHOP. Those vegetables into submission. You want them to be so finely chopped, they're almost dust. Almost.
Remember, the key to a good soup is not just about tossing ingredients in a pot and hoping for the best. No, it's an exercise in futility, a battle of wills. The vegetables must be CHOPPED, the onions must be SOFTENED, the garlic must be MINCED.