Chunky Veg Soup
This soup is so simple but packed full of flavour. It's similar to a minestrone but I find some ingredients don't keep well when it's homemade, like pasta, so I have substituted some ingredients for others. Eat while in a cuddly jumper on a rainy day, preferably with a sleepy cat nearby. For some reason that makes it taste better.
PRO-TIP: adding raw ingredients at the bottom of the bowl before you spoon the hot broth in, gives soups amazing textures and will stop all of the veg from turning to mush after a few days. This recipe has finely cubed courgette and diced spinach which gives your soup a much fresher taste and a little bit of bite, however watercress or kale also work well if you prefer something a little stronger.
Ingredients:
Makes 6 large bowls.
1 red onion,
2 stalks celery,
1 leek,
1 clove garlic
2 large carrots
500g passata
1 or 2 tins of beans or pulses (I use white kidney beans and sweetcorn but butter beans and haricot beans work just as well)
2 litres veg or chicken stock
Salt, Pepper and Fresh Thyme - season to taste
Raw ingredients
1 courgette, finely cubed
2 handfuls spinach leaves
A few small spoons are to be added to your bowl raw before pouring in the hot soup, so the quantities given are for the whole batch, if you are making the soup for 1 with the intention to re-heat then you can prep in advance now and save them for later - just don't add it to the pan or they will turn mushy!
PRO-TIP - if you are saving some of this soup for packed lunches you can store your raw ingredients separate and add to your soup once its been reheated, without compromising that fresh taste!
Method
All your ingredients can be diced as thinly or a chunky as you want, I like a bit of bite to my food so I make it extra chunky!
Boil your kettle to make your stock so it is at the side ready when your veg has been cooked.
Start warming your pan on a medium heat and add a little oil. Don't have it on too high as you want your onions to soften, not brown
Dice your onion, celery and leek and add to the pan - Don't forget to season with salt and pepper!
Dice your carrots, remembering to stir whats in the pan and add them once your onions have softened
Mince your garlic and add to pan - don't cook them for too long or you will burn your garlic and your soup will have a horrid bitter taste!
add your fresh thyme and the passata
stir in your stock and bring to the boil, reduce heat and let it simmer for about 10 - 20 minutes depending on how thickly you diced your carrots - just make sure they are cooked through!
As your food is simmering, start prepping your raw ingredients (see notes above if you are unsure about quantity!). If you are eating strait away add a little of the courgette and the spinach to the bottom of the bowls you intend to eat out of.
Add your beans or pulses to the broth and cook for a few minutes
Check seasoning and spoon onto your raw ingredients.
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