Jennifer Gault
Winter is on its way. The air is cool and carries a sharp chill. Light flurries of white cotton pirouette across the breeze. Hands shivers, noses shine red, and everyone is bundled up to stay warm. However, warmth is best obtained from the inside out. Fill your stomach with a bowl of hot vegetable soup,. After all, you will want to stay cozy this holiday season.
Vegetable Soup Recipe
Ingredients
2 Carrots
1 Onion, chopped
2 Celery Stalks
1 can of Tomatoes (500ml)
4 cups of Vegetable Broth (low sodium)
1 cup fresh baby kale
½ cup soup mix (dried barley, split peas and brown rice)
1 cup fresh baby spinach
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp parsley
One can of mixed Beans
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
Are you all about soup? Check out our article on Italian Wedding Soup.
Instructions
Grab a cutting board, a knife, a large bowl, and a large saucepan (soup pot).
Chop the carrots and celery into small equal pieces. Small is really what you want, because the vegetables will take much less time to soften and cook. Ensuring they are roughly the same size will help all veggies cook at a consistent speed. Once you chop the vegetables, throw them in the large bowl and set them to the side.
Pick up your onion (and try not to cry). Dice it finely and throw the pieces in the saucepan with the carrots, celery, olive oil and salt. Set to medium heat. Sauté the vegetables until they are tender (you don’t want them too soft, because they will still need to cook with the rest of the soup).
As the vegetables are soft enough to stick a fork through, pour in the vegetable broth and canned tomatoes. Then, toss in your herbs (oregano, thyme, parsley, and cayenne pepper). At the same time, grab a strainer and pour the soup mix in. With the strainer over the sink, wash, rinse and drain the starch from the dry soup mix. After you rinse them, add the soup mix to the pot. Use a strainer, then wash and rinse the can of mixed beans as well. Add it after the soup mix. Place a lid on the saucepan (pot) and let it simmer for approximately an hour. Because the soup needs stirring, check on it periodically.
The Final Touches
Once the soup mix is cooked soft, add in the fresh spinach and kale. Stir the ingredients and place the lid back over the pot. Reduce the heat to low, and let the soup simmer for 15 minutes. Warm aromas of sweet carrots, tangy tomatoes and savoury herbs will flood the air. Taste the pot periodically to ensure the ingredients have been cooked to your liking. Enjoy your soup while it is hot, or store it in the fridge for another snowy day. Bon Appétit!
