No Rules 'Odds & Ends' Soup
This soup is a freestyle creation that turns your fridge's odd and ends into a satisfying winter warmer. The best part? You can toss in literally any veggie you have lying around – the more, the merrier!
1500 ml vegetable stock
250g soup mix (This is usually a mix of dried barley, peas, and lentils)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 onion, diced
½ carrot, diced
½ capsicum, diced
1 stick celery, diced
1 spring onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
2 Brussels sprouts, diced
¼ head cauliflower, diced
½ head broccoli, diced
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Fresh thyme
1 tsp oregano
1 can tomatoes
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the soup mix into a sieve and rinse with cold running water, then set aside.
- Chop all the vegetables into a fine dice, keeping the firmer vegetables separate from the softer vegetables.
- Heat a large pot with oil and add the firmer vegetables, garlic, carrots, onions, capsicum, celery, and spring onions. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until translucent.
- Add the tomato paste, soup mix, and mix well. Pour in the vegetable stock and pureed tinned tomatoes. Add the fresh thyme.
- Cover with a lid and reduce to a simmer for 35-40 minutes.
- For the final 5-10 minutes of cooking, add the softer vegetables (broccoli and cauliflower). Add two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and cook for 10 minutes. Add a touch of sugar if you find it's slightly too acidic.
- Add chopped leafy greens in the final 2 minutes of cooking.
- Season with freshly chopped herbs like parsley or basil, salt, and pepper.
- You can store this soup in the fridge for 5 days in an airtight container. This soup can also be frozen. Freeze it in smaller containers to have a ready-to-go meal. Simply remove from the freezer and reheat on those busy evenings.
