This soup is a freestyle creation that turns your fridge's odd and ends into a winter warmer. The best part? You can toss in literally any veggie you have lying around – the more, the merrier!
INGREDIENTS:
- 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 of 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 it from the freezer and reheat it on those busy evenings.
