Ultimate Vegetable Soup

This vegetable soup is packed full with healthy vegetables and herbs. The beauty of the recipe is that you can substitute any other seasonal veg, such as butternut squash, red peppers or leeks. Whatever you decide, it’s a delicious way of getting your 5 a day.

Photo credit: http://www.adrianlawrencephotography.com/

Serves 2

1tbsp light olive or rapeseed oil
1 onion, finely sliced

1 carrot, sliced

1 small parsnip, diced

50g (2oz) green beans, topped, tailed and halved

125g (4oz) green veg e.g. kale, cabbage or spring greens

600ml (1 pint) vegetable stock (2 tsp vegetable bouillon)

1 bay leaf

A small handful basil leaves, roughly torn

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan over a moderate heat. Add the onion and cook gently for about 5 minutes until softened.

Add the carrots and parsnips to the pan and continue to cooking over a moderate heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften a little.

Add the stock and bay leaf and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, add the beans and greens and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Remove and discard the bay leaf. Liquidise the soup using a blender. Stir in the basil and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.