Warming Winter Soup

I haven't written up a recipe blog for ages. And while making a soup today for lunch I thought it is about time to get up to date. As you may or may not know I have just written, photographed and self published The Veggie Tree Autumn & Winter Cookbook. I am so pleased it is finally here for all to enjoy. This recipe is in the book but if you need a little tempting in...

This is a warming winter soup for the family. White vegetables are packed with nutrition and make a beautiful contrast to the green pesto on the toast. There are beans in this soup also which add the protein we need to stay full for longer. Soup is often on the menu in winter for me, it nourishes and warms tummy's and is great for an easy heat up for lunch. I am always striving for ways to get even the most fussiest of eater to eat more plants and sometimes a little deception is needed to stop the “eeew yuck, I don’t like that” from the kids. You can disguise all sorts of goodies in puréed soups. So try this one out on your fussy one and let me know if it works!

For the green toast the recipe is for rocket pesto but you could use silverbeet, carrot tops or kale to make the pesto just as successfully. I love to use all the abundant dark green leafy vegetables in the winter as they are an excellent source of nutrients to keep the winter illnesses at bay.

WHITE SOUP WITH GREEN TOAST RECIPE

~Recipe from The Veggie Tree Autumn and Winter Cookbook~

Vegan | Gluten-free

Serves 6

Gather your ingredients and prepare the following:

white part of 1 leek, roughly chopped

2 onions, roughly chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled

1 celery stick, roughly chopped

2 parsnips, roughly chopped

2 potatoes, washed and roughly chopped

¼ white cabbage, roughly chopped

¼ cauliflower, roughly chopped

Put a large lidded pot on the heat and add:

2 T olive oil

30g butter

Melt these slightly, then add your prepared veggies, except for the cabbage and cauliflower.

Stir the pot, then add:

1 L water

1 tsp vegetable bouillon powder

2 bay leaves

5 sprigs fresh thyme

Bring this to the boil, then turn down to a simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

Add your prepared cabbage and cauliflower, plus:

1 x 400g can white beans, cannellini or butter beans.

Cook for a further 5 minutes, then remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Cool slightly, then blend with a stick blender. Pour the soup through a sieve to make it even smoother, then warm through until almost boiling.

Season with:

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp black or white pepper

ROCKET PESTO RECIPE

This makes approximately 350g of pesto.

Put the ingredients into a mini food processor in this order.

1 clove garlic, peeled

¼ tsp salt

60g macadamia nuts

1 lemon, zest and juice

200g rocket

50g Parmesan cheese, finely grated

100ml extra virgin olive oil

a few cracks of pepper

Whizz until finely chopped but not too smooth.

Alternatively, use a mortar and pestle to smash the garlic clove and salt together. Now add the macadamias and smash these up a little. Add the rest of the ingredients and smash up until mixed well together. Serve with fresh bread or toast to accompany your soup.