Nourishing Vegetable Soup

 INGREDIENTS

2 TBSP olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 small–medium potatoes, peeled and diced

1 small or ½ large carrot diced

1 stick celery, diced plus a few celery leaves, chopped
1 small zucchini, diced

½ head of cauliflower, cut into small florets

2 TBSP pearl barley

2 cloves garlic, bashed and chopped
1 tin peeled chopped tomatoes

1 tsp cumin powder

1.5 litres stock (made from bouillon vegetable stock powder  or not-chicken stock)

1 bay leaf

1 heaped TBSP tomato paste

1 x 400 g tin legumes or pulses (brown lentils, borlotti beans, 4-bean mix), rinsed and drained (or 400 g pre-cooked legumes)

2-3 kale or silverbeet leaves, roughly chopped

1 tsp Extremely Alive Elevate (Happy & Horny) Wellness Shot

salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the onion. Sauté for a few minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the potato, carrot, celery, cauliflower, celery leaves, zucchini, barley and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, then add the tomato paste, sauté́ for a minute or two, then add tinned tomatoes and cumin.

Cook for another 5 minutes, then add the stock and bay leaf, and bring to the boil over a medium–high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the legumes and greens, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove and discard the bay leaf and ladle the soup into serving bowls and serve.

Variations

• Stir in 1 TBSP of white miso paste just before serving to give a nice salty flavour.

• Add 1 TBSP of parsley just before serving

• Serve with homemade garlic bread