I love soups in the winter and it’s just turned cold and rainy so what better time is there to start making soups again! A good soup should be a mix of veg, protein and complex carbs;
veg to give you a hit of nutrients and protein and complex carbs to keep you going and satisfied for hours. Often the complex carbs might take the form of a slice of rye bread to dip in, for example, however this soup has quinoa to tick that box.
Ingredients
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 3 medium carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 small courgettes, diced
- 2 cups green beans, cut into 1-inch segments
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 900ml unsalted or low-sodium vegetable (or homemade stock)
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 3 cups water
- 3 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
- 3/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1 1/2 tsp honey
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3/4 cup dry quinoa
- 1 tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tin chick peas, drained and rinsed
- 2 heaped cups chopped fresh kale, thick stalks removed
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- Shredded Parmesan cheese, for garnish (omit or use vegan Parmesan if making vegan)
Method
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large stockpot. Add carrots, onion, and celery and saute until softened (about 5 mins).
Ass courgette, red pepper, green beans and saute for a further 2 minutes. Add garlic and saute for a further minute.
Addstock, chopped tomatoes, water, herbs, honey and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil then reduce heat to medium and allow soup to gently simmer, uncovered for around 20 minutes.
Add quinoa and cover for 15-20 minutes.
Add chickpeas, cannellini beans, lemon juice and kale. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Serve with parmesan cheese.