Recipe: Warming Vegetable Soup
Winter is the time for head colds and in our house that means lots of soup! Soups and stews are a fabulous option when dealing with acute illnesses, as they are easily digestible and nutrient dense, and can be cooked in a big batch and heated up as you need it - much easier than cooking from scratch every meal when you don’t feel well! This is an ultra basic vegetable soup that can be whipped up even when you’re not feeling your best, to help get you through those miserable days of a head cold or other respiratory infection.
Ingredients
3 cloves garlic, minced
A finger-sized portion of ginger, grated
1 small brown onion, diced
2 leeks (white portion only), thickly sliced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 sticks of celery, diced
Half a butternut pumpkin, peeled, cored and cubed
1-2 cups sliced mushrooms
1-2 cups chopped green beans
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
1 red capsicum, diced
1 can crushed tomatoes
1-1.5L vegetable broth
2 teaspoons chopped fresh or dried rosemary
2 teaspoons chopped fresh or dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Optional: 1 can organic chickpeas
Hemp seeds and nutritional yeast flakes, to serve
Instructions
In a large pot, cook the onions and leeks on medium heat in a little olive oil until they start to soften. Add the garlic, ginger, carrot and celery and cook for around 3-4 minutes.
Add the pumpkin and mushrooms and continue cooking until pumpkin is starting to become tender.
Add the remaining vegetables, canned tomato, broth, herbs, and chickpeas (if using). Bring to a gentle boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook on low-medium, stirring occasionally, until all vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf.
To serve, sprinkle with hemp seeds and nutritional yeast flakes.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
About the Author
Lizzie Stow is a clinical naturopath from Newcastle, Australia.
To find out more about Lizzie, click here.
To book an appointment with Lizzie click here.