Vegetable Soup

Because it's still chilly out, here's another winter warmer that'll warm your cockles, and maybe even sub-cockles, as Dennis Leary would say.

This one also freezes well. These ingredients are enough to serve six, so plenty of left-overs for those days you can't be bothered cooking.

Image stolen from newparadigmhealthcookery.com

Ingredients:<

• 1/2 cup dried red kidney beans
• 1 leek, halved lengthwise and chopped
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 1 large zucchini, chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1L vegetable stock
• 400g butternut pumpkin, cut into 2cm cubes.
• 2 potatoes, cut into 2cm cubes
• 3 tbsp chopped parsley
• Splash of olive oil

Putting it all together:

Place the beans in a large bowl, cover with water and soak overnight. Rinse, then add to a saucepan, cover with cold water and cook for about 45 minutes, or until just tender. Drain.

Heat some oil in a saucepan. Add the leek and onion and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes without browning, until they start to soften. Add the carrot, celery, and zucchini and cook for about 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir for a minute. Pour in the veggie stock and 1.25L water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes

Add the pumpkin, potato, parsley, and beans and simmer for another 20 minutes or until the veggies are tender and the beans cooked. 

Season well and serve with crusty bread, of course.

*Original Recipe from Vegie Food by Rachel Carter