bean and vege soup

 

 

 

 

 

Contributor – Dana Cohen (Medical Nutritionist)

Serves 6

Get this soup in before the weather gets too warm. This soup is a delicious and perfect way to get a variety of veggies into your diet and will help you meet your quota of minimum 5 vegetable servings a day. Any vegetables can be added or swapped. You can add vegetables such as potato, fennel, kale, spinach, etc.

200g dry white beans, soaked over night

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, sliced

2 carrots, chopped

1 small leek, chopped

½ teaspoon dried oregano

handful of parsley leaves, chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 zucchini, chopped

150g green beans

1 small white cabbage, or ¼ large cabbage, cut into strips

400g can chopped tomatoes

6 cups water or stock (low-sodium vegetable or chicken)

salt and pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons pesto

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, optional

Cook the beans in boiling water until soft

In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a large pot over a medium heat and add the onion, celery, carrot, leek, garlic, parsley, and oregano and cook slowly for about 15 minutes, stirring now and then.

Add the zucchini, green beans, and cabbage and stir. Add tomatoes and the stock, cover with a lid and bring slowly to the boil. Simmer for about 30 minutes.

Add 2/3 of the beans, and the rest mash with a stick blender and add.

Finish by seasoning with a little salt and black pepper and just before serving top with a spoonful of pesto and grated Parmesan.