A hearty soup suitable for vegetarians, vegans and anyone wanting a plant based meal with the benefit of some added protein!
Ingredients:
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 large carrots, peeled, cut lengthways in half and diced
3 celery sticks, sliced
1 tbsp tomato purée
200ml white wine
400g can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
1.5 litre vegetable stock
1 bag baby spinach or large bunch of spinach, washed and stalks removed
400g tin or jar chickpeas (or freshly cooked is even better), water drained
400g tin or jar of cannellini beans (or freshly cooked), water drained
200g fermented tofu, cut into 1-2 cm cubes (optional, for additional protein)
salt and black pepper
1 fresh chilli, sliced (optional)
Method:
- Place the onion and fennel in a large saucepan, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté on a medium heat until onion is translucent.
- Add the carrot and celery and continue cooking for 10 minutes, just to soften the vegetables, stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomato purée and stir as you cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and let it bubble away for a few minutes.
- Next, add the tinned tomatoes, the herbs, vegetable stock and some salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then cover and leave to simmer gently for about 30 minutes.
- Add the beans, spinach and tofu (optional) and simmer for a further 15 minutes. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper as needed and chilli if you like it hot!