Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped finely
2 carrots, peeled and chopped into cubes
2 sticks of celery, washed and chopped into cubes
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 ½ tsp smoked pimenton
1 tsp harissa (I like Belazu Rose Harissa best)
1 x 400g tin cannellini beans, rinsed
1 stalk Kombu (optional)
750ml vegetable stock
6-8 stalks of curly kale
Salt & pepper
Sprouted seeds to serve (optional)

Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the chopped onion, carrots and celery. Allow to saute gently over a medium heat for 10-15 minutes until softened. Add the sliced garlic and stir, allowing to cook for a moment before adding the beans, the harissa, and the smoked pimenton.  Keep stiring to combine the spices.

Pour in the vegetable stock and allow the soup to cook for at least 30 minutes, giving the flavours time to combine and the beans to cook. It’s a great idea when cooking with beans to include a stalk of dried kombu seaweed (available from deli’s and healthfood shops) which helps to soften the beans but also boosts the mineral content of any dish. If you include it, remove from the soup before serving.

Wash the kale well and cut out the stalks. Chop both the stalks and the leaves and add the stalks to the soup as they will take longer to cook. Add the chopped kale leaves to the soup 5 minutes before serving to ensure the kale leaves are not overcooked and are bright green in colour. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning as required. Ladle into bowls and serve sprinkled with mixed sprouted seeds.

Categories: all the veg, detox delicious, healthy food recipes, and Sustaining Soups.

This is a delicious and easy to prepare soup using smoked Spanish Pimenton. It really is worthwhile searching out good quality Pimenton, as it gives a wonderful smoky flavour without overpowering the dish. Try good delicatessens, Spanish food suppliers or better still ask someone to bring you some home from holidays. This soup is even more delicious the next day, so I would recommend doubling the recipe and saving some.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 ½ smoked Spanish Pimenton
1 tsp chopped fresh sage
4 large tomatoes, chopped
200g fresh beans (borlotti or cannellini) or you can use tinned
1.5 litres vegetable stock
Salt & pepper
Freshly chopped flat leaf parsley to serve

Method:

Heat some olive oil in a saucepan and then add the onion, garlic and red pepper. Stir to cook for 5 minutes and then add the Pimenton and the sage. Stir and continue to cook for a further few minutes before adding the tomatoes, beans, vegetable stock and seasoning. Allow to cook on a very low simmer for at least 30 minutes if using tinned beans, or up to two hours if using fresh beans.

Serve sprinkled with the parsley.

Categories: all the veg, Autumn, detox delicious, healthy food recipes, and Sustaining Soups.

When my son was little he used to always ask for ‘green soup’ whenever we went to a café or restaurant much to the disgust of his sister.  I of course was delighted, being obsessed with the goodness of greens, but unfortunately it didn’t last and he doesn’t even remember this early craving.  My love for green soup (or anything green for that matter) still endures and this is one of my favourites.  This time of year, when all the wonderful fresh green summer vegetables start appearing, is perfect for making this soup which is light and full of summer freshness and flavour.

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• Sprig fresh oregano
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 100g courgettes, sliced
• 750ml vegetable stock
• 50g fresh peas
• 100g asparagus, cut into pieces
• 4 spring onions, chopped
• Chopped fresh mint & flat leaf parsley to serve
• Salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the onion, garlic, celery, bay leaf and oregano and fry gently for 5-10 minutes.  Add the courgettes and continue cooking for a further few minutes.   Add the stock and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the courgettes are soft.   Add the asparagus, peas and spring onions and cook for a further few minutes until the asparagus is just softened.  Take 2-3 ladles of the soup out and liquidize until smooth before pouring back into the saucepan.  This allows you to achieve creaminess to the soup without adding any milk or cream.  Season to taste and serve garnished with lots of freshly chopped mint and flat leaf parsley.

Categories: all the veg and Sustaining Soups.