Eat Up: The First Soup

Dear Cape Town is being all schizophrenic again, a beautiful sunny Saturday, followed by a dreary, windy, rainy Sunday. I thought about just crawling back to bed and let Mother Nature be, but then my to-do list quietly reminded me such a thing was not possible. Thus my second option was to fight the cold with a heart warming bowl of soup. Nothing comforts me and fights my winter blues quite like a healthy bowl of vegetable soup.

This tomato and white bean soup, ticks all the good-for-you, fill-you-up boxes and it is delicious to boot- Bonus.

Ingredients:

1 Cup dry beans, soaked for at least 2 hours and drained

2 Tbs grape seed oil 

1 Med onion diced

1 Celery rib, diced

1 Bay leaf

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 sprig rosemary, chopped

3 sprigs thyme, chopped

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 Cups halved tomatoes

2 quarts vegetable stock

2 Cups diced zucchini and green beans

1/2 Cup soaked quinoa

1/2 bunch kale, chopped

5 Sprigs of parsley, chopped 

Salt and pepper

1. Heat the oil in a big pot, over medium heat.

2. Add the onions and cook for 5 min.

3. Add the celery and bay leaf and cook for another 5 min.

4. Add the garlic, thyme and rosemary and cook for 2 min.

5. Add the tomato paste and stir for 7 min.

6. Add the beans and the tomatoes, with the stock, stir well, bring to the boil and let it simmer for 35 min.

7. Add the quinoa, vegetables and cook for 10 min.

8. Lastly add the kale, parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot with a nutty, whole wheat bread.

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