carrots

Jenn’s Vegetable Soup

Jenn’s Vegetable Soup (makes 18 servings ~ 1 cup each)

2 L low sodium vegetable broth
3/4 head cabbage
1 head cauliflower
2 onions
4 large carrots
4 stalks celery
3-4 cups diced plum tomatoes*
6 cloves garlic
1 cup fresh dill
4 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs nutritional yeast
1 tsp olive oil
2 Tbs honey
1 tsp sriracha (hot sauce)*

Heat large stock pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and sweat onions and garlic until turning translucent (not browning) – stirring regularly. Add carrots and celery and continue to sweat vegetables for 3-4 minutes. Repeat, adding cabbage and cauliflower, then cover pot and cook 3-5 minutes, occasionally lifting lid to stir and prevent browning or sticking to bottom of pot. Add tomatoes, salt, dill, bay leaves, broth and nutritional yeast. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer, covered for 30-45 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Add honey and sriracha, bring back to boil, taste and adjust seasoning. If desired puree all the way or partially – I love a hand / stick blender for ease of use and clean-up, but a food processor or blender can be used by adding soup in batches, then returning to a fresh pot.

This low calorie soup is great as a starter as is. But I love to use it as a base and make it into a one bowl lunch by adding beans or tofu or tempeh, greens, and a little grated goat’s cheese or a dollop of plain organic yoghurt. My favourite combo: cannellini beans, baby spinach and crumbled goat feta. When cooked into the soup just before serving it turns a bit thicker/stewier from the starch in the beans. Delicious and comforting!

*If following an anti-inflammatory diet or avoiding nightshades, omit the tomatoes and sriracha and add an additional litre of broth.

Nutrition Facts (per 1 cup serving): 58 kcal, 0.6 g fat, 12.8 g carbohydrate, 2.8 g fibre, 6.1 g sugar, 2.4 g protein, vitamin A* 61%, vitamin C* 47%, calcium*8%, iron* 11% (* based on a 2000 calorie diet). Very high in fibre, iron, Vit A & C. High in calcium, manganese, magnesium, potassium, B2, B3, B6.