MARKET-FRESH VEGETABLE SOUP
GF 
WF 
DF 
SF 
VEG
SERVES 6
This freezer-friendly soup is great to make in batches, and is best cooked using vegies at their freshest. It will flood your system with easily digestible nutrients along with the fibre you need to feed a healthy bacterial colony.
2 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil or
1 tablespoon ghee
1 leek, white part only, chopped
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 celery stalks, diced
2.5 cm (1 inch) piece of ginger, peeled and grated
160 g (5½ oz/2/3 cup) sugar-free tomato paste (concentrated purée)
400 g (14 oz) tin additive-free chopped tomatoes
150 g (5½ oz) green beans, topped, tailed and cut into 3–4 cm (1¼ –1½ inch) lengths
½ cauliflower, roughly chopped
2 zucchini (courgettes), diced
1 red capsicum (pepper), seeded and diced
1 green capsicum (pepper), seeded and diced
450 g (1 lb/1 bunch) kale, chopped
45 g (1½ oz/1 cup) English spinach leaves, chopped
1 litre (35 fl oz/4 cups) Vegetable Stock
or filtered water, plus extra water as needed
1 handful of mixed herbs (e.g. flat-leaf [Italian] parsley, basil), chopped
freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
nutritional yeast flakes (optional), to serve
watercress leaves, to serve
Melt the oil or ghee in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leek, onion, garlic, celery and ginger and cook, stirring regularly, for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
Stir in the tomato paste and chopped tomatoes, then cook for a further 1–2 minutes. Add the beans, cauliflower, zucchini, capsicums, kale and spinach, then cook, stirring frequently, for a further 1–2 minutes.
Add the stock or water and, if necessary, extra filtered water to cover the vegetables. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10–15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the herbs and stir to combine.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, then purée in a food processor or blender to your desired consistency.
Serve hot, sprinkled with black pepper, yeast flakes, if using, and watercress.