Healthy Winter Vegetable Soup

girl-razor's Note:

A nice, big soup which serves as a perfect winter comforter. This is an adaptation of an age old family recipe. My family are Italian and this is adapted from a typical "rustic" country dish. I have adapted it to better suit ingredients found in England and North America as these are the ingredients I can most easily get hold of whilst I am at university. It is easy to prepare and definitely a crowd pleaser, I've served it to everyone from friends at uni to friends' parents after a hard day at work. My seven year old twin cousins also enjoyed it, so I think it's an all-rounder. PS: Can be adapted and other vegetables can be added. Other variations I have made have included broccoli, purple broccoli and spinach.

• Total Time: 55 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves , crushed
• 1 large onion , finely chopped
• 2 carrots , finely chopped
• 2 celery ribs , finely chopped
• 1 cup celery leaves
• 3 cherry tomatoes , halved
• 100 g red lentils (or fagioli) or 100 g borlotti beans (or fagioli) or 100 g butter beans (or fagioli)
• 500 ml vegetable stock (preferably non salty) or 500 ml chicken stock (preferably non salty)
• 400 g chopped tomatoes (tinned or self-prepared)
• 1 tablespoon mixed herbs
• salt (to taste)
• pepper (to taste)

Directions:

1. In a pot, place olive oil on a high heat, allow to heat up and then add the crushed garlic and the chopped onions. Turn to a medium heat. Stir until soft, but not brown. Add carrots, celery (NOT LEAVES!), lentils/beans and cherry tomatoes and stir in, allowing to absorb all the flavours.
2. After about 3-5 minutes stirring, allowing the flavours to blend together and the ingredients to soften slightly, add the vegetable stock.
3. I usually crush the stock cube, or sprinkle the stock powder over the vegetables and THEN add the water, but everybody will probably do this differently.
4. Stir again and place a lid over the pot. Allow to simmer for 10-20 minutes.
5. Add tinned chop tomatoes. Stir, and allow to reduce with the lid removed for 5-10 minutes.
6. 10 minutes before serving, tear the celery leaves and stir them inches This will give a very pungent smell and will give the soup and exquisite taste.
7. Drizzle each portion with a tiny bit of extra virgin olive oil and serve with chunky fresh bread or croutons.
8. Buon appetito!