If addicted to anything, it’s soup. I’d sell my granny for a cup of farmhouse veg. I’ve always thought of it to be healthy, but having become a major label reader, I’m finding it harder to find natural soups that are JUST veggies (shoutout to the Just Food co. for bringing back my Moroccan chickpea to Dunnes after I sulked on the phone like a child, though)

Most shop-bought soups are laced with dairy, sugar and stabilizers. I personally try to live as naturally as possible, so I just gave up looking and made my own! Having made 8 batches of this hearty soup in comparison to the price I’d pay for mediocre store-bought ones, it’s a proper money saver too.

I added hemp protein powder to increase my macros but that does add an ever so slightly grainy element, so there’s no need to add it if you’re a texture-freak. To me though, I think it tastes bloody DELICIOUS. Creamy, nutritious warmth in a cup/mug/bowl/trophy/bathtub.

I served this with some homemade sundried tomato, basil & oregano porridge bread. You can find the recipe here. I made the bread quickly while the soup was simmering!

Ingredients

• 1 tbs coconut oil
• 1 large carrot
• 1 large onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 celery stalks
• 2½ leeks
• 3 stock-cubes Kallo organic veg stock
• 100g petit pois
• 300g fresh kale
• 7 asparagus stalks
• 140g brocolli
• 3 scoops hemp protein powder
• 400ml unsweetened almond milk
• sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• fresh parsley, to garnish

Directions

• Boil petit pois in a pot and leave to simmer.
• Fry off the coconut oil in a large pot with chopped onion for 2-5 minutes until it starts to sweat. Add chopped garlic cloves and fry on a medium heat for another 3 minutes. Add chopped carrots, celery, leeks and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
• Add chopped brocolli, asparagus and petit pois and continue to cook down.
• Add in the fresh kale and stir veggies, cooking for another 5-10 minutes.
• Add a Kallo organic stock cube to 500ml boiling water. Add into the pot followed by a scoop of protein powder. Bring to the boil and allow to reduce.
• Add sea salt & black pepper to taste.
• Repeat water/protein powder two more times, gradually adding to the reducing soup.
• Leave on a light simmer for 40-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Use an electrical hand blender/processor to blend the soup to a creamy consistency.
• Gradually add the almond milk and continue to blend until smooth.
• Serve with sea salt, black pepper and fresh parsley.

Macros*

*per serving – yields 8 bowls

• Calories 87
• Protein 7.2g
• Fat 4.3g
• Carbs 3.6g

PS: The green veg is unaccounted for in these calculations, so you’re definitely getting more bang for your bite, or your slurp…