Vegetable soup

This vegie soup is hearty, budget-friendly and loaded with fibre to keep you satisfied.

Images and text from Veggie Food by Murdoch Test Kitchen, photography by Jared Fowler. Murdoch Books RRP $24.99.

Serves: 6 (as a side)

Time to make: 1 hr 10 mins , plus overnight soaking

Ingredients

More weights & measures

½ cup dried red kidney beans or borlotti beans
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 leek, halved lengthways and chopped
1 small onion, diced
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large zucchini/ courgettezucchiniX, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 cups vegetable stock (we used reduced-salt stock)
400g butternut pumpkin (squash), cut into 2 cm cubes
2 potatoes, cut into 2cm cubes
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

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Instructions

Stay Awake

1 Place beans in a large bowl, cover with cold water and soak overnight. Rinse, then transfer to a saucepan, cover with cold water and cook for 45 minutes, or until just tender. Drain.

2 Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the leek and onion and cook over medium heat for 2–3 minutes without browning, until they start to soften. Add the carrot, celery and zucchini and cook for 3–4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir for 1 minute. Pour in the vegetable stock and 5 cups water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

3 Add the pumpkin, potato, parsley and beans and simmer for a further 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the beans are cooked. Season well.

4 Serve with crusty bread (we used wholegrain bread).

Nutrition Info (per serve)

Calories 160 cal

Kilojoules 670 kJ

Protein 7 g

Total fat 4.3 g

Saturated fat 0.7 g

Carbohydrates 20 g

Sugar 11 g

Dietary fibre 6 g

Sodium 680 mg

Calcium 61 mg

Iron 1.9 mg

Note: This nutrition analysis is a guide only. Nutrition composition will vary depending on the exact ingredients used. See our guides on your optimal daily nutrition intake, and supermarket shopping.