Vegetable Soup

Weather was cold thus I have decided to cook vegetable soup for dinner.

Have you seen purple sprouting broccoli spears?

It's delicious with a slightly nutty flavour.

It's so easy to cook vegetable soup. I am temporarily staying in England and am not buying unnecessary spices simply just to take the soup to another notch.

Save money by buying seasonal vegetables and sell by dates. They are absolute value for money.

Enjoy experimenting but do remember simplicity is best. Let the ingredients work for you. It is pointless buying expensive ingredients for the sake of it.

Ingredients

For the base ingredients

2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
One slice of fresh ginger (optional)

For the aromatics

1 bay leave if available
One tablespoon of dried mix herbs or fresh thyme or any available herbs you have in stock

For the main ingredients

6 potatoes, well scrubbed without peeling if possible and cut into chunks
2 carrots, cut into chunksOne stalk celery, leave and stem
¼ cup of barley pearls (soak in warm water, do not discard water, add into stock)

To be added in only during last five minutes of cooking
A stalk of spring onions, slice finely
Cabbage, tear leaves into bite size pieces but cut the core roughly
Broccoli, set florets aside but cut the stems roughly

For the Stock
Water about 3 inches above vegetables when simmering in pot

Seasonings

Two vegetable cubes

Salt
Freshly ground black pepper or ordinary white pepper

Method

Heat the oil gently in pot, add in onions and ginger.
When onions are soft without browning, add carrots, saute for about ten minutes.
Add all vegetables minus cabbage leaves and broccoli florets.
Continue sweating vegetables, add freshly ground black pepper, bay leaves and mixed herbs.
Mix well and continue to sweat for another five minutes.
Add barley pearls, vegetable cubes and water to vegetables and bring to a boil then simmer gently without lid on.
Cook vegetables to desired doneness.
Last five minutes before serving, bring stock to the boil, add spring onions, cabbage leaves and broccoli florets.
Check and adjust seasoning.
Garnish with fresh coriander before serving.
Delicious and hearty on its own or serve with garlic bread.