Creamy Vegetable Soup [vegan]

Friday is soup night at our house! This is one of our current favourites, a versatile soup packed full of veggies with a creamy tomato base. I like it because I always have these ingredients on hand, and if I'm bereft of fresh green veggies I can use frozen instead! This recipe makes about eight large servings.

Saute two large onions in a tin or two (2-4 cups homemade) of coconut milk, with a blend of dried or fresh herbs (thyme/oregano/basil/sage), garlic, and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper. 

 

Add diced carrots and sweet potatoes, and green veg. Today it was kale but spinach works too, as does frozen green veggies like spinach/kale/peas. 

Stir in three tins of chickpeas, and 800g (large tin) crushed tomatoes or puree. Add in enough water (or broth, if that's what you prefer) to cover all the ingredients and allow to simmer for a while. When the carrots are softened, throw in a box/ bag of pasta. If you're using a gluten free pasta, you'll want to wait to add this to the heated soup and cook it right before you plan to eat. Otherwise, add the pasta and then simmer for another minute or two.

Put the lid on the pot and turn off the heat; allow the soup to cool on the back of the stove until you're ready to re-heat for dinner. This is a great make-ahead soup; it tastes best the day after! It's also a perfect last-minute soup; start to finish it takes about fifteen minutes to prep and half an hour to cook. 

Other variations: omit the pasta and add 4-5 large potatoes, or omit the pasta and add 2 cupfuls brown short grain rice. For both of these, include when you add the veggies rather than at the end!