Immunity Strengthening Soup

With the current weather, post heatwave and now cold and damp this immunity strenghtening soup is full of nutrition that shall ban those outside chills.

Prep Time 15 mins

Total Time 15 mins

Courses: Soups

Difficulty: Beginner

Servings: 8

Dietary: Vegetarian

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion (diced)
1 leek (diced, white part only)
1 fennel (medium, chopped)
2 celery (stalks)
5 garlic cloves (minced)
¾ tsp all spice
¾ tsp cumin (powder)
1 potato (medium, 1.5 cm cubes)
1 broccoli (head, florets, peel and chop stalk too)
2½ tsp salt
¾ tsp black pepper
1¾ litres water
140 g peas (frozen)
350 g kale (roughly chopped)
155 g spinach (baby,)
190 ml cream (double)

Garnish

2 tbsp sunflower seeds (toasted, or croutons or other toasted nuts, or as here a sesame breadstick with a broccoli crown)
Cream or oil (olive for drizzling)

Instructions

1
Sauté the aromats and heat the oil in a very large pan or pot over medium a high heat. Cook the onion, leek, celery, garlic and fennel for 5 minutes until softened and the onion is translucent.
Aim to soften the aromatics without deeply browning them; keeping the base lighter helps preserve the fresh green character of the finished soup.
2
Toast the spices, all spice and cumin in a dry frying pan for 1 minute
Keep the pan moving and remove the spices as soon as they become fragrant; ground spices can scorch quickly in a dry pan.
3
Add the water, potatoes, broccoli, salt and pepper. Stir and bring to a simmer for 7 minutes, without a lid, until the broccoli is tender.
Check a potato cube as well as the broccoli before blending. The potato should be fully tender so it purées smoothly rather than leaving a grainy texture.
4
Add the peas, and simmer for 1 minute.
5
Remove the pot from the stove. Add the kale, and push it under the liquid, then blitz with a stick blender until mostly smooth. Add the spinach, push under the liquid then blitz again until smooth as possible, approx 3 to 5 minutes, lifting the blender every now and again. This will result in a smooth soup but with little green bits in it. The longer you blitz the less texture but finer the soup is, it is your choice.
Remove the pan from direct heat as written before blending. Keep the blender head submerged while it is running to reduce splashing from the hot soup.
6
Serve. Stir in cream. Ladle into bowls, drizzle with extra cream and/or olive oil and finish with a sprinkle of sunflower seeds. Eat and feel great!

Nutrition Facts

Servings 8

Amount Per Serving
Calories 233.99kcal

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 16.19g25%
Saturated Fat 7.89g40%
Sodium 794.67mg34%
Total Carbohydrate 18.76g7%
Dietary Fiber 5.94g24%
Sugars 5.83g
Protein 6.16g13%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Note

This can be vegan if you use a vegan cream.