Whilst a little belated, I'd like to wish you all a happy new year! I hope you all had a lovely time off and had some much needed rest! I'm now back into the swing of things with work and whilst I don't have uni until the end of the month, I do have exams to revise for, which is why this is now just my first post back. So, as I should be revising for my exams, I'm making this one a healthy one and I'm going to include some nutrition info about the ingredients and how they help our body...that's still revising right?
This recipe is one that has developed gradually that is typically one of my 'lazy day' recipes, when you want food quickly and just combine everything in one pan, that I've refined a little for this post. It's also a great light lunch and perfect for when you have a bit of a cold too, as many people currently do! I built the flavours on this soup with veggie bouillon, almost smokiness of the dried mushrooms, crispness of the white wine, a fresh flavour with few herbs and nutty-cheesiness of the nutritional yeast, the flavour of the broth is so delicious and rich, and perfectly seasons the orzo, kale, beans and mushrooms.
This soup is so hearty and healthy too, with the kale delivering vitamin K, which has a function in blood clotting, A which is an antioxidant and helps with pigments in the retina and C which enhances iron absorption and is also an antioxidant. The white beans deliver protein, including the amino acid cysteine which helps to loosen your chest when you have a cold, fibre, which helps to keep you fuller for longer, manganese and iron for the formation of haemoglobin (part of the red blood cells), mushrooms which deliver vitamins B2, B3 and B5, which support normal enzyme functioning and nutritional yeast, which delivers a whole range of vitamins and minerals, including the all important B12, which is essential to the nervous system and is only present in fortified foods in a vegan diet. In addition to all the vitamins and minerals, the hot broth also helps to keep you hydrated, fights inflammation and keep the nasal passages moist, if you do happen to catch a cold this winter.
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White bean, Mushroom and Kale Soup | Serves: 4 | Time: 15 minutes
You'll need
- Chopping board
- Knife
- Measuring cups
- Large saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small white onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 100g mixed variety mushrooms
- 2 tbsp vegan bouillon powder
- 1/4 cup dried mushrooms
- 1/4 cup white wine or 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp dried chives
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 tsp chili flakes
- 6 cups water
- 3/4 cup orzo
- 1 can cannellini beans
- 1 cup thinly sliced kale
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, B12 variety
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Dice the onion and saute in a splash of olive oil, then crush in the garlic, roughly chop the mushrooms and add these to the pan, fry for a few minutes.
- Then add the white wine and reduce before adding the bouillon, dried mushrooms, chives, parsley, bay leaves, chili flakes and water, bring to a boil, then add the orzo and beans and place a lid on the pan. Boil for 5 minutes, then add the kale, cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, then add the nutritional yeast and taste for seasoning. Serve up with a sprinkling of chili flakes and enjoy!
Cassidy xx
