Vegetable Soup

I've been out of action in the kitchen for a few days since I've been struck down with the flu. I felt a bit better today so I thought I'd make myself a simple yet nutritious meal to help kick start the immune system, so what better to make than vegetable soup? Packed full of nutrients, vitamins and anti-oxidants, this recipe is also super easy to make if you have a slow cooker. Just set and forget... a couple of hours later... a nice meal awaits :)
 
I added some chopped bacon to this soup since I had some left over in the fridge, but for a meat free version, just omit it from this recipe. I also added some chilli flakes for a bit of kick.

You can pretty much add to this soup any kind of vegetable, whatever is in season or whatever happens to be in your fridge.

This recipe is also freezer friendly. A handy tip I learnt was to put the soup into individual microwavable soup containers. That way you can very easily take it out of the freezer and put straight into the microwave. Yummy soup in a matter of minutes!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
125g bacon, chopped (optional)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 carrots, peeled, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
2 small zucchini, chopped
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2-3 cups water
400g can diced roma tomatoes
1 tub tomato paste
¼ tsp chilli flakes (optional) 
⅓ cup dried risoni pasta (optional)
⅓ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped

Method

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, bacon and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. 
2. Add all ingredients except the risoni and parsley into a slow cooker and stir to combine.
3. Cover and cook on high for 2- 3 hours or on low for 4 to 6 hours.
4. Stir in risoni pasta during the last hour of cooking. Alternatively, if making ahead, cook the risoni pasta separately and stir into the soup just before serving.
   
5. Stir through parsley. Ladle soup into bowls. Serve with warm crusty bread.
   

Notes & Tips

To freeze: Store soup in an airtight container. Label, date and freeze for up to 3 months.