Recipe Friday - Vegan Italian Wedding Soup

Finally, I feel well enough to cook again! What a pleasure.

The first thing that I made was Italian Wedding Soup because I love it and I haven't had it since Kill and I became vegans. This soup has a veggie broth, barley, white beans and chopped Kale put in at the last minute and it is scrumptious. The non-vegan versions also contain sausage.

Italian Wedding Soup (serves 8)

• 10 cups vegetable stock (homemade or store bought)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp each dried basil and dried oregano
• 1 cup uncooked/unsoaked white beans (cannellini or black eyes peas)
• 1 finely chopped leek
• 1 chopped white or red onion
• 4 cloves diced garlic
• 4 finely chopped carrots (unpeeled)
• 1 diced yellow pepper
• 1 cup uncooked barley (pearled or partially hulled)

In each bowl at serving time:  

• 2 kale leaves (centres cut away and leaves chopped)

• 2 ripped basil leaves and a shimmer of olive oil on top

This is one of those, leave-it-on-the-stove-all-day soups... (or crock pot). Heat the stock in a big pot, throw in bay leaves and dried herbs, then put in uncooked beans and bring to a boil. Turn it down to a low simmer for about an 1 hour when the beans should begin to soften. Add the uncooked barley and bring to a boil again then simmer for 30 minutes. Add the leeks, garlic and onion and simmer for 20 minutes or longer then throw in those carrots and peppers. Simmer for a minute or two and taste the soup. More salt? Are the beans and barley soft?

Serve with chopped kale and basil in a bowl with soup ladled over top and drizzle olive oil on top. Life is good :). Keeps for 5 or 6 days in the fridge.

We ate it with tomato, cucumber and pepper salad.