Vegetable and chickpea soup

Ingredients:

Serves 10 (450g serves)

• 1/3 cup (60g) oil, garlic infused

• 3 cups, 1 leek top (220g) leek leaves, 1 cm dice

• 1½ litres water (extra boiling water if desired)

• 1 large tin (800g) diced tomatoes  

• 2 tsp (2g) pepper, black cracked

• 2 kg of mixed low FODMAP vegetables (all 1 cm dice) For example:  

• 2 1/4 cups,1 large peeled swede (rutabaga)

• 2 1/4 cups, 2 large  peeled waxy potatoes

• 3 3/4 cups peeled Jap pumpkin

• 2 1/4 cups, 2 large peeled carrots

• 2 1/4 cups eggplant  

• 1½ cups, 1 large red capsicum, deseeded

• 1 x 400g tin (235g drained weight) chickpeas, drained and washed

• ½ bunch (150g) silverbeet, chopped

• 1 bunch (90g) parsley stalks and leaves, chopped

• ~4 tsp (12g) salt, to taste

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a stock pot and sauté the leek leaves until they start to caramelise.

2. Add the water, pepper and tomatoes and bring to the boil.

3. Add the vegetables in order of their cooking time. That is, add the ones that take the longest to cook first. So add swedes and simmer for 5 minutes before adding potatoes, carrot and pumpkin and cook for a further 10 minutes. Then add cabbage, red capsicum and chickpeas, cook again for about 5 minutes and lastly add silverbeet and parsley and simmer for a further 2 minutes.

Tips:

• This recipe uses lots of fresh vegetables! However many other low FODMAP veggies can be substituted like parsnip, turnip, spinach, kale, eggplant and zucchinis. Remember to check out the serving sizes recommended in our Monash app and use veggies that are seasonal and cheap!

• Be adventurous with your herbs and aromatics. Instead or as well as parsley use chives, sage, basil or whatever you fancy

• Why not add some extra spice during the cooking? For example, chilli, paprika, cumin, turmeric or garam masala

• Instead of salt use umami packed soy sauce

• Canned lentils can be substituted for canned chickpeas

• Ask your local fruit and vegetable shop for leek leaves as they often cut them off and discard them

• Freeze the left overs for a quick and healthy meal or snack

• For extra protein, add cooked meat, fish or tofu to your soup

Serving suggestions:

• Sprinkle with dukkah (see blog published on 14.05.17) or parmesan

• Stir through some roasted, chopped macadamias or pine nuts

• Top with a spoon of yoghurt (lactose free if required)

• Squeeze some fresh lime or lemon over the top

• Have with one of our Monash low FODMAP certified breads or use to make some crunchy croutons to sprinkle on top

• For a summer zing, stir through some lemon or lime zest