Fat Free Mixed Vegetable Soup 2, In Pressure or Slow Cooker
Fat Free 'This & That' Vegetable Soup
Mamta Gupta
This is the soup I usually make to empty the vegetable tray in the fridge or before I go grocery shopping. There are no set ingredients, any vegetables will do. The amount depends on how many vegetables you have in the fridge. It tastes and looks different every time you make it! Given below is just an example. Any surplus can be frozen for another day.
Edited April 2023
Ingredients
A handful tomatoes or a small tin of tomatoes
1/2-1 onion (optional)/leek/spring onions
A mix of left over vegetables like 1-2 carrots, 1 potato, 1/4-1/2 head of lettuce and other leaves that have wilted or gone past their 'eat by' date, green/red peppers, cauliflower, broccoli etc
1 pint (500 ml.) water (adjust to how thick you want it)
1-2 tsp. vegetable stock granules (you can use chicken/meat stock), adjust to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
1 small bunch of coriander/basil/parsley or other herb of choice
A handful split mung beans or red lentils
Instructions
Clean/peel/top and tail all vegetables. Chop them roughly.
Pressure Cooker: Place all vegetables and water in a pressure cooker and cook under full pressure for 3-4 minutes. You can boil in a pan, until all vegetables are cooked.
Cool fully before opening the pressure cooker.
Blend (I use a hand held electric blender) until smooth.
Strain through a large sieve or strainer to remove any pips or coarse fibres. You do not have to blend the soup, you can leave vegetables chunky, as shown in slow cooker picture.
Check consistency, if too thick add hot water.
Sprinkle stock granules/powder/seasoning of choice, stir. Taste and add salt and pepper to requirement.
Put the soup back in the pan and heat it through, without boiling again.
Divide coriander/herb leaves in soup bowls and pour the soup over. You can add herbs before blending.
Serve hot with bread or Pitta bread or Nan.
Also see Soup Selection.
Slow-cooker: If you have a slow cooker, put everything in that, with a couple of cups of water and switch on. Leave for 6-7 hours.
Sprinkle stock granules/powder/seasoning of choice, stir. Taste and adjust seasoning to requirement.
Note:Do not use uncooked kidney beans in slow cooker, they need brisk boiling.
Notes
If you have some cheddar or similar cheese left, float a piece of bread in the soup, cover it with grated cheese and place the bowl under a hot grill, just like French onion Soup. Allow the cheese to bubble and develop a few brown patches.
To make it creamy, you can add only half the water suggested water when boiling. After blending, thin it with skimmed or whole milk.
Optional, for special occasion
1/2 cup Cr?me fra?che or sour cream or very thick yoghurt (adding this will add some fat to this soup) stirred in before serving.