We all know that eating fruit and vegetables brings a wealth of health benefits. Unfortunately Australians eat under the recommended five serves of vegetables a day and just scrape in on eating 2 serves of fruit per day. As part of Meat Free Week we encourage you to eat five serves of vegetables daily.
A diet high in vegetables has been linked with lowering the risk of colon cancer at five or more serves per day. Vegetable targets are easy to reach in delicious meat free soups.
Try our ‘7 day – 5 serve a day’ health and wellbeing boost where each serve of soup gives you 50-80% or your daily vegetable intake! (Individual soups vary)
*Bowel Cancer Australia catagorises foods into low and high fibre foods – generally people without bowel conditions are advised to eat medium to high fibre diets.
GREEN' N' BUTTERBEAN (High Fibre)
+ INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4)
+ 2 cloves of garlic peeled and crushed
+ 1 brown onion peeled and chopped
+ 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
+ 750 mls of vegetable stock
+ 200 grams of tinned tomatoes
+ 400 grams of butter beans well drained and rinsed
+ 2 stalks of celery roughly chopped
+ 80 grams of green beans
+ 3 teaspoons of fresh chives
+ ½ cup of continental parsley roughly chopped
+ METHOD
Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic until soft, remove from heat and add all other ingredients
Return to heat and bring to a boil and simmer gently for 15 minutes
LEMON, LENTIL AND TURMERIC (High Fibre)
+ INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4)
+ 2 cloves of garlic peeled and crushed
+ 1 brown onion peeled and chopped
+ 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
+ 600 mls of vegetable stock
+ 100 grams of tinned tomatoes
+ 150 grams of tinned small brown lentils well rinsed
+ 150 grams of green beans
+ 100 grams of baby spinach
+ 3 teaspoons of fresh chopped coriander
+ ½ teaspoon of chilli powder
+ ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder
+ 1 tablespoon of grated lemon rind
+ ½ cup of continental parsley roughly chopped
+ Topping Greek yoghurt
+ METHOD
Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic until soft; add turmeric, lemon rind and chilli powder for a minute.
Add stock tomatoes and lentils and simmer for 20 minutes
Add green beans and spinach cook for 3-5 minutes until beans are cooked but still a little crunchy, add the coriander and serve immediately
Add a liberal dollop of Greek yoghurt on the top
SOUTH INDIAN PUMPKIN (Low Fibre)
+ INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4)
+ Two tablespoons of a curry powder of your choice (choose mild or medium powders)
+ 1 teaspoon of stevia powder
+ 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
+ 3 heaped tablespoons of tomato paste
+ 2 vegetable stock cubes
+ 750 mls of water
+ 180 mls coconut cream
+ 1 kg of peeled deseeded chopped butternut pumpkin
+ 40 mls coconut cream for topping
+ 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
+ METHOD
Cook pumpkin in water add two stock cubes curry powder, tomato paste, ginger powder and stevia together on high until water boils and then bring to a gentle simmer stirring regularly for 15-20 minutes until pumpkin falls apart
Let cool for 5-10 minutes and process in a blender
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan add coconut cream stirring regularly
Serve with a sprinkle of chives and coconut cream swirl
CREAMY VEGGIE LASKA (Low Fibre)
+ INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4)
+ 200 grams of julienned zucchini
+ 200 grams of snow peas trimmed
+ 250 grams of rice noodles
+ 200 grams of Thai flavoured tofu chopped into cubes
+ 3 tablespoons of laksa paste
+ 750mls vegetables stock
+ ¼ cup chopped mint leaves
+ ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves
+ 400mls of light coconut milk
+ 2 teaspoons of dried fried shallots
+ 2 limes cut into quarters for serving
+ METHOD
Cook rice noodles, drain and set aside
Add laksa paste into a saucepan and heat gently for 2 minutes, add stock, and coconut milk, simmer gently for 5 minutes on a low heat
Add snow peas and zucchini and cook for 3-5 minutes leaving snow peas and zucchini slightly crunchy
Warm tofu in another pan
Reheat noodles place them in the bottom of warmed bowls
Just before serving soup add mint and coriander and stir through the soup pour over noodles and top with tofu and half a teaspoon of dried shallots, serve with lime wedges
MALAYSIAN CAULIFLOWER AND LENTIL (Low - Medium Fibre)
+ INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4)
+ 2 tablespoon sesame oil
+ 1 teaspoon sugar
+ 1 brown onion peeled and diced
+ ½ red onion peeled and chopped
+ ½ cup rinsed red or yellow lentils
+ 500 grams cauliflower florets
+ 750 mls vegetable stock
+ 2 tablespoons AYAM Malasian Nyonya curry paste ®
+ ½ cup of chopped coriander leaves
+ METHOD
Heat one tablespoon of oil a saucepan and cook red onion until soft add brown sugar cook until caramelised
Remove from pan and set aside
Heat the other tablespoon of oil in the saucepan and cook brown onion until soft
Add stock, cauliflower, lentils and curry paste bring to boil and simmer until cauliflower and lentils are soft
Place soup in a blender puree until smooth
Divide into four bowls and top with caramelised red onion and coriander leaves
SENSATIONAL SEAWEED (Low Fibre)
+ INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4)
+ 200 grams of firm tofu diced into small cubes
+ ¼ cup dried seaweed (nori, wakame or kelp) crumbled ( add ½ cup of water and pre-soak)
+ 800mls of water
+ 2 teaspoons of sesame oil
+ 2 tablespoons of miso paste (or more to taste)
+ Fresh ground pepper to taste
+ 2 teaspoons of minced garlic
+ 2 teaspoons of peeled thinly sliced shallots
+ METHOD
Mix garlic, shallots, and sesame oil into a small bowl
Gently warm a saucepan on a medium heat add the garlic mixture and cook ingredients for 1-2 minutes
Remove saucepan from heat let cool for one minute then add water and stir miso paste into the water
Place back on heat and warm gently
Drain the seaweed and stir it into the soup with diced tofu, cook for 5-7 minutes
Add more miso if required
Serve in warmed bowls
MAGIC MINT PEA (High Fibre)
+ INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4)
+ 1 large red skinned potato scrubbed and diced
+ 250 grams of fresh or 300gram frozen peas
+ 1 bunch of green onions cleaned trimmed and chopped
+ 2 garlic cloves diced
+ 1 tablespoon of grated lemon rind
+ 4 tablespoons of fresh chopped mint leaves
+ 750 mls of vegetable stock
+ 150mls of plain Greek yoghurt
+ 2 tablespoons of cold pressed grapeseed oil or light flavoured vegetable oil
+ ½ teaspoon of stevia
+ METHOD
Gently heat a large saucepan add oil, heat the oil and add green onions and garlic cook for 2-3 minutes
Remove saucepan for one minute and add vegetable stock and potatoes
Return to heat and bring to a gentle boil and cook until the potatoes are very soft
Add most of the peas (leaving some for garnish)
Cook for 5 minutes
Add mint, lemon rind and stevia and stir through
Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth
Just before serving heat the remaining peas
Take soup off heat and stir through Greek yoghurt add salt and pepper to taste, serve in individual bowls and top with whole peas