Autumn vegetable soup

Tam West

You can use a mushroom or chicken stock here for a great-tasting soup. When cutting up the vegetables think of the size of your soup spoons.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp	Extra virgin olive oil
2	Leeks, white part only, well washed and finely diced
2 cloves	Crushed garlic
4 cups	Vegetable stock
200 g	Broccoflower florets, sliced (Main)
125 g	Shiitake mushrooms, alternatively use oyster mushrooms (Main)
125 g	Button mushrooms, wiped and sliced (Main)
2 handfuls	Baby spinach, or baby silverbeet (Main)

Directions

1. Place the oil and leeks in a heavy-based saucepan and place over a low heat. Cook until soft, but not coloured, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a further 30 seconds.
2. Pour in the vegetable stock, turn up the heat and bring up to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer stock for 5 minutes. Add the broccoflower and cook until almost tender, then add the mushrooms. Cook for 2 minutes before adding the spinach or silverbeet. Allow the spinach or silverbeet to wilt. Taste soup for seasoning, adding salt and freshly ground black pepper, if needed.
3. Serve soup in warmed soup bowls.

Kathy recommends
Serve with a small dish of toasted sesame oil and another of chilli sauce. You can replace broccoflower with cauliflower or broccoli.

More home comfort recipes from Kathy

• Baked custards with poached pears
• Favourite beef lasagne