Hearty Veg Soup

I have been longing to ditch my winter coat for weeks now, but the weather just seems to be getting colder by the day! I love coming home to a huge big hearty bowl of soup on a chilly evening, it really warms you up and puts you in a fantastic mood!

My mum has made endless batches of this vegetable soup for as long as I can remember, it is so delicious and so full of flavour!
I had a serious craving for it all last week so I decided to make a big batch and share the recipe while I was at it!

This recipe is Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan, Paleo & Whole30 Approved.

1 large white onion, sliced
3 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 a head of celery, roughly chopped
Large bunch of fresh parsley, stalks removed
2 bay leaves
2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
500ml of vegetable stock (or chicken if you prefer)
1/2 tbsp of either coconut or olive oil

Method:

In a large saucepan, heat your chosen oil. Add in the onion, carrots, parsnips, celery and garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
Once the vegetables have started to get a bit of colour on them, add in the parsley and bay leaves, insuring to snap the bay leaves to release the flavour.
Continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes before adding in your stock.
Bring the mixture to the boil, reduce the heat to a simmer with the lid on for 35-40 minutes until the vegetables are nice and soft and the broth has a good strong flavour.
Remove the bay leaves and blend, I find a handheld blender works best as you can do this in the pot!
Serve and enjoy! I love to sprinkle some nuts and seeds on top of mine for an extra burst of flavour and a delicious crunch!