🌱🍲 Stay warm and nourished with Grandma Sita’s hearty, seasonal plant-based soup featuring chickpeas, lentils, cabbage, kale and homemade croutons—a perfect way to use veggies and stale bread while reducing food waste!
💪 Lightly spiced and topped with croutons from stale bread, this comforting plant-based soup is full of fibre, protein, and flavour, perfect for a healthy lunch or evening meal. Lentils and chickpeas pair well together, especially in soups and salads.
INGREDIENTS
1/4 head cabbage, chopped
1 cup kale, chopped
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
5/6 baby potatoes, diced (or leftover roasted potatoes)
1 ginger root, chopped (optional)
1 can of drained cooked chickpeas
1 cup red lentils
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
A pinch of chili flakes
4 cups veggie broth or water
2 tbsp vegetable oil to sauté
METHOD
1. Wash & Cut Veggies – Wash all vegetables well. Chop the kale, cabbage, onions, ginger, and garlic. Rinse the baby potatoes and then cut them all in half. Rinse the lentils under cold water.
2. Sauté Base Veggies – Heat vegetable oil in a pot. Sauté onions and garlic until transparent. Add potatoes. Sauté for 5 minutes.
3. Build Flavour – Stir in smoked paprika and cumin. Add chopped cabbage, kale, chickpeas, lentils, and ginger root. Add ginger and baby potatoes as well as chopped kale and cabbage. Cook for several minutes.
4. Simmer – Pour in veggie broth, bring to a boil, then simmer for 25-30 minutes.
5. Make Croutons – Toss bread cubes with oil, salt, and herbs (optional). Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 10 minutes or pan-toast until crispy.
6. Serve & Enjoy – Ladle the stew into bowls, add a dash of squeezed lime/lemon (optional), top with homemade croutons, and enjoy a warming, zero-waste meal!
👵💚 Grandma Sita’s tips:
*Grab your largest pot as this warming soup is a great dish to prep for several days in advance. Make extra and freeze portions for quick, waste-free meals later!
*Save veggie scraps to make homemade broth or compost them. Win-win!
*Got stale bread? Don’t toss it— Baguette, sourdough, rye, or crusts turn it into delicious, crispy croutons! Freeze them for long-term storage.
🌎 Grandma Sita reminds us that seasonal zero-waste plant-based cooking isn’t just good for our health, it’s a way to honour the Earth and the food it provides. Eating local and seasonal fruits and vegetables helps to reduce food waste, save resources, improve food quality and healthy habits, and boost the local economy.
