All the Veg Sassermaet Soup

The weather is getting colder and wetter, with root veg coming into season. This soup is ideal to use up any vegetables you have going in the fridge, bulking it up with carrots and potatoes, as well as pulses. The recipe uses the sassermaet spice mix but with no meat added. Of course feel free to add mince as well as, or instead of the mushrooms. Just remember you will need to adjust the seasoning if you add mince. Another 1 tsp sassermaet spice mix per 250 grams mince should do as a rule of thumb. Add extra chilli powder to taste and another 2 to 3 thyme springs per 250 grams mince.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 onion, diced

• 2 carrots, diced

• 1 large potato ,diced

• 3-4 garlic cloves, grated

• 250 g mushrooms, sliced

• 2 tsp sassermaet spice mix

• 5 thyme springs

• 500 ml pasata

• 1 tbsp tomato puree

• 1 red pepper, diced

• 1 tsp sugar

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 can green lentils, drained

• 1 can cannelini beans drained

• 1/2 tsp chilli powder

Method:

1. Heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion, carrots and potato. Fry until the vegetables start to turn soft around the edges.

2. Add the mushrooms and fry until they release their liquid and reduce in size.

3. Add the the spice mix, pepper, tomato pure and passata.

4. Stir everything together and add 1.5 litres vegetable stock, then add the sugar and season with salt and pepper.

5. Stir everything together and simmer until the root vegetables are cooked through.

6. Once all the root vegetables are cooked, add the lentils, beans and chilli powder. Heat everything though.

7. The soup is now ready to serve.