Hidden Vegetable Soup (Soupa Me Asteraki)

Ingredients

• 250 g Gluten-free small pasta (stelline, orzo, or small elbows)
• 8 cup Water (Plus extra if needed for consistency)
• 0.25 cup Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp Tomato paste
• 1 Brown onion (Large, roughly chopped)
• 1 Carrot (Large, roughly chopped)
• 2 Celery stalks (Strings removed and roughly chopped)
• 1 Red capsicum (Roughly chopped)
• 4 Garlic cloves
• 2 tsp Sea salt
• 1 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh parsley (A handful, finely chopped; optional)
• Finely grated Parmesan or dairy-free alternative (For serving; dairy-free alternative is optional)
• Extra virgin olive oil (For serving)
• Freshly cracked black pepper (For serving)
• Chopped parsley (For serving)

Steps

1. 1

   Bring the 8 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan.

2. 2

   Add the olive oil, tomato paste, onion, carrot, celery, capsicum, garlic, and sea salt. Stir well and bring the mixture back to a gentle boil.

3. 3

   Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 20–30 minutes, or until the vegetables are very soft.

4. 4

   Use an immersion blender to blend the vegetables into the soup until completely smooth and creamy.

5. 5

   Season the blended soup with the freshly ground black pepper.

6. 6

   Bring the soup back to a gentle boil.

7. 7

   Add the gluten-free small pasta and cook for 8–12 minutes, stirring regularly during the first few minutes, until tender.

8. 8

   If the soup becomes too thick, stir in a little extra boiling water until it reaches your preferred consistency.

9. 9

   Ladle the soup into bowls. Finish with chopped parsley, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, freshly cracked black pepper, and plenty of finely grated Parmesan or a dairy-free alternative.

Notes

The source gives no serving quantities for the optional parsley or the toppings.

Nutrition per serving

• soup
• vegetarian
• gluten-free
• dinner
• Greek
• blended
• stovetop