Description

This Chunky Vegetable Soup is a hearty, nutrient-packed dish featuring a medley of fresh vegetables and tender beans simmered in fragrant vegetable stock. It is elevated with homemade cottage cheese and basil dumplings that add a comforting texture and flavor. Perfect for a wholesome lunch or light dinner, this soup combines simplicity with vibrant seasonal ingredients for a satisfying meal.

Ingredients

Scale

Soup Ingredients

2 tbsp rapeseed oil
2 leeks (350g), sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
300g baby potatoes, sliced
1 liter vegetable stock made with 2 tsp bouillon powder (gluten-free, if needed)
250g asparagus, stems cut into chunks, tips separated
160g baby frozen broad beans or soya beans
400g can borlotti beans, drained
4 tomatoes, chopped
30g pack of basil, stems and leaves separated and finely chopped

Dumplings

300g tub cottage cheese
75g gram (chickpea) flour, sifted
1 egg, beaten
3 tbsp basil stems and leaves (taken from the 30g in the soup ingredients above)

Instructions

Make the dumplings: Tip the cottage cheese into a bowl and mash slightly until smooth. Mix in the chickpea flour, beaten egg, and finely chopped basil. Set the mixture aside for about 10 minutes to allow the flour to absorb the moisture, forming a soft dough.
Cook the vegetables: Heat the rapeseed oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks, grated garlic, and baby potatoes. Fry gently for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables soften.
Simmer the soup: Pour in the prepared vegetable stock made with bouillon powder. Add the chopped asparagus stems, broad beans, borlotti beans, tomatoes, and the remaining chopped basil stems. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Finish the soup base: Stir in the separated asparagus tips and the remaining basil leaves. Continue cooking for a few more minutes until the tips are cooked but still bright and crisp. Then remove the soup from heat and set aside.
Cook the dumplings: Heat a deep frying pan filled with water to a gentle simmer. Using an ice-cream scoop, shape the dumpling mixture into eight portions and gently drop them into the simmering water. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the dumplings rise to the surface, indicating they are cooked through.
Serve: Divide the soup into bowls, ladling two portions each. Top each portion with two dumplings for a fulfilling meal. Store any remaining soup and dumplings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheat gently in a pan over low heat for 10 minutes until piping hot before serving again.

Notes

The soup can be stored chilled in an airtight container for up to four days.
Reheat leftovers gently over low heat to preserve the texture of the dumplings.
Using gram (chickpea) flour keeps the dumplings gluten-free, suitable for gluten-sensitive diets.
Feel free to substitute broad beans with soya beans or any other preferred beans.
Make sure the asparagus tips are added at the end to retain their texture and color.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Soup
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: European

Keywords: Chunky vegetable soup, cottage cheese dumplings, spring vegetable soup, gluten-free soup, healthy vegetable soup, borlotti beans soup, asparagus soup