Spiced Kale, Beetroot and Fennel Soup

Kale, beetroot and fennel – three of the most marvellous vegetables all blended together with fragrant spices into one firecracker of a soup. Yes the colour is a little unexpected, but trust me it tastes and smells amazing. The kale, subtle sweetness of the beetroot and fennel, and warming spices make for a soothing and delicious combination. I wanted a change from my usual green soup (recipe here) and created this one using some of my favourite and super nutritious vegetables. Kale is the superman of green vegetables: one cup of chopped kale contains 33 calories and 9% of the daily value of calcium, 206% of vitamin A, 134% of vitamin C, and 684% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. Beetroot and fennel are also full of nutrients: beets being a good source of folate (folic acid), potassium, manganese and antioxidants and fennel being rich in vitamin C and fibre.

Spiced Kale, Beetroot and Fennel Soup – Vegan, Gluten, Dairy, Salt and Sugar free

Serves 10-12*

• 300g pack of kale, tough stalks discarded and leaves chopped
• 2 beetroots, peeled weight 300g, chopped into smallish chunks
• 2 fennel bulbs, chopped
• 1 tbsp sesame oil/olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp hot chilli powder, or to taste
• 1.5l water/vegetable stock

1. Heat the oil over low-medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the onion, garlic, fennel seeds and turmeric and cook, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes until softened then add the fennel and cook for a further 5 minutes.
2. Add the beetroot, remaining spices and water and cover with a lid. Bring up to a boil, then lower the heat and leave to simmer for 25-30 minutes, adding the kale in the last 5 minutes of cooking time, until the vegetables are tender.
3. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for  a few minutes, then blend using a hand held blender or high speed blender until smooth. Add extra water if needed to thin soup to desired consistency.
4. Serve and Enjoy!

*I can’t exactly remember how many portions I got out of this soup, but it made a really big pot of I think at least 8-10 portions…

With Love, Spice and Smile,

Thaïs