Edamame and Pesto Soup Recipe

Serves:

Cooks in:

40 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 leek, trimmed, cleaned and chopped
1 medium-sized potato, peeled and chopped
575 ml (18 fl oz) vegan vegetable stock
500 g (1 lb) frozen shelled edamame beans
Salt and pepper
100 g (3½ oz) ciabatta bread croutons, to serve

For the pesto

50 g (2 oz) pine nuts, toasted
2 large handfuls of basil, plus extra leaves to garnish
1 garlic clove, peeled
50 g (2 oz) Parmesan-style vegan cheese
100 ml (3½ fl oz) olive oil

Method

1. For the pesto, pulse the pine nuts, basil, garlic and Parmesan-style vegan cheese in a food processor until finely chopped. With the motor running, gradually add the olive oil until blended. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

2. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the leek and potato and cook over a gentle heat for 5 minutes until softened. Add the stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Stir in the edamame beans and cook for a further 5 minutes, then stir in 4 tablespoons of the pesto.

4. Transfer the soup, in batches, to the food processor or a blender and blend until smooth. Return to the pan and reheat, then season with salt and pepper and add more pesto, if liked, to taste (any extra to requirements will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days).

5. Ladle the soup into bowls, then spoon over a little more pesto, if liked, garnish with basil leaves and serve with ciabatta croutons.

For 2g more protein per serving, instead of using vegan cheese in the pesto add 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes, and swap the ciabatta croutons for toasted wholemeal bread.

Extracted from High Protein Vegan by Rose Wyles, published by Hamlyn, £16.99 www.octopusbooks.co.uk

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