Flavorful Plant-Based Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

• olive oil
• ½ pound leeks, cleaned and chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• ½ red onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, sliced (Optional)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• ¼ (12 ounce) package extra-firm tofu, cubed (Optional)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• water to cover
• 1 Roma tomato, chopped

Directions

Heat some oil in a big pot over medium heat. Toss in the leeks, celery, red onion, green onion, jalapeno, basil, and rosemary. Cook everything together, stirring now and then, until the veggies soften—this usually takes about 10 minutes. Next, add the cabbage, eggplant, carrots, tofu, and garlic to the pot. Pour in enough water to just cover the ingredients, then bring the soup to a boil without a lid. Once boiling, partially cover the pot and turn the heat down to let it simmer gently. Give it a stir every so often and let it cook until the vegetables are nearly tender—around 20 minutes. Stir in the tomato and keep cooking until all the veggies are fully soft, which should take about 10 more minutes. Finally, season the soup with salt to taste and it’s ready to enjoy.