Andrea's Magic Vegetable Soup

I may have mentioned my magic soup once or twice ... the super-healthy, super-easy, super-yummy stuff I make at the beginning of each week and then eat for lunch for the next few days? Anyway, thought I might post the recipe here just in case someone else wants to try its magic goodness. It's a broth-y kind of soup, so it's pretty clear. Takes about half an hour to make, including preparation. I like it.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 white onion, diced
(Sometimes I also add three or four chopped spring onions, if I've got them)
1 leek, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
5 courgettes, chopped
2 cans of asparagus, drained (you could use fresh, but I'm lazy)
2 litres of hot chicken stock (if you're a vegetarian, you could use vegetable stock, but I like the flavour of chicken stock better. If I want to stretch the soup out during the week, I add more hot stock to it ... you can get away with adding a couple of cups' worth before the flavours thin out too much)
1 400g can of cannellini beans, drained
1 tsp garlic, crushed, fresh or dried
Salt and pepper to taste
Some grated cheese to serve

Method

1. Heat oil in a large pan. Add the onions, leek and carrots and fry for 5 minutes until they start to soften.
2. Add the chicken stock, cover and bring to the boil. Add the courgettes, asparagus, garlic and beans, then simmer for 10 minutes until vegetables are tender. Season to taste.

Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with cheese! It also works well with a teaspoon of basil pesto and/or sour cream. If you don't want to eat it straight away, letting it sit in the fridge overnight makes the flavours stronger and even more yummy.