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Asparagus & Fennel Soup with Cumin-spiced Lotus Chips Recipe

written by Lee Holmes

vegetarian Recipes dinner soup asparagus Starter

Asparagus & Fennel Soup With Cumin Spiced Lotus Chips Recipe

Image: Lee Holmes

I love finding new ways to experiment with less-common ingredients. Fennel and asparagus are two vegetables that deserve their show-stopping reputation. This soup combines their flavours beautifully and is a unique affair that will linger hours after consumption. The crunchy pepitas, cheesy nutritional yeast flakes and fresh herbs on top offer a special little adornment that will heighten your joy factor while embellishing a lovely light lunch.

Serves: 2-3

GF, VG

Ingredients

Method

  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 fennel bulb, finely chopped
  • 4 spring onions, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 450g asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed, sliced on the diagonal into 2.5cm lengths
  • 2 cups baby spinach leaves
  • 750mL vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp apple-cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp grated lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 270mL coconut milk (optional)
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
  • 75g toasted pumpkin seeds
  • Mint & basil leaves, to serve
  • Cumin-spiced Lotus Root Chips
  • 300g fresh lotus root (see tip), peeled & sliced paper-thin
  • 1 tbsp avocado oil
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with baking paper, set aside.
  2. Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, then add the fennel, spring onions and garlic, and cook for 2–3 mins until softened.
  3. Add the asparagus, spinach, stock, vinegar, lemon zest and juice, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 mins.
  4. Meanwhile, make the lotus chips.
  5. In a medium bowl, toss the lotus root with the avocado oil and cumin until well coated.
  6. Spread out on the prepared baking tray and bake for 10–12 mins, until golden brown and crisp.
  7. Season with salt then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely — they’ll harden as they cool.
  8. Allow soup mixture to cool slightly, then transfer to a blender, add the coconut milk and blend until smooth. Return to the pan to warm through.
  9. Ladle into bowls and top with lotus chips, nutritional yeast flakes, pepitas and fresh herbs.
  10. Tip: Lotus root is available fresh in Asian supermarkets and some grocery stores.




  

Lee Holmes

Lee Holmes is a nutritionist, yoga and meditation teacher, wholefoods chef, Lifestyle Food Channel’s Healthy Eating Expert, blogger and author of the best-selling books Supercharged Food: Eat Your Way to Health, Supercharged Food: Eat Yourself Beautiful, Eat Clean, Green and Vegetarian, Heal your Gut, Eat Right for Your Shape and Supercharged Food for Kids.

Lee’s food philosophy is all about S.O.L.E. food: sustainable, organic, local and ethical. Her main goal is to alter the perception that cooking fresh, wholesome, nutrient-rich meals is difficult, complicated and time-consuming. From posting recipes, her passion to share her autoimmune disease story and help others has snowballed and the blog has recently taken home the overall prize at the Bupa Health Influencer Awards as well as the best blog in the Healthy Eating category. She also runs a four-week online Heal Your Gut program.

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