massive vegetable soup

This soup is my own concoction. We find it very cheering on cold, grey days.

2 red onions, sliced
1 leek, cleaned and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or sliced
2-4 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 medium-sized beetroot, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
2-3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
thinly-sliced courgette or two
heaped teaspoonful crushed coriander seeds
1 very finely sliced hot dried red chilli (I cut mine with the scissors)
handful of thinly-sliced cabbage
500mls stock
500mls passata
3-4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 handfuls of spinach, washed and drained

In a large frying pan, heat a tablespoonful or so of oil. Add onions, leek, garlic. Put on lid and leave to soften over low heat – be careful not to scorch or brown the veg. Remove lid, add carrots, beetroot, celery, courgette, the snipped dried chilli and the crushed coriander seed. Stir well, then replace the lid and leave to stew gently for at least 10 minutes.

In a large pot, heat the stock. Add passata. When the vegetables are soft, flop them into the simmering stock. Add red wine vinegar to taste. This soup will take up a surprising amount of vinegar, so don’t be alarmed. Finally, add the washed and drained spinach leaves, stir well and serve.

To make the soup more substantial, you can serve it with boiled potatoes or boiled rice.