Vegetable and Tofu Soup by Jul

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 3 stalks celery, sliced
• ½ large onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 3 dashes red pepper flakes
• sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 quarts chicken broth
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 2 zucchini, sliced
• 1 (12 ounce) package firm tofu, crumbled
• ½ cup sliced fresh mushrooms, or to taste
• ¼ cup chopped kale, or to taste

Step 1

Lightly heat some olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Toss in the carrots and cook them for about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so they get nicely coated with the oil. Next, add the celery, onion, half of the basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook everything together until the veggies are just starting to soften, around 5 minutes. Then stir in the garlic and let it cook until you can really smell its aroma, about 2 minutes.

Step 2

Pour in the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and add the bay leaf along with the rest of the basil. Bring everything up to a boil. Once boiling, add the corn, zucchini, tofu, and mushrooms. Give it a good stir, season with a bit more salt and pepper, then bring it back to a boil before turning the heat down to low.

Step 3

Cover the pot and let it simmer gently for about an hour, until all the flavors come together and the vegetables are tender when poked with a fork. Finally, stir in the kale, cover again, and cook just until the kale wilts, which should take about 15 minutes. Then it’s ready to enjoy!