Tasty Vegan Veggie Soup

Ingredients

• olive oil
• ½ pound leeks, cleaned and chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• ½ red onion, chopped
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, sliced (Optional)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ¼ eggplant, chopped
• 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

Lightly heat some oil in a big pot over medium heat. Toss in the leeks, celery, red onion, green onion, jalapeno, basil, and rosemary, and cook everything together, stirring now and then, until the veggies soften up—this should take about 10 minutes. Next, add the cabbage, eggplant, carrots, tofu, and garlic, then pour in enough water to cover everything. Turn up the heat and bring the soup to a boil without a lid. Once it’s bubbling, partially cover the pot and lower the heat to let it simmer gently. Give it a stir every once in a while and cook until the vegetables are nearly tender, which usually takes around 20 minutes. Stir in the tomato and keep simmering until all the veggies are fully cooked and tender, about 10 more minutes. Finally, taste and season with salt to your liking.