Step 1

Heat up the oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot. If you want to keep this soup oil-free, use veggie stock and add it in together with diced onion.

Step 2

Once the oil gets hot, throw in diced onion. Sauté on a very medium-low heat until soft (approx. 5 minutes).

Step 3

Next, throw in garlic and herbs. Sauté for another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Step 4

Once the garlic is fragrant, add in roughly chopped celery and carrot. Sauté for another 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Step 5

Stir in smoked paprika, salt, pepper and chilli flakes if you like a bit of heat.

Step 6

Add plum tomatoes to the pot, squashing them with a wooden spoon or a potato masher once they are in the pot but before adding water as otherwise they will splash everywhere.

Step 7

Add 0.5 litres / 2 cups of water and bay leaves. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes, until the tomatoes are falling apart. Top up with more water if the pot is looking dry. Make sure to give the pot a good stir every 15-20 minutes to make sure nothing gets caught at the bottom. You are ready to go to the next step once the tomatoes have broken down nicely and the soup looks more or less uniform and thick (see photo above). If not, add another 250 ml / 1 cup of water, cover and continue simmering for another 15 minutes.

Step 8

Add in about 0.75 litres / 3 more cups of water and the cubed potatoes. Once the soup comes to a simmer, allow the potatoes to simmer in the soup for about 10 minutes.

Step 9

Next add finely shredded cabbage and allow the soup to simmer for a further 5 minutes, until potatoes are fully cooked through (check with a skewer or a sharp knife) and cabbage is no longer raw.

Step 10

Taste, adjust the seasoning. You may want to add a touch (½-1 tsp or so) of sugar if your tomatoes are too tangy.

Step 11

Ideally, allow the soup to 'cure' overnight (it will taste better) before serving but that's not necessary. If you plan to make it for more than one meal, what tends to happen is that the cabbage absorbs all the extra liquid while the soups stands around so make sure to add some more water (go by your preference) when heating it up to bring it back to the consistency you like. Once in bowls, garnish with a dollop of vegan pesto to impart even more flavour.