Wild Pasta Soup

Ingredients

• ½ cup macaroni pasta
• 8-10 button mushrooms, quartered 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil + for drizzling
• 1 bay leaf
• 1½ teaspoons finely chopped garlic
• 1½ tablespoons finely chopped celery 
• 1½ tablespoons finely chopped leeks
• 1 small onion, roughly chopped 
• ½ small carrot, cut into ½ inch cubes
• 10-12 small broccoli florets
• 2 tablespoons sweet corn kernels
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• Salt to taste
• Crushed black peppercorns to taste + to garnish
• 2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme
• ½ cup coconut milk
• 8-10 spinach leaves, shredded

Method

1. Heat olive oil in a deep non-stick pan, add bay leaf and garlic, mix and sauté till golden. 
2. Add celery, leeks and onion, mix and sauté till the onion turns translucent.
3. Add button mushrooms, mix and sauté on high heat for 1-2 minutes. 
4. Add carrot, broccoli and sweet corn kernels and mix well. Continue to saute till golden. 
5. Add vegetable stock and mix well. Add salt and crushed black peppercorns and mix. 
6. Pluck the leaves of the thyme and add to the mixture. Add pasta and mix well. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes. 
7. Reduce heat to low and discard the bay leaf.  Add coconut milk and mix well.
8. Add spinach, mix and cook till the mixture comes to a boil.
9. Transfer the soup into a serving bowl. Drizzle olive oil and garnish with crushed black peppercorns and serve hot.