Vegan minestrone with basil foam

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• ½ cucumber(s)
• 2 carrots
• 4 stalk(s) Celery
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 bunch of spring onions
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 8 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 800 ml vegetable stock
• 400 ml borlotti beans (can)
• 400 ml tomatoes, chopped (can)
• ½ tbsp oregano
• e.g. sea salt
• ½ tsp pepper, mixed, ground
• 25 g fresh basil
• 200 g tofu, Japanese, deep-fried (e.g. from Taifun)

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour

Peel the cucumber and cut into small cubes. Peel the carrots and dice them finely. Wash the celery and cut into thin slices. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Wash the spring onions and slice into rings. Wash, pluck, and finely chop the thyme. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan. Sauté the onions and garlic until golden yellow. Add the celery, cucumber, and carrots and fry over high heat, stirring occasionally. Add the tomato paste and fry briefly. Deglaze with the vegetable stock. Drain and rinse the beans and add them to the pan. Stir in the oregano and tomato pieces. Season with salt and pepper and simmer everything together on medium heat for 20 minutes. Cut the tofu into cubes and add it to the soup with the thyme 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Wash and roughly chop the basil. In a bowl, puree with the remaining olive oil and 3 tablespoons of lukewarm water using an immersion blender. Add a pinch of salt. Season the soup to taste, serve on plates, and garnish with the basil foam. You can also find the recipe on my website: https://vegan-cooking-with-thalija.de/archive/1285