Roughly chop the leek, onion and garlic and fry in the olive oil on a low heat until transparent and soft. Pour in 1 C stock (I used chicken stock, you could use vege stock) and bring to a boil, then leave to reduce for a couple of minutes.

Pour in the chopped tomatoes and let simmer for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a blender and blitz until completely smooth - or make life easier and whizz in the pot (off the heat!) with a stick blender. Add some stock to achieve a soupy consistency.

Pour the mixture back into the pot and add vegetables and bay leaves. I used carrot, frozen peas and beans and a bit of sliced-up silverbeet.

Leave the soup to simmer for 5-10 minutes depending on how crunchy or soft you like your vegetables. Continue to dribble in stock (you can switch to water if you run out) as the vegetables cook.

In the meantime, fry the halloumi cubes in a pan until hot and reasonably soft.

When you’re happy with the texture of your vegetables, season the soup and pour into bowls. Sprinkle with halloumi and top with fresh herbs - I used a fistful of parsley, oregano, and thyme, but not too sure about the thyme really.

Adapted from http://wholefooddiary.com/recipes/view/61/tomato-and-vegetable-soup-with-halloumi-and-olives