Healthy soup recipes

With autumn well and truly upon us, and winter creeping around the corner we’re after quick and simple recipes to keep us warm and well nourished during these colder months. Soups offer the perfect solution as they can be packed with nourishing seasonal vegetables and bulked out with grains and protein to create a filling meal, ready to heat up at a moments notice. I tend to make a big batch, which I will portion up and keep some in the fridge and some in the freezer. Here are five recipes to make this soup season a little more interesting.

Soup Tips

Sweat it out!

Make sure you sweat whatever base layer you choose (I go for onions, sometimes leeks) and ensure you sweat them properly in your chosen oil/fat.  (I tend to go for olive oil)

Sweating your base layer is vital for increased flavour to the soup.  Put your prepped vegetables in a saucepan and cook over a low heat, (you don’t want any colour to your vegetables). In effect you are steaming the vegetables to bring out their flavour. Keep moving the vegetables while you are sweating them, to ensure that they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan and to ensure they don’t colour.

Don’t forget toppings!

A large part of the soup dish is toppings, which can provide extra taste, texture and nutritional value to soups. Great toppings include:

Toasted nuts – such as almonds, walnuts & hazelnuts
Seeds – sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds
Vegetable crisps
Herbs – coriander or parsley
Dairy – such as grated hard cheese or a dollop of crème fraiche

Green Goddess Soup

This soup was created purely by chance, as a way of using some leftover vegetables in my fridge.  The result was this vibrant green soup.

Method:

1. Peel and roughly dice the brown onion.
2. Place a saucepan onto low heat and add the olive oil.
3. Place the onions in the pan and sweat for 10 minutes, ensuring that they don’t colour.
4. Add the chopped broccoli, and sweat again for 4 – 5 minutes.
5. Add the vegetable stock, kale, spinach and potato.
6. Bring to the boil then simmer for 25 – 30 minutes, or until the potato is soft, then add the chickpeas.
7. Remove the pan from the heat & blend.
8. Add the coconut milk
9. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If its slightly to thick add more coconut milk until the right consistency.

To serve, I topped it with a teaspoon of crème fraiche and rye croutons.

Cauliflower, Turmeric & Almond Soup

Not only does this soup contain healthy fats, in the form of the ground almonds, which also help to thicken the soup, but it also contains turmeric, which is known for its anti-inflammatory benefits.

Method:

1. Peel and roughly dice the brown onion.
2. Place a saucepan onto low heat and add the olive oil.
3. Place the onions in the pan and sweat for 10 minutes, ensuring that they don’t colour.
4. Add the chopped cauliflower and turmeric and sweat for another 4 – 5 minutes.
5. Add the stock, and bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes or until cauliflower is soft.
6. Remove from heat & blend.
7. Add the ground almonds and blend again.
8. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

I topped mine with toasted almonds & sesame seeds

Lentil Soup topped with Crispy Kale

This is really a mixture between a stew and a soup, I’ve provided a base here, which is good as it is, but other vegetables can also be added to enhance this soup. Try adding mushrooms, chicken or bacon.

Method:

1. Peel and roughly dice the brown onion.
2. Place a saucepan onto low heat and add the olive oil.
3. Place the onions, celery, leeks and garlic in the pan and sweat for 10 minutes, ensuring that they don’t colour.
4. Add the smoked paprika, cumin, cinnamon and tomato puree to the pan and stir for 2 minutes.
5. Add the chopped carrots and courgettes and sweat for another 5 minutes.
6. Add the lentils to the pan.
7. Add the stock.
8. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 25 – 30 minutes, or until the lentils are just al dente.
9. Remove from heat & season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the crispy kale crisps

1. Wash and de-stem a handful of washed kale.
2. Place in a bowl and add a tbsp of olive oil, mix with your hands, massaging the leaves gently.
3. Add salt & pepper
4. Place on a baking tray and placed in a 160C oven for 4 minutes. Be careful not to let the kale burn!
5. Leave to cool.
6. Serve the soup and top with the kale.

Celeriac & Apple Soup

Two popular autumn vegetables make for an earthy but sweet soup.

Method:

1. Peel and roughly chop the onion.
2. In a saucepan, add the olive oil and heat over a low heat
3. Add the onion and sweat for 10 minutes
4. Add the chopped celeriac and the apples – sweat for another 4 – 5minutes
5. Add the vegetable stock
6. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 25 – 30 minutes, or until celeriac is cooked
7. Remove from the heat & blend.
8. Add 100ml of milk (of your choice) to make a creamier, thinner consistency.
9. Season to taste with salt and pepper to taste.
10. Top with toasted walnuts

Beef Barley Soup

Again, is it a stew or a soup? Whatever it is, its hearty and filling and one of my favourites! For gluten free alternative try using quinoa or buckwheat in place of the barley.

Method:

1. Place a saucepan over medium heat and place the 2 tbsp olive oil
2. Add the diced beef and the flour
3. Season with salt and pepper
4. Cook the beef until browned and then remove form the pan with a slotted spoon
5. Add in 2tbsp olive oil
6. Add the onions and celery and sweat for 10 minutes
7. Add the carrots and sweat for a further 5 minutes
8. Add the pearl barley and stir for 1 minute
9. Add the tinned tomatoes, bay leaf & stock and return the beef to the pan.
10. Stir the ingredients, bring to a boil, then simmer for 25 minutes or until pearl barley is cooked.
11. Remove from the heat and serve immediately!