Winter Soup Recipes

When it comes to wintertime, comfort food reigns supreme. For many of us, this can mean stodgy and starchy foods and sacrificing vegetable intake. Making nutritious and tasty soups is a great way to stay nourished while still feeling warm and comforted by food.

Lamb And Chickpea Soup (Serves 4)

• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 500g lean lamb shoulder, shredded
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp saffron threads
• ½ cup celery, chopped
• ½ cup onion, chopped
• 2 cups tomato, chopped
• ½ cup dried lentils
• 1 can chickpeas, drained

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat and add the lamb. Cook for a few minutes. Add the turmeric, cinnamon and saffron and stir to blend. Add the celery and onion, stir and cook for about 5 minutes. Now add the tomatoes and stir. Cook for 15 another minutes. Rinse the lentils and add them to the mixture. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 1 hour. Add the chickpeas and simmer for a further 20 minutes. Serve with a dollop of fresh plain yogurt. 

Beetroot Soup (Serves 4)

• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 4 raw beetroots, chopped
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 potato, chopped and peeled
• 1,5L water
• Pinch pepper
• Pinch paprika
• Handful chopped spinach
• ¼ tsp dried dill

Heat the oil in a large pan and sauté the celery. Add the bay leaf, beetroot, carrot, potato and water. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes until beetroot is cooked. Add greens and cook for a further 10 minutes before adding the lemon juice, salt, pepper, paprika and dill. Serve hot, topped with a spoonful of yogurt if desired. 

Pumpkin And Coconut Soup

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bite of fresh ginger
• 500g pumpkin, cubed
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 4 cups coconut milk
• ½ liter vegetable stock
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 garlic clove

Chop the onion ginger and garlic finely. In a separate saucepan, boil the pumpkin until cooked. In a saucepan, add onion, garlic and ginger and fry, then add curry and stir. Add the cubed pumpkin and let simmer. Then add the liquid components to the soup, stir, add let cook over low heat for at least 30 minutes. Once cooked, puree the soup.

Cauliflower Soup

• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 Tbs ginger, grated
• 1 large green chili, finely chopped
• 2 Tbs mild curry paste
• 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 large potato, peeled, coarsely chopped
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• ½ cup curry leaves
• 1 Tbs olive oil vegetable oil

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chili and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Then add curry paste and cook for a further 1 minute.

Add the cauliflower, potato and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth. Return to the saucepan over low heat. Meanwhile in a separate pan, fry the curry leaves until crisp. Top the soup with the fried curry leaves. 

Green Soup (Serves 4)

• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 liter vegetable stock
• 1 head broccoli. Cut into florets
• 400g baby marrow, sliced
• 4 cups baby spinach, chopped
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• small handful cilantro, chopped
• Salt and black pepper to taste

In a saucepan, sauté the onions in the olive oil. Add the stock, bring to the boil, then add the broccoli and baby marrow. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Then add the spinach and spices. Cook on low heat for another 10 minutes. Add the mixture to a food processor and blend well. 

Roasted Tomato Soup (Serves 4)

• 4 tomatoes, halved
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, cut into quarters
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh basil, sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste

See Also: How To Get Through The Winter Without Becoming Ill

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a baking dish. Combine the tomato with garlic, onions, olive oil, salt and pepper. Place mixture in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly then ass the tomato mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. Can be served hot or cold. Add more fresh basil as a garish if desired. 

Health Benefits Of Various Soups

What you put into your soup is what you get out, so use only the freshest, heartiest vegetables, herbs and spices and choose foods that are in season and organic wherever possible. 

Lamb And Lentil Soup

Legumes, like lentils and chickpeas are a rich source of fiber, particularly soluble fiber. They also have a good amount of low glycemic carbohydrate making this soup good for sustained energy. The lamb provides some protein. Onion and tomato are both good antioxidant sources.

Beetroot Soup

Beetroot is a great detoxifier of the digestive system. Liver and kidneys. If you eat a lot of beetroot you might even notice that your stools and urine turn a reddish color. It is a rich source of antioxidants and phytochemicals. This soup is high in carbohydrate energy (from carrots, potato and beetroot) and should be served with a protein rich food to balance out the meal.

Pumpkin And Coconut Soup

Pumpkin is a source of carbohydrate energy as well as the antioxidant beta-carotene, which also helps boost the immune system. Garlic further adds to the immune boosting properties of this soup. Coconut milk provides a good source of easily digestible fat and a host of other nutrients.

Cauliflower Soup

Cauliflower is one of the cruciferous vegetables, which have amazing health giving properties, especially when it comes to cancer prevention. It is recommenced that we eat a cup a day at least of either cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage or brussel sprouts for optimum health.

Green Soup

This soup is virtually calorie free and is great for calorie controlled eating plans. Green are a rick source of many nutrients, including vitamin C and the minerals magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, iron and calcium.

Tomato Soup

Benefits. Tomatoes are a rich source of a special anti-cancer compound called lycopene. Lycopene is better absorbed when cooked and combined with oil, as in this recipe. Tomato is also a good source of vitamin C and many minerals including potassium and magnesium.

Choosing A Soup Stock

Most commercial soup stocks contain some unhealthy ingredients. They are very high in sodium for one thing, which can raise blood pressure in salt sensitive people. Most stocks also contain a hefty dose of the flavor enhancer MSG (monosodium glutamate), which acts in a similar way to sodium and is also linked to sensitivities in some people.

See Also: Winter Superfoods For Boosting Your Immunity

There are “healthier” stocks on the market, which are low sodium, MSG and trans fat free. Powdered or liquid stocks are generally a better choice as they don’t need the extra fat added to them to help them form into a square.