Healthy Soups To Make At Home
In the middle of winter, when all you want is warming sustenance, homemade soup is the ultimate soul-soother, says food writer and SL contributor Chloe Scott-Moncrieff. If you’re keen to stick to your New Year’s resolutions and try out some recipes which are on the healthier side, here are five to add to your repertoire now.
A Lentil Dahl Riff (Vegan, Gf)
Serves
3-4
Difficulty
Easy
Total Time
30 Minutes
Ingredients
200g of red split lentils
2 carrots, chopped into 1cm cubes
1 potato, chopped into 1cm cubes
1in piece of ginger, peeled
3 garlic cloves
250-300ml of stock
1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk
Additional spices: 1 tsp of chilli powder, 1 tsp of medium curry powder, ½ tsp of cumin (ground or seeds)
Salt and pepper
Method
Step 1
In a large pan, melt a little oil or butter. Sizzle the garlic and ginger with the spices for a minute, then throw in the vegetable pieces, lentils and pour in the coconut milk. Pour in the stock. Simmer. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Step 2
When the lentils and veg are cooked and you’ve a thick consistency, serve with chutney and flat bread. If you’re not going vegan, a blob of Greek yoghurt on top is perfect.
Non-traditional Miso Soup (Vegan)
Serves
2
Difficulty
Easy
Total Time
30 Minutes
Ingredients
2 tbsp of miso paste
20g packet of seaweed flakes or 3 nori sheets (wakame seaweed is traditional but nori is readily available in supermarkets)
1in piece of ginger peeled
1 root vegetable of your choice: a carrot, potato or onion
100g of kale
1 leek, finely chopped
100g of marinated tofu, sliced into 1cm cubes
600ml of vegetable stock
Soba noodles (optional)
Method
Step 1
Bring the stock to a simmer in a soup pot on the hob. Drop in the chopped ginger, leek and the other root veg. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Step 2
Pour in the kale and seaweed bits – if you’re using nori sheets, roughly shred them before adding and simmer.
Step 3
Add the cubed tofu for the final 5 minutes.
Step 4
To finish, mix in the miso paste, stirring well. Taste and season, if needed. Serve immediately.
Butternut Bisque (V)
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
Total Time
30 Minutes
Ingredients
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed into 2cm chunks
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
200-300ml of vegetable stock
1 onion, finely chopped
1 handful of tarragon, finely chopped
1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk
Small knob of butter or splash of olive oil
A bag of baby spinach (optional)
Sour cream (optional)
Salt and pepper
1 tsp of cumin seeds (optional)
A pinch of cinnamon (optional)
One chopped chilli (optional)
Method
Step 1
In a large heavy pan, melt a small piece of butter, or a slug of oil so the vegetable can cook. Sizzle the onion and garlic briefly. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the butternut squash chunks, stock and coconut milk. Simmer.
Step 2
To finish, blend the squash with a handful of tarragon and return to the pan.
Step 3
If you’re including the baby spinach, this is the time to add it. Let it wilt while the soup warms on low heat on the stove for five minutes. Add a little sour cream if you want to. Taste and season with salt and black pepper. You can layer up with any of your optional spices.
Step 4
Serve. Scatter over the last of the tarragon to serve.
Five Ingredient Tomato Soup (V)
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
Total Time
30 Minutes
Ingredients
10 sun dried tomatoes, drained
2 x 400ml tins of chopped tomatoes
1 onion, finely chopped
400ml of stock (any)
1 tsp of black pepper
Cream (optional)
Chives (optional)
Method
Step 1
In a pan, sauté the onion in a little olive oil. Pour in everything else. Season with salt. If the tomatoes are acidic, you can add a pinch of sugar. Grind in the pepper for some piquancy.
Step 2
Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Blitz in the blender. Taste to check seasoning. Serve immediately. If you wish, you can add a 1 tsp of cream swirled over each bowl and sprinkle over some chopped chives.
Bulgur, Mint & Yoghurt Soup (V)
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
Total Time
30 Minutes
Ingredients
350g of plain yoghurt or low-fat Greek yoghurt, at room temperature
1 onion, finely chopped
200g of bulgur wheat or brown rice
2 tsp of dried mint
1 tsp of oregano
1 egg, at room temperature
1 tbsp of plain flour
800ml of stock (any)
1 generous handful parsley, dill, chives, or fresh mint (optional)
A pinch of paprika (optional)
Method
Step 1
Simmer the bulgur wheat in some water, following the instructions on the back of the packet. Sieve when chewy and cooked.
Step 2
Meanwhile, in a large heavy based saucepan, sauté the onions on a low heat. Add the dried herbs.
Step 3
Whisk the egg and yoghurt together. Add to the pan with the sauteed onions. Add the flour on a very low heat. Now stir slowly, pouring in the stock, 100ml at a time, stirring gently.
Step 4
Simmer, scattering in the warm bulgur grains. Taste. Season.
Step 5
Serve with lots of fresh herbs sprinkled over. You can scatter a pinch of paprika or cayenne over the top, too.
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