During winter months, soups are not only an easy choice to warm you up from the inside but also comes with other benefits:
- can be frozen in individual portions,
- easy way to include vegetables
- effortless, easy and convenient.
This month we have three interesting, creative and tasty recipes to try.
Winter Chicken Soup
Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 1hr 20mins
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 leek, rinsed and finely chopped
- 2 sticks celery, finely chopped
- 5 slices fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes (or to taste)
- 1 star anise
- 6 free-range chicken thighs, skinless and on the bone
- 2 litres good-quality chicken stock
- Can be substituted with 2 stock cubes and 2 litres of water
- 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped into small chunks
- 150g pearl barley
- 2 handfuls of frozen peas
- thyme and parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion, carrot, leek and celery and fry over a low heat until softened but not coloured.
- Add the ginger, chilli and star anise; cook for a few minutes.
- Season the chicken and add to the stock. Bring to a gentle simmer, turn down the heat, cover and simmer gently for an hour, skimming any fat off the surface with a spoon.
- Add the potato and pearl barley 25 minutes before the end of cooking and continue to cook, covered, for the remaining time.
- Add the peas and cook for another 3 minutes. Season, garnish and serve hot.
This will keep in the fridge for 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Warming Thai Salmon Broth Recipe
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 4 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 250g shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 2 red peppers, sliced
- 1 teaspoon Thai fish sauce
- can be substituted with Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce
- juice 1 lemon
- 400ml can coconut milk
- 400ml fish stock
- 4 salmon fillets
- 200g egg noodles
- fresh coriander, sliced spring onions, chopped red chilli, toasted peanuts and lemon wedges, to serve.
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a saucepan. Cook the curry paste, stirring, for 2 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and peppers and cook for a few more minutes. Add the fish sauce, lemon juice, coconut milk and stock, bring to a simmer and add the salmon.
- Place a lid on the pan, and simmer very gently for about 10 minutes, until the fish is just cooked.
- Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the pack instructions, drain and divide between 4 bowls.
- Remove the salmon from the soup and flake. Check the soup for seasoning, divide between the bowls and top with the fish, coriander, spring onions, chilli and peanuts.
- Serve with the lemon wedges.
Spicy Vegetable Soup
Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 20 Minutes
Cooking Time: 30 Minutes
Ingredients
- 1 onion, peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 sticks celery, diced
- 2 parsnips peeled and diced
- Can be substituted with carrots
- 150g swede (yellow turnip), peeled and diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 75g dried apricots
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon Sumac
- Can be substituted with lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add all the remaining diced vegetables and cook over a low heat for another 5 minutes until lightly browned.
- Add the apricots and spices and fry for 1 minute then pour on the vegetable stock and bring up to the boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
- Purée the mixture in a blender until finely chopped and a nice thick consistency, then season to taste and stir in the lemon juice and herbs just before serving.