Hearty Vegetable Soups

There is nothing better on a cold winter’s day than a hearty vegetable soup! Take a look at some recipes that will keep you warm and your tummy happy!

Vegetable Soup with Pasta Shells

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. olive oil

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 carrots, sliced

• 1 celery stalk, sliced

• 6 mushrooms, sliced

• 1 cup tomato pasta sauce

• 5 cups vegetable stock

• ½ cup small pasta shells

• 1 pinch fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Method:

• Heat the oil in a large pot and add the onions, carrots and celery

• Cook until the onions are translucent (about 10 minutes)

• Add the mushrooms and cook until they have started to soften

• Add the pasta sauce and vegetable stock and bring the pot to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are almost tender

• Add the pasta shells, and simmer until they are al dente

• Give the soup a taste and add salt and pepper as needed

These next 3 soups are all low in calories and high in nutrition so use them to fill up on whenever you need to. They can be made in bulk and kept in the fridge for a couple of days or frozen.

Spinach and Rooibos Soup

Ingredients:

• 300g fresh spinach, well rinsed

• 150g chicken

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 4 spring onions chopped

• 30ml cake flour, made into a thin paste with a small amount of cold water

• 4 chicken stock cubes dissolved in 1L hot rooibos tea

• 100ml plain fat free yoghurt

Method:

• Strip the leaves from the hard stalks of the spinach and chop the leaves very finely

• Season the chicken with salt and pepper and fry in 1 of the stock cubes dissolved in a small amount of boiling water until cooked

• Remove from sauce pan, cube and keep aside

• Sauté the spring onions in a small amount of stock

• Add the spinach and stir-fry for 3 minutes

• Add cake flour and mix well

• Add the rest of the chicken stock slowly while stirring

• Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes

• Add the cooked chicken cubes and simmer for a further 5 minutes

• Serve with a yoghurt garnish

Green Soup

Kids and adults love this soup. Children often are mistrustful of the colour but once persuaded to taste it, they love it. The ingredients and the colour speak for themselves when rating its nutritional value! You could use just one or two of the 3 green veggies listed if you prefer or don’t have in stock.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. olive oil

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 punnets baby marrows

• 2 punnets broccoli

• 1 bag spinach, washed and chopped

• 2 large potatoes (skin on), roughly chopped

• 2 chicken stock cubes

• 1 litres water

• feta or gorgonzola cheese or cheddar(optional)

Method:

• Fry the onion in the olive oil until soft

• Throw in all the other ingredients (except the cheese)and boil gently until the veg and potato are cooked

• Allow the soup to cool and then liquidize

• Thin the soup down to the desired consistency with either water or milk

• Serve reheated with a sprinkled cheese on top or diced ostrich viennas or on its own

Creamy Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

• 3 punnets button mushrooms, roughly chopped

• 1 large handful fresh parsley

• 2 vegetable (or chicken) stock cubes dissolved in 1 cup boiling water

• 1 tsp crushed garlic

• ½ can low fat evaporated milk or skimmed milk

• ¼ tsp nutmeg

• 2 slices white bread with crusts removed

• Pepper to taste

Method:

• Fry the mushrooms, parsley and garlic in a little chicken stock for a few minutes

• Cover and allow to simmer for 10 minutes making sure there is just enough liquid

• Crumble the bread into the pot and add the rest of stock and seasoning

• Simmer for a further 10 minutes and then liquidise

• Add evaporated milk or skim milk, reheat and serve

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