The Perfect Soup Recipes to warm you up as we enter the colder months

As the days get darker and colder, we thought it’s the perfect opportunity to share some fabulous winter warming soups with you. Packed full of nutrients and brimming with vitamins and minerals, these will help keep you fit and healthy through the upcoming winter.

Drinking soup during the winter months offers a multitude of benefits that cater to both the body’s physical well-being and the mind’s sense of comfort. As the temperature drops and the chilly winds prevail, a warm bowl of soup becomes more than just a meal—it becomes a source of solace. Beyond its obvious function of providing warmth, soup serves as a nutritional powerhouse. It is a versatile concoction that can include a plethora of vegetables, meats, and grains, delivering essential vitamins, minerals, and proteins vital for overall health. In the winter, when fresh produce might be limited, soups offer a practical way to ensure a balanced diet. Moreover, soups are hydrating, an often overlooked aspect of winter health, ensuring the body remains adequately watered even when the weather might not inspire regular hydration.

 

“Eat Well to Age Well” by Beverley Jarvis – Hearty Vegetable Soup

This delicious soup is super-easy to make. Once cold, it stores well, covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days. If frozen it may be stored for up to 3 months; de-frost overnight in the fridge before heating to serve.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 x 750 g packet ready-prepared diced vegetable soup mix from the chilled compartment of the supermarket or chop your own root veg of choice, such as onions, parsnips, carrots and sweet potato
• 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
• 3 sticks celery, chopped (optional but nice)
• 750 ml vegetable stock, hot 2 tsp vitamin-B-rich Marmite (optional, but nice as long as you are a Marmite lover)

EQUIPMENT: You will need a chopping board and knife, large saucepan with lid, measuring jug and hand-held stick blender or food processor.

NUTRITIONAL NOTE: The vegetables are a good source of fibre and contribute vitamins A, C and D plus the minerals calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphorus. Carbohydrates and fibre are in the bread.

TO SERVE: 1tsp of yoghurt per bowl; wholemeal French stick, sliced.

1. Turn the vegetables you have prepared or the packet of prepared vegetables into a large saucepan, and add the dried herbs, and the celery.
2. Pour over the hot stock, and add the Marmite, if using.
3. Cover the pan and bring to the boil, removing and discarding any scum that forms with a large spoon.
4. Simmer, covered, for 35-40 minutes, until the veg are tender, then remove from the heat.
5. Blitz the soup using the blender or food processor, until almost smooth.
6. Serve in warmed soup bowls, with a swirl of yoghurt, accompanied by the warmed and sliced wholemeal French stick.
7. Ring the changes by adding 1 x 400 g can of chopped tomatoes plus 3 tbsp tomato purée with 1 tsp of runny honey to the vegetables, with the stock

 

“Five -a-day Plus One” by – Seafood Chowder

The word ‘soup’ is derived from the French meaning ‘broth’. This in turn is derived from the Latin for bread soaked in broth – suppa. A ‘broth’ is the liquid part of a soup and is my favourite word in the English language. Soups can be substantial meals in themselves, or they can be served as a starter or snack. They can be simple or intricate, but I’m just going to concentrate on soups that contain decent levels of B12 – so they will be animal or fish-based.

This soup recipe is from the Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company and is one of their best-sellers.

The Captain Cat’s Mor Seasoning can be bought from their website or you can use whatever spice blend you like.

Ingredients

• 8 medium potatoes
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic knob of butter
• 1 tbsp stock powder
• 1 tsp Captain Cat’s Mor Seasoning
• 700 ml milk
• 200 g prawns
• 400 g fish (mix of white fish, pink fish and smoked fish)
• 100 ml cream Vegetables, meat and liquid – together they make soup.

Method

1. Peel and chop up the potatoes, boil them in a pan until tender, then drain them and set aside.
2. Heat another pan and add the onion, garlic, butter, stock and seasoning. Cook for around 10 minutes over a gentle heat.
3. Meanwhile pour the milk into a saucepan and gently simmer over a low to moderate heat.
4. Add two thirds of the potatoes to the milk and then, with a hand-blender, puree the remaining third of the potatoes into a smooth paste.
5. Add the pureed potatoes to the milk and potato mixture – this will help to thicken the soup.
6. Now add the onion mix, prawns and fish.
7. Simmer until the fish and prawns are well cooked.
8. Remove from the heat and stir through the cream.

Now it is ready to serve with crusty white bread.