Though often sidelined as a simple warm-up act, soups needn’t mean Heinz. Done right, they deliver flavour and nutrition by the bowlful.
READ MORE: Celebrate Father’s Day with a Hearty Winter Lunch
Whether you’re tired of your boring al-desko lunch or seeking to scale your veg intake, batch-cooking homemade soup is a satisfying, cost-effective answer to your winter woes. Let these recipes fuel your final push towards spring.
Doctor’s Orders Squash and Roasted Red Pepper
Ingredients
- A butternut squash
- 5 Red peppers
- A sweet potato
- A white onion
- 1 tsp Five-spice
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 300 ml Vegetable stock
- A sprig of rosemary
Instructions
- Cover the peppers with foil and oven-roast at 160°C for 25 minutes.
- Peel and dice the squash, sweet potato and onion. Sweat the onion in an oiled pan until soft, then add the sweet potato, squash, five-spice and cumin.
- Cook for five minutes. Add the stock and red peppers, then simmer for 35 minutes.
- Blend in a food processor until smooth. Return to the saucepan, season and top off with scattered rosemary.
Lean Eating Barley and Bean
Ingredients
- 100 g Pre-cooked pearl barley
- 4 Garlic cloves
- 2 White onions
- A celery stalk
- 2 Carrots
- A sprig of rosemary
- 400 g Chopped tomatoes
- 350 ml Vegetable stock
- 100 g Pre-cooked white beans
- 3 sprigs of Fresh basil
Instructions
- Prep and dice your garlic, onion, celery and carrots. Heat some oil in a saucepan, then sweat the vegetables for five minutes until tender.
- Add the rosemary and tomatoes and simmer for a further five minutes. Pour in the vegetable stock, bring to a simmer, then add the pearl barley and white beans. Blitz in a food processor for a smooth soup, or leave it as it is for a chunky broth.
- Top with fresh basil, season and serve.
Iron Man’s Energising Clam Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 kg Clams
- 120 g Pancetta
- A white onion
- 2 Celery stalks
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 1 L Fish stock
- 60 ml Dry white wine
- 450 g Maris Piper potatoes
- 1½ tsp Thyme
- 2 Bay leaves
- 200 ml Double cream
- 3 tbsp Parsley
Instructions
- Cover the clams with a litre of cold water and boil. After 10 minutes, extract the meat and chop.
- Fry the pancetta, then remove.
- Sweat the onion, celery and garlic in butter. Add the stock and wine, then the potatoes, thyme, bay leaves and half of the pancetta. Simmer for 25 minutes.
- Discard the bay leaves. Blitz a quarter of the soup, then mix in with the rest.
- Add the clams, cream and parsley. Heat through and serve with the remaining pancetta on top.
From: Men’s Health UK
