Quick and Easy Super-Soup Recipes

Vibrant veggie soup, Spiced Cerliac and Parsnip alongside Spinach and Pea soup

Two quick and easy, super-soups, both veggie, both delicious, nutritious and low in fat… and low-carb too.

Vibrant veggie soup, Spiced Cerliac and Parsnip alongside Spinach and Pea soup
Vibrant veggie soup, Spiced Cerliac and Parsnip alongside Spinach and Pea soup

Spiced, Celeriac and Parsnip Soup

Approximately 150 calories per mug-full.

Makes enough for 6 servings, freeze it and that’s several lunches for a ‘behave yourself’ kind of diet sorted.

The equipment you will need:

  • a sharp veg prep knife and chopping board
  • a large soup pan
  • a wooden spoon
  • a hand blender

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons  olive oil
  • 1 large onion peeled and chopped
  • 2 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped
  • Half a celeriac, washed, peeled and chopped
  • A sprinkle of chilli flakes
  • 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Few shakes of white pepper
  • Few twists of ground black pepper
  • A sprinkle of sea salt
  • 2 veg stock cubes I used https://www.oxo.co.uk/ made up into 1 litre of stock

Step 1

Peel and chop the veg

Step 2

Heat the oil. Sauté the onion for 3 minutes until translucent.  Add the diced cleriac and parsnip.  Cover and cook on a low heat until the veg  is tender about 5 minutes.  Add the hot stock, stir well, cover and cook for 10 further minutes. Add the seasoning except the chilli flakes. Stir well. Cover and cook until all veg is tender.

Step 3

Remove from the heat. Blitz with a hand-blender.  Sprinkle a few chilli flakes on each serving.  Serve hot,  or portion and freeze when cold.

Spiced celeriac and parnsip soup
Spiced celeriac and parnsip soup

And next Easy, Peasy, Spinach  (and anything else in the fridge that’s green) Soup

Pea and Spinach soup with a swirl of Greek yogurt
Pea and Spinach soup with a swirl of Greek yogurt

Again about 150 calories per mu-full

You will need exactly the same equipment as for the Spiced Cerliac and Parsnip soup.

Makes enough for approximately 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 400g (ish) frozen peas
  • 1 large pack of fresh, baby spinach
  • Any salad leaves, watercress, rocket that might be lurking in the fridge begging not to be thrown away
  • 1 clove of garlic, grated
  • 1 litre of veg stock
  • A sprinkle of seasalt
  • A shake of white pepper
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Optional – Half a teaspoon of dried mint

A dollop of Greek yogurt to serve if desired.

Step 1

Put all the I gradients in a pan.  Bring to simmering point. Do not over cook.  Allow 3 or 4 minutes to simmer.   Blitz with a hand blender.

Step 2

Serve with a dollop of Greek yorgurt if desired, or freeze for later in the week.

Pea and Spinach soup with a swirl of Greek yogurt

Yes, even more Soup

Celery soup

Celery Soup

Today’s soup recipe is not to everyone’s taste but most people I know like it.  It’s smooth delicious and nutritious!  A quick and easy recipe.  Almost impossible to go wrong and it freezes well.  This soup has a lightness and it’s great for filling a flask to accompany a Winter walk.

Recipe for Celery Soup 

(Makes enough to serve 8). 

The equipment you will need:

  • a sharp veg prep knife and chopping board
  • a large soup pan
  • a wooden spoon
  • a hand blender
Soup making ute sils
Equipment for making soup

Ingredients

Celery soup ingredients
The ingredients for celery soup
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large or 2 small onions, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 1 large baking potato, peeled and chopped
  • 1 whole head of celery, washed and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Few shakes of ground white pepper
  • 2 veg stock cubes I used https://www.oxo.co.uk/ made up into 1 litre of stock
  • 150 ml milk

Step 1

Peel and chop the veg

Chopped veg
Chop all the veg

Step 2

Heat the oil. Sauté the onion and garlic for 3 minutes until translucent.  Add the diced potato.  Cover and cook on a low heat until potato is tender about 5 minutes. Add the chopped celery, cover and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the hot stock, stir well, cover and cook for 10 further minutes. Add the seasoning. Stir well. Cover and cook until all veg are tender.

Step 3

Remove from the heat. Blitz with a hand-blender add the milk. Serve hot,  or portion and freeze when cold.

Celery soup
A bowl of flavoursome celery soup

Variation

Sprinkle on grated mature cheddar cheese and serve with crusty bread. Or crumble some Blue Stilton cheese on top.

 

Thank Goodness for Soup!

Tomato and Basil Soup

Yes, I have been soup making – again.  You can expect more of this.

Second soup-making session of the season

I had the sudden desire to make soup again yesterday.  Tomato and Basil this time.  Even though I say so myself, it was pretty good!

Recipe for Tomato and Basil Soup 

(Makes enough to serve 8). 

The equipment you will need:

Soup making ute sils
Equipment for making soup
  • a sharp veg prep knife
  • a veg peeler
  • a chopping board
  • a large soup pan
  • a wooden spoon
  • a hand blender

Ingredients

Tomato and Basil Soup ingredients
Everything you need to make Tomato and Basil Soup
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large or 2 small onions, peeled and chopped
  • 2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 1 large baking potato, peeled and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tomato purée
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Few shakes of ground white pepper
  • 2 veg stock cubes I used https://www.oxo.co.uk/
  • 2 1litre cartons of tomato juice
  • 1 tin tomatoes
  • Large handful fresh basil

Step 1

Peel and chop the veg

Prepared veg for Tomato and Basil Soup
Prepared veg for Tomato and Basil Soup

Step 2

Heat the oil. Sauté the onion and garlic for 3 minutes until translucent.  Add the diced potato.  Cover and cook on a low heat until potato is tender about 5 minutes. Add the tomato purée and white wine vinegar. Crumble in the stock cubes, stir well, cover and cook for 2 further minutes. Add the seasoning. Stir well.  Add the tinned tomatoes. Cover and cook for 3 minutes.  Add the 2 x 1 litre cartons of tomato juice. Stir. Cover and cook for a further 15/20 minutes or until all veg are tender.

Step 3

Remove from the heat.  Add all the basil (I don’t think it is possible to have too much basil, although it is possible to have too little!)  Blitz with a hand-blender. Serve hot,  or portion and freeze when cold.

Tomato and Basil Soup
Freshly made Tomato and Basil Soup

To make it even more heart-warming, sprinkle on grated mature cheddar cheese and serve with crusty bread.

 

It’s Soup Season!

Ingredients for carrot and lentil soup

Hurrah! It’s the season for SOUP!

I love to make soup. I find it very therapeutic and relaxing.  It’s a good feeling to make it in batches and then freeze for cold, winter days.  The only drawback is I probably make too much, the hubster tells me off for filling up the freezer.

First soup of the season

I got the urge to make soup yesterday.  Carrot and lentil.  I thought I would share the process with you.

Carrot and Lentil Soup enough to serve 12.  (Good for a bonfire party or to freeze). Scale down for smaller quantities.

The equipment you will need:

  • a sharp veg prep knife and chopping board
  • a large soup pan
  • a wooden spoon
  • a hand blender
Ingredients for carrot and lentil soup
Carrot and lentil soup ingredients
  • 500g red lentils
  • 1kg fresh carrots
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large or 2 small onions
  • 2 large cloves of garlic
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground back pepper
  • half a teaspoon of turmeric (or more to taste)
  • half a teaspoon ground cumin (or more to taste)
  • 2 veg stock cubes I used https://www.oxo.co.uk/ made up to a litre with boiling water.

Step 1

Peel the veg, soak the lentils

Peel the veg and immerse the lentils in cold water

Step 2

 

Chopped veg
Chop the veg

Step 3

Heat the oil. Sauté the onion and garlic for 3 minutes until translucent.  Add the carrots, stir well, cover and cook for 3 further minutes. Add seasoning and spices.  Stir well.  Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Add soaked lentils. Stir. Add stock. Stir.  Cover and cook for a further 20 minutes or until lentils are tender.

Step 4

Blitz with a handblender. Serve hot,  or portion and freeze when cold.

Carrot and lentil soup
A comforting bowl of carrot and lentil soup

Variation

Add chilli flakes and extra cumin to spice up to taste.  Serve with crusty bread and perhaps sprinkle some mature, grated cheddar on top – watch it melt! Delicious.