When the weather outside is frightful and you want nothing more than to curl up in front of the fire, there’s nothing better than a tasty bowl of soup to warm your heart and soul.
These are our 3 top recipes to get you through this winter season:
Soup broth base
To add flavor to any soup, you first need to start with a flavorful broth.
Ingredients:
- 1 chopped onion
- 2 liters water
- Olive oil
- 3 cups of chopped mushrooms
- Salt and pepper
Start by lightly frying the chopped onion in olive oil, once they have started to brown, add in the mushrooms and continue to fry for 5-10 until they start to reduce.
Add in the water, salt and pepper and leave to boil at a low-medium temperature for 30-40 minutes.
Optional
The soup recipes below use a natural stock (above), suitable for vegetarians. However, you can also use a store-bought packet variety or, if you’re a meat-eater, use a meat-based stock to boost the flavor.
Top 3 winter soup recipes
Pumpkin soup
A Halloween classic that’s perfect the entire winter around. Pumpkins are usually harvested mid-fall, but they keep great, providing you with a splash of color when the weather turns chilly.
Ingredients:
- Half a medium-sized pumpkin
- 4-5 medium-sized potatoes
- 1 grated carrot
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper to flavor
Here’s how to make that tasty pumpkin brew:
- Start by chopping your pumpkin, potatoes, and carrots into cubes and placing them on an oven tray. Splash with olive oil, a little salt and pepper, and roast for 30-45 minutes at a medium temperature.
- Once the vegetables have begun to soften, take out your soup broth base and add the roasted vegetables into it.
- Cook on medium heat for about an hour until the vegetables are soft. Once you are content with their readiness, it’s time for the final step.
- Blend that soup. There’s nothing better than a smooth pumpkin soup, so to prepare your dish to serve, blend the soup until it is smooth. Add any additional salt and pepper to suit your taste.
If you love a creamy soup, feel free to add in some cream cheese to give that little extra flavor.
Top tip: If you’ve got leftovers from your pumpkin dish, you use the additional squash to make pumpkin porridge or even a lovely pumpkin jelly. Be sure to spice it up with a little cinnamon for an extra kick.
Traditional vegetable broth
This is the flavor of winter! Root vegetables, easy to make, and perfect with fresh bread. Get ready for that inner warmth you’ve been dreaming of after a cold winter’s day.
Ingredients:
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 parsnip
- 2-3 medium-sized potatoes
- 1 cup of barley
- ½ of dried peas
- ½ leek
- Salt and pepper to flavor
How to create a classic vegetable broth:
- Start by boiling the barley and dried peas in the soup broth base. This may take some time, so allow them to simmer on a low heat for between 1-3 hours.
- In the meantime, chop up the vegetables into smallish cubes that give a little bit of a bite.
- Once the barley and peas are softened, add in the vegetables to the mix. Cook for around an hour to let the flavors blend, creating that classic taste. Remember salt and pepper to flavor.
Top tip: Almost every family has their own special recipe for a classic vegetable broth, feel free to experiment and find a flavor that suits you. For meat-eaters out there, adding a little chicken into the mix might be just the trick. But the secret in my family? A splash of tomato ketchup to add a little zest – be warned, it's an acquired taste.
Potato and leek
Nothing beats the classics. This potato and leek winter warmer will leave you looking for a second helping with its deep flavors and warming atmosphere.
Ingredients:
- 7-8 medium-sized potatoes
- 1 full leek
- Salt and pepper to flavor
- Olive oil
How to make a classic potato and leek soup:
- Chop the potatoes into smallish cubes and place them in an oven dish. Splash them some olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast on a low to medium heat until they have started to soften. This will add to the flavor.
- Next, chop up your leek into slices and added to the soup broth base. Once your potatoes are ready, add them in, and let the soup cook for around 1 hour on a medium heat.
- Once it is ready, add salt and pepper to flavor, and then blend into the texture is creamy.
Top tip: For extra flavor, add cream cheese or cream to give that satisfying soft taste.
