Cosy Winter Soups

Hearty, warm and lip-smacking, winter soups are like comforting hugs. Bold flavoured and creamy textured, they call out for evenings spent under fluffy throws, watching favourite TV shows with steaming hot bowls in hand. What’s better? They are health-nurturing and are complete with the goodness of lots of vegetables, a welcome change from all the sweet treats and special dishes we’ll be guzzling down!

So, grab a pot and put on an apron. It’s time we made some delicious winter soups…

Winter Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 100 g beef bacon, sliced
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 1 potato, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 400g can of chopped tomatoes
• 2 vegetable bouillon cube
• 1 cup pasta, boiled and strained
• a handful of fresh basil

Method

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot, then add in bacon and onions; fry till the onions brown.
2. Mix in carrots, celery, potato, garlic and stir. Cover and cook for 8 minutes.
3. Add in the chopped tomatoes, bouillon cubes and 1 litre of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Mix in the boiled pasta and turn the heat off. At this point add most of the basil leaves.
5. Pour the soup into bowls, garnish with remaining basil and serve immediately with crusty bread. This is one of our favourite winter soups!

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash, cubed
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 garlic cloves
• a pinch of nutmeg
• a pinch of cinnamon
• ¼ tsp paprika
• black pepper, to taste
• 3 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
• 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
• toasted almonds and sunflower seeds, for garnish

Method

1. Place the cubed squash on a baking sheet; drizzle with two tablespoons olive oil and salt. Roast in a preheated oven at 220 °C for 40 minutes.
2. Half-way through, add the garlic cloves to the roasting tray and pop it back into the oven.
3. In a large pot, heat olive oil; cook the onion till translucent.
4. Add in the garlic, roasted butternut squash, nutmeg, cinnamon, paprika, black pepper and stock and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Turn off the heat, then using an immersion blender, blend the soup in the pot until it is creamy.
6. Add in the Greek yogurt, then adjust the flavours according to your liking.
7. Pour into bowls, garnish with almonds and sunflower seeds and serve piping hot. This thick winter soup makes a full meal!

Lets cook up a Party