041EATS columnist Robin Meyers shares easy veggie soup recipes to beat the cold while keeping your budget in check.
We seem to have skipped straight from lazing in the sun weather to pulling out the winter jackets season and although I’m a self confessed beach bum, I do love the cuisine that comes with wintery days – namely soups!
When I met my wife her idea of soups were of the add water in a mug variety, but she has since changed her ways and now soup is a Meyers staple. Here are two of our favourites.
BUTTERNUT AND SWEET POTATO SOUP
This vegetarian soup can be made vegan by using olive oil instead of butter and coconut milk instead of cream.
WHAT YOU NEED
- One large butternut
- One large sweet potato or two smaller ones
- One onion (we go half red half white but that’s just because we are extra like that)
- Pat of butter.
- Cup of vegetable stock (a stock cube in water is fine)
- 1/2 cup cream or coconut milk
- Cinnamon to taste
WHAT YOU DO
Half butternut and sweet potatoes and roast with olive oil and salt.
Fry some onions in butter until brown.
Add cup of vegetables stock. Cook together.
Scoop vegetables into the pot.
Add cream/coconut milk.
Cook on medium heat.
Blend using a hand blender and add cinnamon to taste.
(I serve mine with yummy crispy onions – you know the ones in the salad isle)
PEA SOUP
WHAT YOU NEED
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, crushed (I used a heaped teaspoon of crushed garlic and ginger)
- 1 green chilli, deseeded and chopped (I use half a spoon of crushed chilli – only because I live with people who can’t handle the heat – but you can add to taste)
- 1kg frozen peas
- 800–900ml chicken or vegetable stock
- 30g fresh coriander
- pinch of sugar
- sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper (I also use regular garden variety salt and pepper when that’s all we have)
WHAT YOU DO
Heat the olive oil in a pot over a medium-low heat. Sweat the onion, garlic and chilli with the lid on until softened.
Add peas and sweat with the lid on for 15 minutes.
Add most of the coriander (reserve a few good-looking leaves for garnish) and the stock. Bring to a simmer.
Add the sugar and blitz with a hand-held blender until smooth.
Season well and serve immediately, garnished with some coriander leaves and with a fresh loaf of whole-wheat bread and butter on the side.
(I added a cup of water to thin it out a bit)
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