If ever we feel a bit run down or start to feel a tickle in our throats, we reach for the soup pot. Nourishing, immunity-boosting, comforting soup has got it all. Soups also freeze well and are lovely to gift for those in need of some TLC — be it a new parent, sick friend, or neighbour in need. With this in mind, we have two gorgeous soup recipes to warm you up in the winter months.
First, we have a perennial favourite, our Green Minestrone. This is a fab way to get a big dose of gut-friendly greens and beans — full of fibre and goodness. Like most vegetable soups, this one improves when made ahead of time and reheated a day or two later. We like to use lots of greens — make sure you slice them very finely so they cook quickly right at the end. We would like to note that if this is too green for your liking, you can lighten things up with less greens and an additional cup or two of stock.
Our second recipe is for an incredibly easy and flavourful Carrot & Ginger Soup with Miso Butter. This wonderfully comforting and aromatic soup is a great immunity-boosting meal. We’ve used carrots, but it is also delicious with pumpkin or kūmara. This is something we often make in bulk and freeze, as it is a great pick-me-up to have at hand when you’re feeling under the weather, or starting to lag at the end of a busy week; the flavours seem to get better with time, the miso adds a real depth of flavour and the ginger deeply infuses throughout the soup.
Happy cooking, everyone! We hope these cozy recipes provide some comforting nourishment in these cold winter months.
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Green minestrone
In this recipe, we serve the soup with a winter pistou — a vibrant herb sauce made with flat leaf parsley, that adds a bright herbaceous finish to the dish. Leftover pistou will keep, covered, in the fridge for about a week (it freezes well in small containers too). We love serving this with cheese toasties for an extra treat.
Serves 8
Ready in 1 hr
DF GF RSF V VE
Ingredients
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 leeks, base and ⅔ of the green ends trimmed off, washed, halved lengthways, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1×400g can chopped tomatoes
1×400g can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1×400g can butter beans, drained and rinsed
8 cups vegetable stock
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 Parmesan rind (optional)
2 packed cups of very finely sliced cavolo nero, coarse stems and central ribs removed
2 packed cups of shredded silverbeet leaves, white stems removed (save for stock pot)
1 cup dried pasta shapes, such as macaroni or gluten-free alternative
Freshly ground black pepper
Winter pistou
1 tightly packed cup of parsley leaves
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely grated
½ cup walnuts (optional)
½ cup finely grated Parmesan, to serve (optional)
½ tsp salt
Method
Heat oil in a heavy-based pot on medium heat. Add onion, leeks, garlic and salt and cook, stirring from time to time, until onions are completely soft and translucent (10-12 minutes). Stir in tomato paste and cook for a further couple of minutes until aromatic. Add canned tomatoes, beans, vegetable stock, carrots and Parmesan rind, if using. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
While that is cooking, make your pistou. Place parsley, oil, garlic, walnuts and Parmesan (if using) and salt in a small, wide-mouthed jar or bowl. Blitz to a smooth puree with a hand wand blender. Set aside. Pistou will keep in the fridge for up to a week or can be frozen in small ice block trays, thaw before using.
Once your vegetables are tender, uncover the pot and stir through the pasta. Cook for 5 minutes less than the cooking time specified on the packet, then stir in the greens and cook for another 5-8 minutes until they and the pasta are tender.
To serve, check seasonings and adjust to taste. Ladle soup into bowls and top with a swirl of pistou.
Notes
• Annabel loves making a ham hock version of this minestrone. Boil a ham or bacon hock in plenty of water until it falls off the bone (about 2 hours), then take it out, reserving the cooking liquid, and when it’s cool enough to handle, shred the meat off it. Follow the Minestrone recipe as per our instructions, using the reserved cooking liquid from the ham as your stock, and add the shredded ham in at the end. You can add a little smoked paprika and chilli flakes in with your onions for some spice if you like.
• Save up your Parmesan rinds in a bag in the fridge or freezer and add them to your soups for an extra umami hit.
Carrot and ginger soup with miso butter
This warming soup is so flavourful and satisfying. We love it as is, but you can zhuzh it up by adding any of the following: roasted cauliflower or broccoli, roasted carrot, pumpkin, kūmara, a couple of handfuls of baby spinach, fried chickpeas or some kimchi.
Serves 4-6
Ready in 40 mins
DF GF RSF V VE
Ingredients
2 Tbsp neutral oil, such as grapeseed oil
1 large onion, finely diced
1kg carrots, peeled and sliced into 1cm rounds
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
60g ginger, peeled and finely grated (about 2 thumbs)
4 cups vegetable stock
2 Tbsp shiro or white miso paste
1 Tbsp butter (see note)
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
¼ tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp chopped coriander, to garnish
1 tsp black sesame seeds or toasted white sesame seeds, to garnish (optional)
Method
Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and translucent (8-10 minutes). Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the stock, then cover and simmer until carrots are tender when pierced with a fork (30 minutes). Take off the heat and stir in the miso paste, butter, and sesame oil.
Use a handheld blender to puree the soup until smooth. If the soup is too thick, you can add a little hot water or stock to reach your desired consistency. Mix in lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with coriander and sesame seeds.
Note
To make vegan, omit the butter and add an extra teaspoon of sesame oil.
