Heart Warming Soups

Heart Warming Soups

Happy New Year!!!

It’s time for some hearty food that will warm the body and soul. Soups are the perfect food for this purpose. Its great to brew up a couple of soups over the weekend and you can have for lunch during the week either take it to work with your or heat it at home straight from the fridge. You can also bulk them up with pasta, lentils, noodles or sweet potatoes and they could convert to a really quick filling dinner in the evenings....

Donelli’s Tuscan Bean & Veggie Soup...

We have been making this soup every day in Donellis for the past 8 years , spring summer, autumn & winter and we have customers who have this nearly every day for lunch. I also have a bowl most days and especially if I’m having a very busy it’s a great way of ensuring you get the correct balance of food into your system. Its also very low in fat, high in protein and is packed full of flavour.... in addition it will give your system a great boost in this damp cold weather... please enjoy...

Stores in the fridge for approx 5 days...

Serves 4

2 cans of chopped tomatoes

3 cloves of garlic finely chopped

1 red onion finely chopped

½ long red chilli finely chopped or ¼ teasp dried chillies (optional)

2 Cans of mixed beans drained or use dried beans (soak min 4 hours)

1/2 litre of veggie stock

3 carrots , 2 peppers, 1 courgettes, 4 sticks of celery, chopped into same sized pieces

Salt & pepper

Little Olive Oil

Pop a little oil in a non stick pan, swirl around the bottom of the pot for about 1 min, toss in n the onion and cook over a low heat, till softened about 5 mins. ( You must stir the onion or shake the pot to ensure it cooks evenly) Pop in the garlic & the chilli and cook for about 1 min.

Next add the veggies and stir until well combined

Add the tomatoes & stock cover the pan, turn up the heat and bring to the boil, uncover and simmer for 15 mins.. season with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper & serve with crusty bread.

Hearty Lentil & Veggie Soup

Serves 4

1 can of chopped tomatoes whizzed

1 litre of veggies or chick stock

2 cups of soaked lentils

1 onion finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic finely chopped

Combination of mixed veggies, carrots, peppers, courgettes

Salt & pepper

3 tbls of flat leaf parsley

Olive Oil

Heat the oil in a pot over a low heat, toss in the onion and cook till softened about 5 mins. Add the garlic and cook for about another minute. Pop in the veggies and stir until well combined.

Add the tomatoes, stock & lentils cover the pan, turn up the heat and bring to the boil, uncover and simmer for 20 mins.

Scatter in the flat leaf parsley season with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper & serve with crusty bread.

Asiany Sweet Potato, Roast Cashew & Chilli

Serves 6 people

5 sweet pots peeled & large cubes

2 carrots peeled & large cubes

1 white onion finely chopped

1 litre veggie stock

1 red chilli finely sliced

1tbls grated ginger

2 cloves of garlic finely chopped

1 handful of cashew nuts

3tbs soy sauce

1 can of coconut milk

Peanut oil 
Few sprigs of coriander plus extra garnish

Heat peanut oil in non stick saucepan pop in the onions, ginger & chilli cook for 3 mins then add the garlic, & cook over heat until soft.

Pop sweet pots, carrots and veggie stock in pan bring to the boil & cook for a 15 mins.

Blend this mixture until smooth

Add half the soy sauce all the coconut milk and coriander.

Return to the heat and bring up to a simmer

Pop the cashew nuts in a no stick pan or pot pour over the soy sauce and heat for about 5 mins shaking to ensure they brown evenly

Serve the soup in bowls with a sprinkle of cashews & fresh coriander.

Delicious with a chilli garlic bread…. Combine 2tbs of butter with 1 clove of finely chopped garlic and a red chilli finely chopped. Slice a French bread stick (not quite the whole way thru) & spread the butter mixture lightly over each round. Wrap in foil and pop in the oven for 10 mins & 180.

Turnip & Wholegrain Mustard Soup

500g turnip cubed

175g potatoes cubed

100g onions chopped

1 tbls of chopped garlic

1 litre of veggie stock

1 tbls of wholegrain mustard

3 tbls of cream

Cracked black pepper & a little salt

Couple of glugs of Olive Oil

Sauté the onions in some olive oil until nice and translucent. Pop in the garlic and cook for about another min before adding the turnip & potatoes, cook for about 5 mins before adding the veggie stock. Continue to cook the veggies until when pierced they are quite soft.

Whizz with hand blender or food processor when cooked. Return the pot to the heat, add the cream & wholegrain mustard stirring until well combined. Season to taste with cracked black pepper…

This soup is delicious with a good loaf of wholesome brown bread.