3 Warming Winter Soups Our Dietitians Love
Hearty Minestrone (Katie's go-to)
Why we love it: A great source of fibre, a full serving of vegetables and one of the easiest ways to include legumes in your diet (great for gut health and feeding your microbiome). Plant-based protein from beans plus fibre from the wholegrain pasta means stable blood sugar and a feed that holds you through to the next meal.
Serves: 6 · Time: 35 min · Freezes: Yes (3 months)
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 brown onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
400g can diced tomatoes
1.5L vegetable or chicken stock (reduced-salt)
400g can cannellini beans, drained
400g can red kidney beans, drained
1 zucchini, diced
150g wholemeal small pasta (ditalini)
100g baby spinach or silverbeet
Salt, pepper, parmesan to serve
Method
Heat oil in a large pot. Sweat onion, carrot and celery 6-8 min until soft.
Add garlic and oregano. Stir 1 min.
Add tomatoes and stock. Simmer 10 min.
Add beans, zucchini and pasta. Simmer 10-12 min until pasta is tender.
Stir through spinach until wilted. Season.
Serve with parmesan and grainy bread.
Tip: Double the batch. Eat half this week, freeze the rest in single-serve containers.
Chicken and Sweet Corn with Bone Broth (Jacquie's pick)
Why we love it: Bone broth provides some protein and minerals in an easy to digest form. Paired with fresh ginger and garlic, great for their immune support and anti-inflammatory effects, this is what we recommend when someone is run down, recovering from illness, or needs warming up.
Serves: 4 · Time: 30 min · Freezes: Yes (2 months)
Ingredients
1.2L good-quality chicken bone broth
2 chicken breasts (~400g), poached and shredded (or 300g leftover roast chicken)
2 corn cobs, kernels stripped (or 1.5 cups frozen corn)
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce or tamari
1 tsp sesame oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 spring onions, sliced
Coriander to serve
Cracked white pepper
Method
Bring bone broth to a gentle simmer.
Add ginger, garlic, soy and sesame oil. Simmer 5 min.
Add corn. Simmer 5 min.
Add shredded chicken. Heat through 2-3 min.
With broth at a gentle simmer, drizzle in beaten egg while stirring in one direction for silky ribbons. Turn off heat.
Top with spring onion, coriander and white pepper.
Tip: Make your own bone broth if you can. Chicken carcass, onion, carrot, celery, peppercorns, splash of apple cider vinegar. Slow cooker on low for 12-24 hours. Strain. Freeze in 500ml portions.
Roasted Pumpkin and Lentil Soup with Cumin
Why we love it: Anti-inflammatory ingredients across the board. Pumpkin (beta-carotene for immunity), lentils (plant protein and fibre), cumin and turmeric (both anti-inflammatory). Great mid-week dinner for anyone managing chronic pain or arthritis.
Serves: 5 · Time: 50 min (mostly hands-off) · Freezes: Yes (3 months)
Ingredients
1kg butternut pumpkin, cubed
1 large brown onion, quartered
4 garlic cloves, skin on
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
1.2L vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup red lentils, rinsed
400ml can light coconut milk
Juice of half a lemon
Toasted pepitas and natural yoghurt to serve
Method
Heat oven to 200°C. Toss pumpkin, onion, garlic in oil with cumin and turmeric. Roast 25-30 min.
Squeeze roasted garlic from skins.
Tip roasted veg into a pot. Add stock and lentils. Simmer 15 min until lentils soft.
Add coconut milk. Blend smooth with stick blender.
Add lemon juice. Season.
Serve topped with yoghurt and toasted pepitas.
Tip: Lentils add around 9g of protein per serve. Pair with grainy sourdough for a full main.
