Eesha Kulkarni

Are you all set for a chilly winter forecast? Whether it’s snow, wind, or teeth-chattering temperature drops, when the weather turns chilly, getting cosy is at the top of our priority list. And what better way is there to prepare for winter than consuming warm and hearty comfort foods for the soul?

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When it comes to winter food, nothing beats a steaming bowl of soup to really warm you up. That’s why we’ve rounded up our favourite and easy-to-make winter soup recipes for the coldest and dreariest days of the year.

The Perfect Veggie Soup

This warm soup is the best way to fill up on your weekly quota of fresh, delicious vegetables, featuring hints of wintery spices including cumin, turmeric and coriander.

Ingredients

1 large Sweet Potato

4 medium Carrots

2 red Peppers

2 white Onions

2 Garlic bulbs

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Ground Coriander

1 tsp Turmeric

0.5 tsp Pepper

6 cups (1.5 l) Vegetable Stock

Method

1. Set your oven to 200C/390F.
2. Dice the veggies into small cubes and place on a baking tray. Chop the garlic bulb in half and drop it in.
3. Drizzle with olive oil and all the spices, bake for 25-30 mins.
4. Squeeze the garlic out of the skins and pour everything into a large pot.
5. Add the veg stock and let simmer for 10 min.
6. Use a hand blender to blend the soup up a bit. Don’t grind it to a smooth puree if you enjoy having some veggie bites and texture in your soup. Enjoy!

Creamy Lemon Orzo (Rice) Soup

This hearty one-pot recipe is perfect for dinner with your family. It not only contains signature soup ingredients but also uses rice to make it more filling and delectable.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Yellow Onions, finely chopped

1 cup Celery, finely chopped

1 cup Carrots, finely chopped

3 garlic Cloves, minced

2 1/2 tbsp Flour

6 cups low-sodium broth (chicken or vegetable–whatever you have!) If you use regular broth, you’ll have to adjust the amount of salt you add.

1/2 cup Orzo

1 tbsp Lemon Juice

1/4 tsp Sea Salt

1/4 tsp Pepper

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

3 tbsp Parmesan Cheese (or let your parmesan rind simmer while the soup cooks)

2 cups Spinach

Method

1. In a pot on medium heat, drizzle olive oil.
2. Add carrots, onions, garlic and celery. Sauté for 7 minutes.
3. Add flour and mix. Add broth, orzo (or any long-grained rice you have), and lemon juice. Bring everything to a boil.
4. Turn the heat down to a simmer and add spices and parmesan cheese or a parmesan cheese rind. Simmer for 20 minutes until the soup thickens and the rice is fully cooked.
5. Stir in fresh spinach and let it cook. Then, serve and enjoy!

Tomato Basil Soup

As the air gets chilly and temperatures drop, it’s the best time to whip up a bowl of good ol’ nostalgic tomato soup. Tastes best when paired with a wholesome grilled cheese sandwich. The soup strikes a beautiful balance between the tangy tomatoes and the fresh basil leaves.

Ingredients

5/6 Tomatoes

2 Small Onions/1 big Onion

1 Carrot

Salt to taste

6-7 cloves of Garlic

1 tsp Chilli Flakes

1 tsp Sugar

1 cup Milk

2 cups Vegetable Broth/Water

Handful of Basil leaves

Method

1. Chop your tomatoes, onions and carrots and transfer them to an oven-proof pan.
2. Add your garlic cloves, salt, chilli flakes, sugar and a few glugs of olive oil.
3. Set your oven to 180C and bake this mixture for 18-20 minutes.
4. Then transfer the roasted veggies to a blender and blitz them up. Also add the milk, veggie broth or water and give it another go.
5. Meanwhile, saute some finely chopped garlic in olive oil in a pan and wait till it’s golden brown. Pour the blended soup into this infused oil and stir well.
6. Drizzle the soup with some fresh basil leaves, a few drops of olive oil, chilli flakes and fresh cream, and serve the soup in a huge bowl.
7. You can also serve it with a side of toasted crostini or grilled cheese!

Fall-themed Pumpkin Soup

Nothing screams fall like all-pumpkin-everything! Next time you’re looking to incorporate the delicious pumpkin-cinnamon flavour in your meals, try out this creamy soup that will have you coming back for seconds (and thirds!).

Ingredients

A can of Pumpkin Purée or some freshly roasted Pumpkin

1 chopped Onion

4 cloves of chopped Garlic

3 cups Vegetable Broth

1 cup Heavy Cream

2 tbsp Maple Syrup

Salt

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Cumin Powder

1/8 tsp of Ginger Powder

1/8 tsp Cayenne

1 tsp Black Pepper

1 tbsp of fresh Thyme

Method

1. In a soup pot sauté a hunk of butter and olive oil.
2. Add in the onion and chopped garlic to the mix.
3. Drop in the spice blend and some fresh thyme.
4. Sauté everything until translucent and slightly golden.
5. Then, add a can of pumpkin purée and sauté the mixture at a medium low heat. Continuously stir for 3-5 minutes.
6. Add in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 3-5 minutes. Get it off the heat and add a cup of heavy cream and some maple syrup.
7. Serve warm with a drizzle of heavy cream, hulled pumpkin seeds, and fresh thyme and enjoy!

Harissa Sweet Potato Soup

This vibrant soup is so versatile—you can oven roast, cook on the hob and so much more, all using one pot. This warm, peppery, sweet potato recipe is a must-try for sure!

Ingredients

3 Sweet Potatoes

1 Red Bell Pepper (halved)

1 large Brown Onion (quartered)

1 bulb of Garlic

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp minced Ginger

2 tsp (heaped) Rose Harissa

1 tsp dried Thyme

1 tbsp Smoked Paprika

Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)

1 Veg Stock cube + 600ml Water

70g light Cream Cheese

Garnish

Coconut Milk/Cream

Harissa Oil

Chopped Parsley

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. Put the sweet potatoes, red pepper and onion on the roasting rack of a cooking pot or an oven tray if you’re using that.
3. Chop the top off the garlic bulb, drizzle with oil, wrap in baking paper and add to the pot.
4. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over and oven roast for 45 mins
5. Let cool slightly, then peel the skin off the sweet potato and chop it up. Remove the roasting rack and and add the veggies back to the pot on low heat
6. Squeeze out the roasted garlic and sprinkle in the ginger, harissa, thyme, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper and the veggie stock.
7. Cover and simmer for 5 mins.
8. Then stir in the light cream cheese and blend till smooth.
9. Pour and plate up, add the garnish and serve with crusty bread for a cosy winter night in!