It’s cold and horrible outside, and the perfect time to make hearty soups. This soup will live in your fridge for 4-5 days, and also freezes well.
You can use either coconut cream that comes in a block, or coconut in a milk in a team to add richness and creaminess. This also makes it suitable for vegans as well.
Ingredients
250 Grams Sweet potato (peeled and cut into 3-4cm cubes)
2 Carrots (peeled and sliced)
1 Onion (peeled and sliced)
1 Can of coconut milk or 50 Grams coconut cream
1 Tbsp Oil
2 Cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
1 Tsp Chilli powder
1 Tsp Tumeric (optional)
Thumb sized piece of ginger (grated) or 1 Tsp of dried ginger
1 Vegetable stock cube
1 litre Water
Salt to taste
Method
Add the oil to a large pot over a medium heat, before adding the sliced onion and cook for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally until the onion starts to brown
Add the other ingredients and bring to a boil, before reducing to a gentle simmer for 20-25 until the vegetables are cooked
Use a hand blender, or blitz in a blender until smooth and creamy. Serve with crusty bread
I know I harp on about it, but I hate food waste. So when I found some discounted tomatoes in the supermarket that were too soft for salads I decided to make soup.
Tomatoes are roasted with some onion in the oven to bring out their flavour. I always try to cook more than one thing at a time so using the oven is more cost effective, so it’s the perfect excuse to whip up a cake too if feeling like it (I always feel ready for cake)
For the best lunch ever, team it up with a grilled cheese sandwich
Ingredients
500 Grams tomatoes
2 onion (cut into quarters)
2-3 Cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp Oil
500 ml Vegetable stock (I used a stock cube dissolved in 500ml of boiling water)
1-2 Tbsp Basil leaves
1 tsp Cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees (Celsius)
Add the tomatoes, oil, and onion to an oven proof dish and roast for 30-40 minutes or until the tomatoes have blistered. Remove and discard the skin from the garlic
Add all the ingredients to a blender and pulse until smooth. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if you think it needs it.
Autumn is definitely here, and it’s time to break out the one pot comfort food recipes. I love recipes that I can make from what I usually have in a cupboard or the fridge and this one of them. Dried yellow split peas are really cheap, and packed full of protein and fibre. They also work brilliantly in Indian dishes like dhal.
This is a really rich satisfying, cheap and easy to make meal. Perfect for chilly days when you want something nutritious and satisfying. It’s also packed with lovely warming flavours like ginger, chilli and garlic.
This soup freezes well or can live in your fridge for 3-4 days.
Ingredients
1 Leek (finely sliced)
2 Carrots (grated)
250 Grams Yellow split peas
1 Litre Vegetarian stock (I used 2 stock cubes to make this)
Thumb sized piece of ginger (grated), or 1 Tsp of ground ginger if you don’t have the fresh stuff)
1 Tsp Tumeric
3-4 Cloves of garlic (minced)
1 Tsp Chilli powder
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
Method
Heat the oil in large pot over a medium heat, and add the leek and carrot. Cook for 5-10 minutes until soft
Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Turn up the heat bring the soup up to just before the boil
Reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally
Serve topped with toasted hazel nuts or pumpkin seeds for a little extra crunch
I’m seriously missing being able to travel. With this in mind I decided to recreate one of my favourite dishes. I first ate this in Hong Kong. I first ate this in a hole in the wall cafe. It was a revelation and probably the best thing I ate the whole time was there.
Food in Hong Kong is amazing but this just hit the spot. If chicken soup is the ultimate Jewish comfort food, this is probably Hong Kong’s version.
Wet two sides of the wonton wrapper to the wrappers stick
You can find wonton wrappers in the freezer section of most Asian supermarkets, or larger supermarkets. This may seem like a lot of wontons, but I also freeze half so I can pull them out of the freezer without any fuss.
First fold the wonton into a triangle
These are also great to make with kids, (a little bit of child labour never does any harm). But I also like to stick the music on and switch off, making these can be quite therapeutic. For the soup I usually use shop bought good quality chicken stock. So if you have some wontons in the freezer and some ready made chicken stock this can be a really quick meal.
Dab the the longest edges of the triangle with water and fold into the centre
Ingredients
For the dumplings
500 Grams Pork Mince
4-5cm Piece of ginger (finely grated)
2 Cloves of garlic (minced)
2 Scallions/spring onions (finely chopped)
1tsp Cornflour
1tsp Sesame oil
1tsp Soy sauce
1 Red chilli (finely chopped)
1 Pack of wonton wrappers
For the broth
1 Tbsp Sesame oil
1 Litre Chicken stock
1 Tbsp Rice wine vinegar (I didn’t have this and used cider vinegar and it was fine)
2 Scallions/spring onions (ends removed and cut in half)
3-4 cm Piece of ginger (cut into 3-4 pieces)
1 Red chilli (cut on half, and seeds removed)
2 Cloves of garlic (cut in half)
Garnish with finely chopped scallions and coriander
Stock infused with garlic, chilli, ginger and scallions
Method
Put all the ingredients for the filling of the wonton filling in a bowl, and get your hands in and mix well until all ingredients are combined. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes
Open your pack of wonton wrappers and like filo pastry, you’ll need to cover it with a damp cloth to prevent it drying out. Keep a small bowl of water beside you, as you’ll need to wet the edges of the wonton so they stick
Take a square and put a small teaspoon of the filling in the centre. Wet the edges of two sides of the wonton and fold over to make a triangle. Make sure to press the edges together well (or else water will get in when you cook them). Dab the two long edges of triangle with water and fold the edge together and press (it should look like a tortellini). Place on a tray and continue doing this until you have either run out of filling or wrappers
Add 7-8 wontons at a time to a pot simmering water, and cook for 5 minutes or until the wontons float to the top. Drain and set aside, I usually freeze half the batch. If you’re going to freeze these, let them cool first and spread them out on a tray lined with cling film that you have rubbed lightly with oil to prevent them sticking. When they are frozen, split into batches and transfer into freezer bags
For the broth, add all the ingredients to a pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the ginger, garlic, and scallions from the both and discard
Add the wontons to the broth and sprinkle with finely sliced scallion and coriander
My brother made this soup for me and I loved it. He only gave me the recipe on condition of a name check, so thanks Michael.
This is proper comfort food, and while the recipe is Vegan friendly it’s a really hearty stick to your ribs meal in a bowl.
I’m not vegetarian, so I topped the soup with some bacon I had left. But in fairness it’s equally delicious with out it.
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
400 Gram Tin of cannelini beans
2 Stalks of celery (fine chopped)
2 Carrots (grated)
1 Onion (finely chopped)
1 Vegetable stock cube (or tablespoon of buillion powder)
2 Cloves of garlic (crushed or very finely chopped)
1 Tbsp Oil
500 ml Boiling water
Method
Add the oil to a deep sauce pan and heat over a medium heat
Add the onion and fry gently for 5 minutes until the onion softens but doesn’t colour
Then add the carrot and celery and cook gently for an other 10 minutes
Stir in the garlic and beans (including half the water they came in), crumble in the stock cube, add the boiling water and stir well. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if you feel it needs it
Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the the vegetables are soft and then serve with crusty bread
I don’t make soup that often (some soups are a little dull).
Anything with cheese in it gets my vote, and this is rich and satisfying.
Ideal for anyone following a low carb diet, this is also delicious with crusty bread. I made this with vegetable stock so it’s suitable for vegetarians but you can use chicken stock if you prefer.
You’ll need cream cheese and a stronger flavoured cheese. I used a mix of mature cheddar and parmigiana, blue cheese works really well too, but use what you have.
This rich creamy soup is even tastier topped with crunchy croutons, or crispy bacon (if you’re not vegetarian)
Ingredients
1 Large head of broccoli (roughly chopped)
1 Small onion, or 3-4 spring onions/scallions (chopped)
1 Tbsp Oil
750 ml Vegetable stock (I used a stock cube)
200 Grams Cream cheese
50 Grams Strong flavour cheese (grated)
Salt and pepper
Method
Heat the oil in a large pot, and add the onion. Fry over a medium heat until soft but don’t brown
Add the broccoli and vegetable stock. Cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes or until the broccoli is soft
Add the cream cheese and stir until it has melted. Using a blender or hand held blender, blitz until the the soup it is smooth (how smooth you make it is up to you)
Return the soup to the pot and add the stronger flavoured cheese. Heat for a further 5 minutes and stir well to make sure all the cheese has melted. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed
I’m challenging myself to try and make better versions of stuff I haven’t been 100% happy with before, and use what’s in the house, (yes, I’m going stir crazy already).
I tried to make spicy carrot soups before and always thought the consistency was a bit weird. I think I have now cracked it. Adding a potato to the soup helps make it a much nicer creamier consistency. It’s still really healthy, and delicious served with big slabs of buttered soda bread (not as healthy given how much I enjoy butter).
Ingredients
1 Potato (cut into cubes)
4 Carrots (sliced)
1 Stalk of celery (chopped)
1 Onion (chopped)
1Tbsp Oil
1 Stock cube
1 Clove of garlic
1 Tsp Ground cumin
4-5 cm Piece of fresh ginger (grated), or 1 Tsp of ground ginger
1/2 Tsp Chilli powder (optional)
750 ml water
Salt & pepper
Method
Heat the oil in a pot, and add the vegetables and dried spices, cook over a medium heat until the onion begin to turn clear
Crumble in the stock cube and add the water. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, add the garlic and fresh ginger if you are using it
Simmer for another 5 minutes, and check the seasoning
Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a blender, or do what I did and use a hand blender to blitz the soup until you have a smooth soup
Seaneen's Sunnyside Kitchen 