Soups All Year Round - 4 Healthy Soup Recipes

Whether its summer or winter, soups are a fantastic way to get in some deliciously healthy foods like beans and lentils. They're also cost effective and time saving. I usually make up big batches, divide them up and freeze them for quick and easy meals later.

Black eyed bean and vegetable soup

Recipe from Australian Good Taste Magazine May 2003, p 82

Recipe by Jan Purser

Serves 8

 290g (1 1/2 cups) dried black-eyed beans

 1L (4 cups) cold water

  1L (4 cups) vegetable stock

  1 x 400g can diced tomatoes in juice

  2 tbs tomato paste

  1/4 tsp ground allspice

  2 carrots, peeled, diced

  2 celery sticks with leaves, diced

  1 large brown onion, halved, finely chopped

  1/4 cup loosely packed chopped fresh continental parsley leaves & stems

  1 large garlic clove, crushed

  Pinch of sugar

  Salt & freshly ground black pepper

  1 tbs extra virgin olive oil

  2 tbs chopped fresh continental parsley, extra, to garnish

1. Place the beans in a bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside and soak overnight. Drain beans and rinse under cold water. Drain.

2.Combine water, stock, tomatoes, tomato paste and allspice in a large saucepan. Add the beans, carrot, celery, onion, parsley, garlic and sugar, and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender.

3.Taste and season with salt and pepper. Ladle into serving bowls. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the extra parsley to garnish. Serve immediately.

Energy 675kJ

Fat Total 3.00g Saturated fat 0.50g

Carbohydrate Total 24g sugars 0 Dietary fibre 6.5g

Protein10.00g

Why I love it

How often do you include beans in your diet? If you answer ‘hardly ever’ then this soup is for you. Beans are packed full of fibre and nutrients like iron. When eaten in the same 24 period as grains, like rice or wheat, and nuts and seeds, they also make a complete vegetarian protein. You’ll find beans are quite filling and this delicious soup should leave you feeling happy

Floating market fish soup

Recipe from Delicous October 2007 pg 95

Recipe by Jill Jupliex

600g white fish fillets (such as blue-eye or snapper)

  100g bean thread vermicelli (glass noodles)

  2 lemongrass stems

  1.2 litres chicken stock

  3 eschalots, finely sliced

  1 long red chilli, sliced

  2 tbs tamarind puree

  2 tbs fish sauce

  1 tbs sugar (or coconut sugar)

  100g bean sprouts

  2 tomatoes, chopped

  Small handful of Thai basil (or mint) and coriander leaves

  1 lime, quartered

1. Cut the fish into bite-sized chunks and toss with salt and pepper. Put noodles in a bowl, pour over boiling water to cover and leave for 4 minutes, then drain.

2. Trim lemongrass to inner, tender white part and finely slice. Put stock, eschalot, chilli, tamarind and lemongrass in a pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then simmer for 10 minutes over medium heat.

3. Stir in fish, fish sauce and sugar. Simmer over medium-high heat, covered, for 5 minutes. Add sprouts, noodles and tomatoes. Simmer for 1 minute or until hot.

4. Divide among warm bowls. Scatter with herbs and serve with lime wedges.

Why I love it

Looking at this recipe takes me back to Feburary when I was at the floating market in Thailand… wow. This delicious recipe is high in lean protein, and packed with flavour. If you want more vegies, throw them in. I always add extra chunky vegies to most things I make.

 

Grilled tomatoe Gazpacho

Recipe from EatingWell july/Aug 2007

Servings 6 smallish serves

Ingredients

         2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes

         1 small red bell pepper 

         1 English cucumber, peeled and seeded, divided 

   1/2 cup torn fresh or day-old country bread, (crusts removed) 

    small clove garlic

    2-3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar    

    1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 

        1/4 teaspoon piment d'Espelette, or hot Spanish paprika or pinch of cayenne pepper

        1/2 teaspoon salt

        1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

        2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Grill tomatoes and bell pepper, turning a few times, until they soften and the skins are blistered and charred in spots, about 8 minutes. Transfer the pepper to a plastic bag and let it steam until cool enough to handle. Peel off the skin; cut the pepper in half and discard the stem and seeds. Place one half in a blender. When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, core and roughly chop. Add the tomatoes, skins and all, to the blender.
3. Add half the cucumber to the blender along with bread, garlic, vinegar to taste, parsley, piment d’Espelette (or paprika or cayenne), salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Add oil and blend until well combined. Refrigerate until room temperature or chilled, at least 1 hour.
4. Before serving, finely dice the remaining cucumber and bell pepper; stir half of each into the gazpacho and garnish with the remaining cucumber and bell pepper.

Tips 

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Stir to recombine and garnish just before serving. 

Nutrition

Per serving: 84 calories; 5 g fat ( 1 g sat , 4 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 9 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 2 g protein; 2 g fiber; 219 mg sodium; 405 mg potassium.
 

Why I love it?

Served cold this beautiful soup is full of tomatoey goodness. High in lycopene, this is a low calorie soup perfect for a summer day or as a starter or side to a larger meal.

Spiced carrot an lentil soup

Recipe from Good Food Magazine, October 2005 

Recipe by Jane Hornby

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tsp cumin seeds

pinch chilli flakes

2 tbsp olive oil

600g carrots , washed and coarsely grated (no need to peel)

140g split red lentils

1l hot vegetable stock (from a cube is fine)

125ml milk

plain yogurt and naan bread, to serve

1. Heat a large saucepan and dry-fry the cumin seeds and chilli flakes for 1 min, or until they start to jump around the pan and release their aromas. Scoop out about half of the seeds with a spoon and set aside. Add the oil, carrot, lentils, stock and milk to the pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 mins until the lentils have swollen and softened.

2. Whizz the soup with a stick blender or in a food processor until smooth (or leave it chunky if you prefer). 3. Season to taste and finish with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of the reserved toasted spices. Serve with warmed naan breads.

Make it Moroccan
Substitute the chilli flakes and cumin seeds for a few teaspoons of harissa paste. You could add cooked shredded chicken at the end of cooking, too.
 238 calories, protein 11g, carbohydrate 34g, fat 7 g, saturated fat 1g, fibre 5g, salt 0.25 g

Why I love it?

Full of carotene fibre and spicy goodness, this soup is filling and delicious. Lentils are a fabulous source of vegetarian protein. Great for the digestive system and bowel health, try including lentils at least twice a week.