Healthy Soup Recipes

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Healing Beans, Greens & Garlic Soup

Serves 4-6. Serve with a gorgeous wholemeal loaf or seeded crackers.

This soup is full of protective antioxidants, fibre and phytonutrients – plant compounds that protect your body from head to toe and may help balance hormones. Garlic supports the immune system, the gut and the heart – but cooking can destroy some of the healthful properties, which is why it is added late in this recipe. If you’re not a huge fan of garlic, cut it down by half or more.

2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
1 large onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, minced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 teaspoon sea salt, tamari or liquid amino’s, or to taste
8-10 cloves garlic, minced
1½ litres water, or chicken or vegetable stock
About 300g cooked white beans (from 2 tins, rinsed, or from about 200g dry)
About 700g green leaves, chopped (spinach, kale, or chard)
Freshly ground pepper and nutmeg to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over low heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, and salt. Cook for 10 minutes; then add the water or stock. Bring to the boil. Cover, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook 15 minutes or until the veggies are tender. Add the beans, garlic, and as much of the greens as you can fit in the pot. Cover and wait a few minutes for the greens to wilt – when there is room, add more greens until it is all incorporated. Season to taste with pepper. Serve hot, topped with a grating of nutmeg and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Gazpacho

Enjoy chilled, or warm gently. 4-6 servings.

A light and easy blended soup. Raw vegetables are great sources of nutrients and enzymes that support digestion, skin, and energy levels. The good fats in the oils and avocado are important for brain function, and the herbs soothe and cleanse the gut.

100ml water
4 tablespoons virgin olive, flaxseed or hempseed oil
4 large ripe tomatoes
1 avocado, halved
2 medium red peppers
2 cloves garlic
4 pitted dates, or 1 tablespoon honey
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 medium cucumber, halved
5 stalks celery
½ small onion
1 handful fresh basil
1 handful chopped parsley

Combine the water, oil, tomatoes, half the avocado, 1 red pepper, garlic, dates, lemon juice, ½ the cucumber, and basil in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Finely chop the remaining 1 red pepper, half avocado, half cucumber, onion, and stalks of celery. Mix these into the soup, season to taste, and sprinkle with parsley

Spiced Carrot Soup with Ginger & Sweet Potato

Serves 4-6

Fibre, antioxidants and minerals to replenish and support health. Sweet potatoes have complex carbohydrates that release slowly for sustained energy. Onions have fructo-oligo-saccharides, which feed your good gut bacteria. Ginger, garlic, cumin, and coriander help soothe inflammation and promote digestion.

1.1 litres mild vegetable stock or water
5 thin slices of ginger
1 tablespoon oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
Cayenne or chilli powder to taste
about 900g carrot, scrubbed well and thinly sliced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and thinly sliced
150ml fresh orange juice
Crème fraiche
Fresh chopped coriander to garnish

Heat the vegetable stock or water in a pan with the ginger slices, and keep warm on the hob. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and add the onion and a pinch of salt. Sauté 5 minutes, then add the garlic, cumin, coriander, ginger and a few pinches of cayenne powder. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the onion is very soft, about 10 minutes more. Add the carrots, potato, and 900ml of the stock or water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the carrots are very tender, 15-20 minutes. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return to the pot, add the orange juice, and thin with the remaining stock to the desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper and more cayenne if desired. Serve with a dollop of crème fraiche, and a sprinkling of fresh coriander leaves.