The children have gone back to school, the nights are
drawing in, the leaves are turning golden…and everyone
has the sniffles.
If you’re battling the lurgies too or otherwise off
your food, one comfort food that often springs to mind
is a warming bowl of soup.
There was a time, not too long ago when I could not
understand why anyone would want to make their own
soups when Heinz so thoughtfully had done all the hard
work for us.
Since then, I’ve got braver in the kitchen (after a
workshop with the wonderful Anna Sward ) and taken to making my own soups
– I can now think of heaps of reasons to make your own,
some of which are:
– you put in what you like
– you choose the consistency (I can’t be doing with
see-through soups, preferring a thicker, chunkier
consistency)
– you avoid preservatives, flavourings and other
chemical ingredients
– you get souper fresh, nutrient packed natural food
– it’s an ace way to pack more vegetables into your everyday
Green giant soup!
The soup pictured above is one of my favourites,
inspired by one of Anna’s Protein Pow recipes. It’s
Broccoli, Mushroom and Cheese soup and soooo easy to
make
You will need:
– a lot of broccoli* steamed, include the stalks!
– red onion, chopped
– 2 cloves of garlic (or a tsp of lazy garlic)
– half a punnet of mushrooms, cleaned & chopped
– 1 tsp coconut oil
– stock**
– milk (I use goats milk as that’s what we prefer)
– grated cheese (I used Double Gloucester but
experiment with what you like)
* I’m a huge fan of batch cooking, so used 3 heads of
broccoli to make this batch of soup which put enough
portions in the freezer for 6 meals
How to make it:
– Steam your broccoli (including leaves and stalks)
until tender
– Preserve the water from steaming your broccoli to
use as stock (or substitute in other vegetable or meat
stock** you have ready prepared – if you don’t have
any, don’t despair, lob in a stock cube with a cup of
water)
– Melt off the coconut oil in a large pan and pop in
your garlic, seasoning and chopped onion to soften (2-3
minutes)
– Add in all your broccoli, mushrooms, stock and
then enough milk to cover (cover generously if you
prefer your soups a little thinner) and bring to the
boil
– Turn down to simmer and add in your grated cheese
– I put in about 60g but again, add more or less to
your own taste.
– Stir and simmer for 10 minutes
– Leave to cool slightly before whizzing with a
stick blender to your desired consistency
– Serve up and enjoy – I had mine with one of Lidl’s
Protein Rolls (high protein and fibre and super tasty).
**The benefits of homemade stock
The benefits of making your own stock are not only
financial but give you access to a whole host of
nutritional benefits. If you are not vegetarian (as I
am) I really recommend making a bone broth from your
roast dinner carcass or any other bones from good
quality meats you have.
Simply pop them in a pan, add water and put on a low
heat for at least 6 hours (a slow cooker would be great
for this). Allow to cool slightly before portioning up
ready for your soups, casseroles or any other stock
based delight.
Why?
Ever wondered why dogs love gnawing on a bone? They’re
full of nutrients.
Whilst we can’t eat bones, making bone broth gives us
access to the amazing proteins and other
anti-inflammatory nutrients they contain.
The proteins contained in bone broth are outstanding
for restoring connective tissue (think tendons,
ligaments and fascia) and so can be particularly
beneficial for post-natal ladies and those recovering
from injury in helping to repair damaged tissues.
So before you throw away the remains of your next
dinner, think of the super-nutrients you can get out of
it and have a souper time 😉
Click here for more information on how to make Autumn Your time to
get fit, healthy and feel amazing.
I’d love to hear what you think and what your favourite
soup recipe is, so please do get in touch.