Winters are all about getting warm and cozy with hot comfort foods. And what’s better than a steaming bowl of soup curled up in a quilt on a nippy night.
Try one of our favorite cozy and hearty soup recipes — there’s no better way to warm up from within.
Whether you’re in the mood for something veggie-packed and nutritious or pure comfort food in a bowl, you’ll find a new favorite in this collection of hearty winter soup recipes
Benefits of Soup in Winters
Soups don’t just soothe your soul but also are extremely healthy for the body if you prepare it correctly.
- Immune Boost – Soups can support your immune system when you’ve been cooped up indoors during the winter. Protein and vegetable stock contain vitamins and minerals, which are useful against common ailments like the common cold, which may help the body repair itself.
- Keeps you hydrated – Soup is one food that contains a high amount of water and helps your body retain water.Broth-based soups contain sodium which can cause your body to hold water longer. This can lead to better hydration without constantly drinking water.
- Added benefits of vegetables : Cooked vegetables in soup can help our bodies better absorb the nutrients in vegetables.
Tomatoes, Carrots, Cabbage, and Potatoes are some of the vegetables you can benefit from cooking.
A great example of this is lycopene — a type of carotenoid — found in tomatoes.
- Can be a source of protein :Adding protein to soup leads to increased meal satisfaction, especially when combined with carbohydrates and healthy fats. You can add tofu, paneer and sprouts.
- Keeps you full – According to some studies, those who eat soup can stay full for up to an hour and a half longer than those who eat solid foods.
- Warms you up against cold and flu – Add an extra pinch of spices to increase the temperature of the soup. It helps sinuses, plus soup is considered comfort food for many people when they’re under the weather.
1. Creamy Mushroom Soup
Prep Time : 30 minutes
Ingredients :
200 to 250 grams (about 1 cup) of white button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms. (Cut them in halves or quarters with base stalk chopped)
3 tbsp of butter
Bayleaf
1 medium sized onion ( finely chopped)
2-4 medium garlic cloves ( finely chopped)
Whole flour
Black pepper /Ground Pepper
Vegetable Stock /Mushroom Stock
1 cup whole milk
6 tbsp low fat cream
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 to 2 pinches of ground nutmeg powder or grated nutmeg and stir.
Recipe
- Heat a heavy saucepan or pan over low to medium-low heat. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter
- When the butter has almost melted add bay leaf or tej patta (Indian bay leaf) & Sauté until the bay leaf becomes fragrant,
- Add onions and garlic and stir till onions soften
- Add mushrooms
- Give a mix and stir. Mushroom shall release water after a while
- Continue to sauté until all water dries up and add flour.
- Sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add freshly ground black pepper and mix well.
- Now add vegetable stock, or mushroom stock.
- Add milk ( at room temperature), give it a good store and season with some salt.
- Simmer the cream of mushroom soup over medium-low heat until it starts to bubble.
Note: Stir regularly as the soup begins to thicken so that it doesn’t stick to the pan.
- Add cream and mix well.
- Add parsley and sprinkle 1 to 2 pinches of ground nutmeg powder or grated nutmeg. Give it a good stir.
- Switch off the heat and pour the mushroom soup in individual serving bowls. Serve the cream of mushroom soup steaming hot garnished with more freshly chopped parsley or coriander leaves
2. Clear Vegetable Soup
Prep Time : 30 minutes
Ingredients
½ tbsp oil
½ teaspoon finely chopped garlic
¾ teaspoon finely chopped ginger.
¼ cup spring onions
Veggies of your choice ( Suggested :½ cup finely chopped cabbage, ⅓ cup finely chopped carrots, ¼ to ⅓ cup finely chopped capsicum and ¼ cup finely chopped french beans.)
Recipe
- Heat oil, mix garlic & ginger. Sauté till the raw fragrance disappears.
- Add onions. Sauté until translucent.
- Add veggies and Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes on medium-low heat.
- Add water / 3 cups vegetable stock
- Season with salt, pepper and pinch of grated nutmeg.
- Cook on low to medium heat until the veggies are almost done.
- Garnish with chopped spring onion greens or any fresh herbs or chives.
- Serve it immediately.
3.Broccoli Almond Soup
Time : 30 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups Broccoli (chopped into florets)
1 Onion , sliced
4 cloves Garlic finely chopped
1 cup Milk
1/4 cup Whole Almonds (soaked and skin peeled off)
Salt
1 Whole Black Peppercorns (grounded)
1 teaspoon Oil
Recipe
- Heat oil ; add the garlic, onions and saute until the onions have softened.
- Add the broccoli florets and saute for a minute.
- Sprinkle salt, and steam cook for about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Let it cool down.
- Once cooled, add the broccoli onion mixture , soaked almonds and milk into a mixer grinder. Blend to make a smooth puree.
- Pour the puree into a saucepan and bring it to boil before turning off the heat.
- Garnish with chopped almonds, Black pepper and serve hot.
4. Pumpkin & Coconut Milk Soup
One sugar pie pumpkin
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 large or 6 medium garlic cloves, finely choppers
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon cloves
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cups vegetable broth
½ cup full fat coconut milk or heavy cream
2 tbsp honey
¼ cup pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)
- Halve the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds.
- Cut each pumpkin half into quarters by slicing it in half. Place the pumpkin quarters, cut sides down, on the baking sheet after applying 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the pumpkin’s flesh. Roast for 35 minutes or more, or until a fork can be easily inserted into the orange flesh. Allow it to cool for a short while.
- Heat oil and add onion, garlic and salt. Stir until onion is translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Peel off pumpkin skin and add to pumpkin flesh — cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cayenne pepper , and freshly ground black pepper.
- Mesh the pumpkin. Pour in the broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Add to the mixture maple syrup or honey. And take it off the heat.
- Blend this soup.
- Roast pepitas until they pop and give a little fragrance.
- Serve soups with pepitas as garnish.
5. Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Prep Time : 1 hour
Ingredients
6 red bell or pointed peppers (1.6 lbs/750g (around 6 peppers))
1 yellow onion
5 sun dried tomatoes jarred
4 garlic cloves peeled and whole
1 squeeze lemon juice (around ½ tbsp)
2.5 cups vegetable stock (600ml)
Salt and pepper to season
Recipe
- Place in a baking tray — peeled whole garlic cloves.
- Add little oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper then roast in the oven until slightly charred (around 40 minutes).
- Heat oil and add onions. Stir till they are translucent.
- Add the roasted peppers and garlic, sun dried tomatoes and vegetable stock.
- Simmer for 10 minutes and then take it off the heat. Once cool, Blend the mixture.
- Add salt and pepper as per your taste for the seasoning.
Do try these out and tell me which one is your favorite in comments!
Follow my Blog for more on parenting and mom life hacks!