Where I am living at the moment there is 12 inches of snow and still falling down! Winter is definitely the season for SOUP! Do you get bored with the same flavours? Can’t think of what to make next? Let me help you, these recipes are not only simple to make but very nutritious too and very filling.
Whether it’s after a long day at work or out battling the cold weather, there’s nothing that quite compares to tucking in to a warm bowl of soup, it’s soul-food at its very best. Whether you’re a culinary extraordinaire and want to try out some fabulously unique soup flavours, or you’re looking to make a quick midweek dinner for the whole family, my wee winter warmer soup EBook is for you.
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It is Winter Season here in Scotland and is -4 deg today and very snowy. There is nothing better that a big pot of homemade soup to warm you up on days like this. I had a big pack of lentils in the cupboard and was going to make a traditional carrot & lentil soup but then I discovered some Green Thai paste hiding behind my tin of custard & yes you’ve guessed it Green Thai Lentil Soup it was. Just the ticket too, with the spice it really warmed us up lovely and was very satisfying and filling. Another great recipe to add to the collection.
Makes enough for 4 servings
150g Green Lentils, pre-soaked and rinsed ready to cook
1 Large Sweet Potato, chopped into cubes
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
1 Piece Fresh Ginger, grated (about 2cm)
50g Thai Green Curry Paste, (I used the Blue Dragon one)
1 400g Can Coconut Milk
1 Tbsp Dried Coriander & small handful chopped fresh to serve
1/2 litre Vegetable Stock
Juice of 1 Lemon (about 1 Tbsp)
In a large pan, heat the oil and cook the garlic and ginger for a few minutes then add in the Thai Green Paste and mix through for a further 3-4 minutes.
Add in the chopped sweet potato, lentils, vegetable stock, coconut milk and lemon juice, bring to the boil then simmer covered for about 30 minutes.
Remove lid and sprinkle in the dried coriander and mix through, stirring for a minute or 2.
Remove from the heat and using a hand blender, blend the soup until you reach a smooth and thick consistancey.
Serve with some fresh coriander on top.
This recipe is also good for batch cooking, freezing and keeping for later.
Cullen Skink is an authentic Scottish Thick Soup from Cullen, North East Scotland. It’s main ingredients are Smoked Haddock, Potatoes and Onion, which makes a lovely home comforting dish that lasts through the years. It’s one of our most popular dishes in my household, especially in the Autumn/Winter Seasons. Traditionally it is served with bread.
Initially, Cullen Skink referred to a type of broth made with the scrapings of beef from the front legs of cattle, hence ‘Skink’ as this means shin. Hard times in the early 1890s left the Northern people unable to buy this product. By this time, Cullen Harbour (completed in 1819) had become the thriving centre of herring fishing and the village also specialised in the production of smoked haddock. With many families in the local villages having a fishing background, they turned to smoked haddock which was in plentiful supply. By using smoked haddock and various other products all put together, a distinctive delicious soup was made.
Makes 2 large bowls
2 Smoked Haddock Fillets
1 White Onion, Diced
1/2 Leek, sliced, white part only
350g White Potatoes, peeled and diced
300ml Milk
100ml Single Cream or Creme Friache
1 Bay Leaf
40g Butter
Salt & Pepper to taste
Handful of Chopped Parsley
Melt the butter in a pan and add the onion & leeks, cook for a few minutes then add the potatoes and continue to cook for a few minutes.
Add the milk, bay leaf & season. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer. Gently add the haddock to the pot and simmer gently for about 15 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon remove the haddock,from the pan place onto a chopping board and remove the skin, break into chunks, add back to the pan along with the cream and mix through, heat through gently for a few minutes.
Remove the Bay leaf and sprinkle over the parsley then serve into bowls.
It is definitely soup season, nights are getting darker, air is getting colder and a bowl of warm soup is the perfect recipe after a long days work. If you are looking for a really tasty soup that is simple to make with simple store cupboard ingredients then this is for you. The things I love about soup is that you can make a huge pot and freezer it for later. Tasty cooking can not get any simpler than this.
I harvested some of my Carrots and Parsnips at the weekend, so this was what I had decided upon. With some good quality crusty bread on the side this is perfect for lunch or dinner. The bright orange colour also brightens up your dinner table.
Full of nutrition too, with Carrots & Parsnips both being full of good Vitamin C this can help boost your immune system at this time of year and very low in calories too. Lets not forget the spices, with cumin being a great aid for the digestive system and also full or iron. Garlic, with its active compounds which can help reduce blood pressure and also combat sickness including the common cold. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory and a powerful antioxidant, was classed as a Superfood too. It’s a win, win soup for me this season.
Vegetable Harvest, Carrots & Parsnips
Serves 4
8 Medium Size Carrots, Chopped (I keep the skin on but you can peel if you prefer)
6 Medium Size Parsnips, Peeled & Chopped
3 Celery Stalks, Chopped
1 White Onion, Chopped
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Ginger Granules or 1 tbsp freshly grated Ginger
1 tsp Garlic Powder or 2 garlic cloves – minced
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Ground Coriander
1 tsp Turmeric
1.5 litres good Vegetable Stock
Salt & Pepper to taste
A Little Swirl of Cream to serve and a sprinkling of pumpkin or sunflower seeds (Optional)
Crusty Bread to serve (Optional)
Pre heat the oil in a large pot on medium to high heat, add the onions and celery and cook until onions are translucent.
Add in the spices (cumin, garlic, coriander, turmeric, ginger) and mix through until coated.
Add in the parsnips, carrots and vegetable stock, season & bring to the boil then reduce and simmer for 25-30 minutes.
Take off the heat and using a hand blender, blend the vegetables to make a smooth thick consistancey.
Serve into bowl and finish with a swirl of cream and sprinkle of seeds.
You can keep soup in a fridge for about 3 days and freezer for up to 3 months.
Its definitely soup season, I woke to -5 deg this morning….very cold. Using up some leftovers in my fridge, mainly carrot and onion I decided to make a warming soup. This was delicious and hit the spot right. I used my steampot, so steaming the vegetables made this even more nutritious and flavorsome.
Makes 3 Servings
4 large carrots
1 large onion
500ml Vegetable Stock
60g Bulgur Wheat
1 tsp garlic granules
1 1/2 tsp Cumin
1 1/2 tsp dried coriander
Salt & Pepper to taste
Chop up the onion & carrots into chunks and place in the steam pot with 200ml of the vegetable stock and cook on steam setting for 8 minutes.
Remove steam pot lid and add in the rest of the stock then blitz with a hand blender until well blended and smooth.
Stir in the spices/herbs and bulgur wheat and cook on microwave at 750w for 3 minutes.
Remove and stir. Season and serve.
you can of course make a big batch and freezer for later.
It’s Halloween Season, my favourite time of the year, beautiful crisp air, colourful leaves on the trees, dark cosy nights, everything spooky and weird, and amazing food flavours around. To be honest this is my first time with Pumpkin, I’ve never cooked it before myself, I thought I would try steam cooking it for more flavour and making a creamy soup as it was a really cold day here today. Was delicious.
Makes 1 large portion
250g chopped pumpkin
30g sliced leek
30ml double cream
300ml vegetable stock
30g Bulgur Wheat
Salt & pepper to taste
Place the pumpkin and leeks with 100ml of the stock into the bottom of the steam pot and cook on dynamic steam for 8 minutes. Otherwise, place stock in a pan with pumpkin & leeks, & additional 100ml stock then bring to boil, reduce slightly & cook covered until soft.
Remove lid and pour in the rest of the stock and the cream, season with salt & pepper and blend with a hand blender until smooth.
If using pot its the same method as above.
Add in the Bulgur Wheat to the creamed soup and cook on microwave 900w for 3 minutes.
Or simmer in pan for 5 – 7 minutes.
Remove from microwave/pan and serve with some toasted pumpkin seeds and a drizzle of olive oil.
You can also add in some toasted croutons if you like.
After coming down with the cold over the holidays, I was on a mission not only to eat healthier but to use food as a natural healer, so that means more antioxidants and vegetables. Turmeric has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant.
Serves 2
1 Cauliflower
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 onion – chopped
salt & pepper to season
1 pint of vegetable broth
1/2 can of coconut milk
2 tbsp fresh chopped coriander
Pre-heat you oven to 230 deg C.
Chop up the cauliflower into small florets/cubes, add in the chopped garlic and oil into a bowl and mix through until all combined.
Place the cauliflower onto a baking tray and bake for about 25 mins.
Heat a tbsp oil in a pan and gently fry the onion, add the veg stock and bring to the boil, add in the cauliflower then cover and simmer for about 15 mins.
Add in the coconut milk and stir through, using a hand blender, blend until smooth.
Cook your rice separately then once ready add to the soup and mix through.
Well I was Opting for a Spicy Weekend this weekend………………….(naughty…naughty!)……..and this polishes off my Sunday. Delicious and filling Soup with a bit of spice!
Serves 2
1 Sweet Potato
1 tsp ground coriander
4 spring onions
1 red chilli
1 tsp olive oil
Handful of tortilla chips (I used Doritos with a hint of lime)
15g fresh coriander
400g ripe tomatoes
2 gloves of garlic
1 can chickpeas (400g)
Feta cheese for garnish (optional)
Preheat oven to 200 deg. Wash and peel sweet potato, cut into 1cm cubes.
Season potatoes with salt, pepper and ground coriander, drizzle with oil and bake for 30 mins.
Meanwhile, chop the spring onions finely, slice the chilli and coriander, add to a pan with little oil and fry for about 2 mins.
Crush into the pan the garlic, cut tomatoes into quarters then add in to pot.
Tip in the chickpeas with juices and top up with 500ml of boiling water, bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 mins.
After 20 mins, remove from heat and mash up the tomatoes. Add in the sweet potato and crush in the tortillas, mix through, season well and serve. Garnish with fresh coriander and feta if chosen. YUMMY!!!
you can of course make a big batch and freezer for later.
THE WEE CALEDONIAN COOK 
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