The key to creating healthy and nutritious soups is obviously to remove the' bad stuff’ so commonly used as the base for traditional soups – these include cream, salt and gluten.

In their place strong flavours need to be added as many vegetable based soups can taste quite bland. Ideas to experiment with are fresh herbs such as garlic, ginger, onion, mixed spices (cumin, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, fennel seeds, paprika, curry powder, jalapenos, and chilli), olives and fresh nuts. The trick is to cook these added flavours first in a very small amount of extra virgin cold pressed olive oil. This should take about 5 minutes on a medium flame.

Next add your choice of vegetables, beans, fruit etc… and then add water to fully cover the vegetables in the pan. Simmer this on a medium heat for approximately 30 minutes to 1.5 hours. This will ensure that all the flavours have infused through the vegetables. Let the soup mixture cool a bit and then simply puree it in a blender. Most soups can be then served hot or cold and you can use chopped herbs, seeds or nuts to garnish.

For a creamier tasting soup you can replace cream or milk with coconut milk (ideally low fat) – this will add a distinctly authentic Thai twist to any combination of tastes.

Soup Recipes

Sweet Potato Soup 

Serves 6

Ingredients: 

2 onions

1 kg sweet potatoes – peeled and cut in large pieces

1 tbls extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic – crushed

a few sprigs of fresh thyme – remove from stems

or 1/2 tsp oregano

2 dried bay leaves

1 small dried chilli pepper – crushed or chopped finely (optional)

1 – 2 tbls white miso fresh ground black pepper

garnish: small bunch or fresh chives or parsley

Method: 

1) Heat a medium size soup pan over medium to high flame.

2) Add olive oil and sauté the onions with the garlic, thyme or oregano, bay leaves, and chilli pepper. Reduce heat if necessary to avoid scorching.

3) When onions are glassy and sweet smelling add the sweet potatoes and sauté for a few minutes.

4) Add enough water to cover the vegetables. Bring soup to boil and remove Kombu. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until vegetables are soft.

5) Add the white miso diluted in a little of the hot soup broth.

6) Use a potato masher or metal whisk to lightly blend the soup.

7) Give it a twist of fresh pepper and serve piping hot with your choice garnish.

Roast Pepper and Tomato Soup with White Beans 

Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients: 

4 peppers

6 tomatoes

1 chopped onion

Vegetable stock powder

1 can of white beans

Fresh, chopped basil

Method: 

1) Place the peppers on an oven tray and place in a hot oven at 180 degrees.

2) After 30 minutes add the tomatoes and roast for a further 30 minutes, or until the peppers are starting to blacken.

3) Remove from the oven and tip into a bowl.

4) Cover the bowl with cling film so that the skins can be steamed off naturally after about 20 minutes. Then, discard the skins and roughly chop up the peppers.

5) Place the tomatoes and peppers into a saucepan with the chopped onion and 800ml of water, and a small spoon of vegetable stock powder.

6) Boil until the onion is soft and then add half the can of white beans.

7) Whizz the whole lot in a blender until smooth. Then add the remaining beans.

Serve with fresh chopped basil.

A very healthy and really delicious dish!

Kim