Packed with vegetables, these easy ways to your five-a-day are perfect for batch cooking
You can't get better central heating than home-made soup; enjoy these tasty bowlfuls of hearty wholesomeness simmering on the stove...
Celeriac Soup with Truffle Oil
Serves: 4
Prep: 30 mins
Cooking: 25 mins
INGREDIENTS
- 75g unsalted butter
- 1 tsp groundnut oil
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1 leek and 1 onion, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 4 sage leaves
- 700g celeriac, peeled and cubed
- 1 litre chicken stock
- 250ml double cream
- Truffle oil and parsnip crisps to garnish
- Heat a wide sauté pan and add 25g butter plus the oil – fry the garlic, leek and onion with the sage for 3 – 4 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Add the celeriac and stock, bring up to a simmer and cook for 10 – 15 minutes until the celeriac is tender.
- In batches, blend everything together and return to the heat in a clean saucepan. Reheat gently, add the cream, whisk in the remaining 50g of butter and season with salt and white pepper.
- When it’s piping hot, divide the soup between four bowls, top with a few parsnip crisps, drizzle over a little truffle oil and serve.
- If you don’t like the flavour of truffle, then garnish with a drizzle of cream or some sautéed mushroom slices.
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Roast Pumpkin and Chilli Soup
Serves: 4
Prep: 25 mins
Cooking: 70 mins
INGREDIENTS
- 1.5kg pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into wedges
- 2 red onions, peeled and halved
- 3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried chilli flakes - 1 litre hot vegetable stock
- 40g pumpkin seeds, 1 tsp walnut oil and ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- Crème fraîche
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas 5. Place the pumpkin, onion and chilli onto two large baking trays and drizzle over the olive oil – roast for 1 hour until soft.
- In batches, blend the pumpkin and onion with the stock until smooth – return to a clean pan and reheat, seasoning to taste.
- Meanwhile, stir together the pumpkin seeds, oil and cinnamon in a bowl, spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 8 – 10 minutes until golden.
- Serve the soup with a sprinkling of the seeds, a spoon of crème fraîche and a drizzle of chilli oil.
Etruscan Bean Soup with Garlic Croûtes
Serves: 4
Prep: 20 mins
Cooking: 25 mins
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 slices pancetta, chopped
- 1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1 large sprig rosemary
- 2 ribs celery, trimmed and finely chopped
- 2 x 425g cans cannellini beans
- 1 litre chicken stock
- 8 thin slices from a baguette
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
- Chopped parsley to serve
- Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the pancetta until golden brown but not crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.
- Add the onion, garlic, rosemary and celery to the pan and fry for 3 – 4 minutes until translucent. Add the beans with the liquid from the tin along with the stock and pancetta and simmer gently for 10 – 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile heat the oven to 200ºC/Gas 6, brush the bread with the oil and bake for 5 mins until golden. Rub each slice with the garlic and reserve.
- In batches, purée the bean mixture in a blender and return to a clean pan – gently reheat and adjust the seasoning as necessary, adding a little more stock if the soup is too thick.
- Serve the soup with 2 croûtons per bowl with a scattering of parsley and a drizzle of good olive oil.