5 healthy and easy soups

Soups are a great way to have a filling meal that is also healthy and easy to make. Here are recipes for five soups that I've tried and tested. All are onion and vegetable stock based. Some are vegetarian, some are vegan, and all are gluten-free. I always make soup in a large batch, so the quantities I've given are enough to serve 4-5, or do a single person for a whole working week. I find that all my soups keep in the fridge well Monday-Friday, assuming it is a lock-tight Tupperware style box. To be on the safe side, you might want to split the soups containing meat into a fridge batch and a freezer batch, so you can take the latter out mid-week, or as and when required.

Enjoy!

Butternut squash and orange

Ingredients

a small knob of butter

1 white onion, chopped

2 medium sized squashes, cubed

1 vegetable stock cube (Knorr is gluten-free)

zest and juice of 1 large orange

salt and pepper

Method

1. heat the butter in a large pot and sweat the onions until slightly softened.

2. throw in the cubed squash, add salt and pepper, and give it a good stir to ensure the squash is coated in seasoning.

3. fry and stir continuously for 2 minutes.

4. add the stock to the pan - add enough to almost cover all the veg, but do not drown it.

5. bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the squash is soft.

6. add in the orange juice and zest.

7. blend the soup and serve/leave to cool and freeze.

Cauliflower and apple

Ingredients

a small knob of butter

1 white onion, chopped

2 medium sized cauliflowers, cut into small florettes

1 vegetable stock cube (Knorr is gluten-free)

2 small apples (something like Braeburns), cubed

salt and pepper

Method

1. heat the butter in a large pot and sweat the onions until slightly softened.

2. throw in the cauliflower and apples, add salt and pepper, and give it a good stir to ensure the mix is coated in seasoning.

3. fry and stir continuously for 2 minutes.

4. add the stock to the pan - add enough to almost cover all the veg and apple, but do not drown it.

5. bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the cauliflower is soft.

6. blend the soup and serve/leave to cool and freeze.

Broccoli and Stilton

Ingredients

a small knob of butter

1 white onion, chopped

2 medium sized brocollis, cut into small florettes

1 vegetable stock cube (Knorr is gluten-free)

200g blue Stilton cheese

salt and pepper

Method

1. heat the butter in a large pot and sweat the onions until slightly softened.

2. throw in the brocolli, add salt and pepper, and give it a good stir to ensure the brocolli is coated in seasoning.

3. fry and stir continuously for 2 minutes.

4. add the stock to the pan - add enough to almost cover all the veg, but do not drown it.

5. bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the brocolli is soft.

6. crumble the Stilton into the soup mixture and stir until all of the cheese is melted.
7. blend the soup and serve/leave to cool and freeze.

Pea and ham

Ingredients

a small knob of butter

1 white onion, chopped

1 bag of frozen peas

1 vegetable stock cube (Knorr is gluten-free)

1 packet of smoked back bacon (cut into lardons)

salt and pepper

Method

1. heat the butter in a large pot and sweat the onions until slightly softened.
2. add the bacon and fry until slightly browned.

3. add the whole bag of peas, add salt and pepper, and give it a good stir to ensure the mix is coated in seasoning.

4. fry and stir continuously for 2 minutes.

5. add the stock to the pan - add enough to almost cover all the veg and bacon, but do not drown it.

6. bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the peas are soft and the bacon cooked.

7. blend the soup and serve/leave to cool and freeze.

Tomato, bean and chorizo

Ingredients

a small knob of butter

1 white onion, chopped

2 cans of chopped tomatoes
1 can of beans (I used haricot)
1 vegetable stock cube (Knorr is gluten-free)

1 small ring of chorizo (cubed)

salt and pepper

Method

1. heat the butter in a large pot and sweat the onions until slightly softened.
2. add the chorizo and fry until slightly browned.

3. add the 2 whole tins of tomatoes and tin of beans, add salt and pepper, and give it a good stir to ensure the mix is well combined.

4. add the stock to the pan - it shouldn't need much given the liquidity of the chopped tomatoes.

5. bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the chorizo is cooked.

6. blend the soup and serve/leave to cool and freeze.