Make your own vegetable stock rather than using a stock cube, which could contain sugar, salt and artificial flavours and preservatives. You can buy organic bouillon powder.
ingredients
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
a handful of fresh parsley, chopped
225g (8oz) fresh spinach, chopped
400ml (14fl oz) vegetable stock or water
juice of ½ lemon
salt & pepper
grated nutmeg (optional)
sprigs of parsley, to garnish
Soften the onion in the olive oil gently, without burning, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook slowly until both are soft. Add the parsley and the spinach- you may need to add the latter in batches, waiting as it cooks down before adding more. Then add the water or vegetable stock and cook gently for 10 minutes maximum. The spinach should still be green; if it begins to change colour before the time is up, remove the pan from the heat immediately.
Stir in the lemon juice and allow the soup to cool a little. Blend, adjusting the consistency by adding more liquid, if desired. Check the seasoning, reheat gently and add a little grated nutmeg (optional). Serve garnished with parsley.
Vegetable Stock
To make you own vegetable stock, slice 1 onion, 2 leeks, 1 fennel bulb and 2 carrots. Place in a large saucepan with some fresh parsley sprigs, coriander seeds, bay leaves and thyme, cover with water and simmer for 45 minutes, then strain.
Carrot & Lentil Soup
The old wives' tale is true- carrots can help you to see in the dark. They can also boost your immune system, make your skin healthier and protect against lung cancer.
ingredients
1 tsp olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
200g (7oz) carrots, chopped
650ml (1 pint 2fl oz) vegetable stock or water
30g (1oz) green lentils, picked over & rinsed
juice of ½ small orange or 1 mandarin
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
salt & pepper
Warm the oil in a heavy pan, add the chopped red onion and cook gently, allowing it to brown a little, for 5 minutes. Add the carrots, stir well, and cook for 2 minutes before adding the stock or water and the lentils. Cook for 20 minutes and then add the orange or mandarin juice.
Remove the thyme leaves from the sprigs and drop them into the soup (reserve some for later). Cook for 5 minutes and add some black pepper. Remove from the heat, allow to cool a little and then blend, adding more liquid if you prefer a thinner soup. Reheat gently, check the seasoning and serve, garnished with the reserved thyme leaves.
Sweetcorn Soup
Sweetcorn provides fibre, folic acid and antioxidants. You can make this soup spicier if you like, but be warned- it's very moreish! This quantity of cayenne produces quite an oomph, but more can be added. If you like hot flavours, then a few flakes of dried red chilli can also be scattered on top as a garnish.
ingredients
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
pinch of cayenne
pepper, to taste
1 x 200g (7oz) can organic sweetcorn, drained
600ml (1 pint) vegetable stock or water
salt & pepper
Soften the onion in the olive oil gently in a pan with a lid; don't let it burn but allow it to colour a little. When the onion is soft, add the cayenne pepper and stir thoroughly. Add the sweetcorn and the stock or water. Cover and cook gently for 25 minutes- the liquid will reduce quite a lot.
Blend the soup thoroughly in a food processor or blender and check the consistency, adding another 100ml (3 ½ fl oz) liquid if wished. Reheat gently and season to taste before serving.
Chickpea, Courgette & Tomato Soup
(serves 2) Chickpeas contain a particular kind of fibre that helps beneficial bacteria in the intestine to do their work. Some nutritionists also claim they have antidepressant qualities.
ingredients
60g (2oz) dried chickpeas
1 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 courgettes (1 green, 1 yellow), chopped into slices & quarter slices
1 x 200g (7oz) can organic chopped tomatoes
water or vegetable stock
½ tsp dried Italian herb mix
fresh herbs, eg. basil, marjoram, oregano, to garnish
Soak the chickpeas overnight. Rinse and drain them, put into fresh water and boil for 10 minutes, removing any froth that forms. Drain and rinse.
Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan with a lid. Add the onion and cook gently until translucent, then add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to ensure that nothing burns. Add the courgettes and stir for 1-2 minutes.
Stir in the chickpeas, tomatoes and enough liquid to cover everything- filling the empty tomato can will make sure that you get all the tomato juice. Add the dried herbs and then cook gently until the chickpeas are tender, about 25 minutes, depending on how fresh they are. Serve the soup in bowls, garnished with a few fresh herb leaves.
Chilled Beetroot Soup
(serves 2) Medics researching blood cholesterol levels think beetroot may help the liver to remove the harmful kind of cholesterol from the blood, so you will be doing your guests a favour. This soup is served cold but it is also good hot. Simply reheat it after blending and don't push through a sieve.
ingredients
1 tsp olive oil
½ small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 raw beetroot
½ tsp ground cumin
200-300g (7-10oz) canned chopped organic tomatoes
300ml (½ pint) water or vegetable stock
salt & pepper
live yoghurt (optional)
RUBY BEETROOT
Don't let the beetroot overcook. If it is cooked in a soup for too long, the deep ruby colour turns to a less attractive brown- so be sure to catch it in time. Around 30 minutes is the maximum cooking time.
Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion and garlic and cook gently for about 5 minutes until softened.
Prepare the beetroot: trim and peel them quickly, chop into slices, cut the slices into quarters and add them to the pan- doing this swiftly will retain more juice. Cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the cumin and tomatoes with the water or stock. Simmer gently until the beetroot is just tender, probably about 20 minutes. If the liquid looks as though it is reducing rather fast, add a little more.
Blend in and season to taste with salt and pepper. Push the soup through a sieve into 2 serving bowls using a wooden spoon. When you've worked all the juice through, scrape the underside of the sieve into the bowl but discard any beetroot and tomato actually remaining in it.
Put the bowls of soup in the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours. Serve with a swirl of live yoghurt if wished. Adding a couple of ice cubes looks refreshing (and keeps it cold).
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