Healthy soup recipes

Rain’s out, soup’s out. There’s nothing like a bowl of hot soup on a chilly winter’s day…

Spicy Thai chicken soup

A delicious twist on your typical chicken winter soup, this Thai version delivers even more immune-boosting nutrients with garlic, ginger and lean protein.

Ingredients

2t coconut oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
½ cup red pepper, chopped
4t ginger, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk lemongrass, left whole
2 small green chillies, diced
3 cups low sodium, chicken broth
1 ¼ cups light coconut milk
4t low sodium soy sauce
1T xylitol
2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded
¼ cup green onions, chopped
2 T fresh lime juice
2 T coriander, chopped

Method

– Heat your oil in a large saucepan on medium heat.
– Add mushrooms, garlic, ginger, red pepper and lemongrass and cook for a few minutes. Add your chillies and cook for a further minute.
– Pour in your chicken stock, coconut milk, soy sauce and xylitol and simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes.
– Stir in your chicken and heat for a further minute. Remove the lemongrass and top your soup with the green onions, coriander and lime juice.

Red pepper Gazpacho

This flavourful soup packs even more of a nutritional punch because of its all-raw ingredients. The high vitamin C content and immune-boosting garlic and cayenne pepper make this a great winter option. It is best served after the flavours have mingled for several hours or overnight, so make it in advance. Enjoy at room temperature or chilled.

Ingredients
5 ripe tomatoes
½ cucumber, chopped
1 red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic
1T freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup water
½ t cayenne pepper
2T fresh parsley or coriander, chopped
1 avocado, diced (optional)

Method

– Blend together all ingredients except parsley and avocado until smooth.
– Chill for a minimum of two hours.
– When you’re ready to serve, gently stir in the avocado and parsley or coriander.

Mediterranean grilled vegetable soup

This is a delicious low-calorie soup for a filling winter meal. Roasting your veggies beforehand really does give a one-up on flavour on what is essentially a very simple soup.

Ingredients

2 red peppers, cored, seeded and halved
1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and halved
3 large vine-ripened tomatoes, cored and chopped
2 small zucchini, trimmed and quartered
1 red onion, peeled and cut into ½ inch-thick slices
2T coconut oil
3 cloves garlic, left whole
½t dried oregano
¼ cup shredded basil leaves
2T balsamic vinegar
Himalayan rock salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Method

– Heat your oven to 200 degrees. Place all your veggies, including the garlic, on a tray and dress with the coconut oil. Place your peppers apart and skin-side up. Roast for 20-30 minutes until cooked. Keep an eye on your peppers and pull them out when the skins are blackened. Pop them immediately into a plastic bag and knot.
– After a few minutes, unknot the packet and pull the skins off your peppers. They should come off easily.
– Pop all remaining ingredients into a blender. You will need to squeeze the roasted garlic out of their skins. Blend until your desired consistency, saving a few basil leaves for garnish.

Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Which recipe are you keen to try? Share your go-to dishes with us #WinterWarmers.

Recipes via fitness expert Lisa Raleigh.