Spicy Real Food Soup

I wasn't sure what to call this soup as it has so many bits and pieces in it but it's all real food so I settled for Spicy Real Food Soup. Its fabulously warming and packed full of good ingredients. The base for the soup was a packet of chopped veg that I bought in Sainsbury's reduced section, one of the criticisms of a real food diet is that it is expensive and time consuming;  this recipe proves that neither has to be true! Using ready prepared veg sometimes if you are short of time is a really good way of making sure you are still eating a good variety of fresh veggies. If you can find them in the reduced aisle even better! Once you have made the soup base with the uncooked veg, water and spices you can then add absolutely anything you have in the fridge! Adding cooked meat gives you a protein source that will keep you full up into the afternoon.

Soup base:

1 bag ready prepared vegetable broth mix
1 tbsp coconut oil/butter
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala

I added:

Left over sprouts
Left over cooked minced beef
1 slice good quality ham
Curry leaves
(Anything else you have in the fridge!)

Method:

In a saucepan melt coconut oil/butter 
Add the vegetables, cumin and coriander and mix round the pan for a few seconds
Add 500ml boiling water, season and bring to boil
Simmer for 45 mins 
Add garam masala and any left over cooked meat or veggies (optional), taste and re-season if required and simmer for another 15 minutes before serving. 

Leftover lamb and sweet potato soup

This is a wonderfully spicy, warming and filling soup ideal for winter evenings and it's pretty simple to make. You can make it as hot and spicy as you like it by adding more curry powder and black pepper. It's packed full of vitamins and minerals. I used lamb because that's what I had and I think lamb works really well with sweet potato but you could use any left over meat. You could also use savoy cabbage instead of the kale.

You will need:

Chopped cooked lamb (or other leftover meat)
1 sweet potato peeled and roughly chopped
1 carrot peeled and roughly chopped
500ml stock or vegetable boullion
1 tbsp (or to taste) medium curry powder 
1/2 tsp garlic granules
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp (or to taste) garam masala
8 curry leaves (optional, I already had some so added them)
2 handfuls kale
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1-2 tbsp natural yogurt or coconut milk/cream (optional)

Method

Add lamb, sweet potato, carrot, stock and curry powder to a saucepan and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 20 mins.

Add the tin of tomatoes, bring back to the boil. Turn down the heat and add the curry leaves and kale and simmer for 10 mins. Turn off the heat, add the garam masala and black pepper, stir and leave to stand for 5 minutes with the lid on before serving to allow the flavours to develop.

Stir in yogurt or coconut milk if you like a creamy soup.

Sweet Potato, Carrot and Ginger Soup

This sweet and spicy soup is absolutely scrummy and packed full of nutrients. Sweet potatoes are one of the most nutrient rich vegetables you can buy and a great source of good carbohydrates. They are packed with calcium, potassium, and vitamins A and C. Carrots are a rich source of Vitamin A particularly in the form of beta-carotene, which gives them their vibrant orange color. Beta-carotene converts into retinol, the most usable form of vitamin A. Ginger is a culinary herb that has been used as a natural remedy for many years and can strengthen the immune system which is always a good thing during the winter when there are so many illnesses lingering around.

You will need:

1 tbsp coconut oil

400g carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

400g sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped

1 onion chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger 

1 litre bone broth or sugar free stock

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1tsp garam masala

Heat the oil in a large pan and cook onion on low heat for 10 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the carrots, sweet potato and ginger. Stir together and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the stock, season and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the veg are tender. Season well with salt and pepper and add the garam masala. Blitz in a food processor until smooth. Gently reheat to serve adding a little stock or coconut milk to thin if needed.

Add grated cheese, coconut oil or coconut milk to make the soup more filling.

Carrot and Coriander soup with coconut milk

I made this soup this morning for lunch, it was really quick and simple to make, as with all soups there's always a certain amount of clearing away afterwards especially when you use a food processor. However home made soup tastes so much better than shop bought and you can leave out any nasty added ingredients like sugar and preservatives. I had my soup with a salad, I find a bowl of soup isn't enough for lunch and I also find the crunch and the time it takes me to get through a big bowl of salad more satisfying.

You will need:

1 tbsp coconut oil or avocado oil
400g carrots, thinly sliced
1 onion chopped
1 garlic clove crushed (optional)
1 tsp coriander seed crushed or handful fresh coriander
750 ml vegetable stock
150 ml coconut milk
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Melt the oil in a saucepan and gently fry the onion, garlic and coriander seed until the onion is soft.

Add the sliced carrots and stock, bring to the boil briefly then simmer for 20 mins.

Blend the soup with a hand held blender or food processor.

Add the coconut milk and salt and pepper to taste (and coriander if using fresh rather than seeds). Reheat gently and serve with a salad.

Note: coconut milk adds good fat to any soups and is ideal if you are avoiding dairy.

Beetroot Soup with Stilton

This recipe is one of the quickest easiest soup recipes I have ever made, it is done in about 10 minutes and the only prep involved really is chopping an onion. Not only does this soup taste really great but beetroot is a rich source of antioxidants and nutrients, including magnesium, sodium, potassium and vitamin C so you are on to a win win situation, healthy and tasty!

You will need:

250g pack cooked beetroot, roughly chopped or sliced

1 onion, diced

 1-2 garlic cloves, crushed (or pinch garlic granules)

1 tbsp healthy oil (butter, avocado oil, macadamia nut oil, coconut oil)

375ml sugar free vegetable stock

25g grated cheese (I used stilton which complemented the soup perfectly)

Method

Cook the onion in the oil for about 10 minutes until soft.

Add the garlic to the pan and gently fry for another 2 minutes.

Add the beetroot and stock and bring to the boil. 

Turn down the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.

Blend the soup until smooth, ladle into bowls and sprinkle with grated cheese. Makes two servings.

If you don't eat dairy you can swirl a couple of tablespoons of coconut milk or cream into the soup instead of the cheese.

Sweet potato and chilli soup

T
his soup has to be one of the nicest I have ever tasted. I adapted it from a recipe from the BBC Good Food website and it was really lovely. It is very thick, almost like a puree so if you like your soup a bit thinner then you can add some more water. If you are trying to avoid dairy then add some coconut cream/milk/oil instead of the cheese and double cream. It is important to add good fats to soups to make them more sustaining as without bread you can often feel hungry again quite quickly. Sweet potatoes are quite high in carbohydrates so this soup would be great on a day when you are going to be active.

You will need:

1 tablespoon good oil (butter, avocado or macadamia nut oil)
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp ground coriander
1 red chilli, seeds removed and chopped (or pinch chilli flakes to taste)
750g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
800 - 1000ml sugar free vegetable stock or water
Pinch paprika, sprinkle of cheese and double cream to taste (I added one tablespoon of cream as I don't like my soups too creamy)

\Method

In a large pan heat the oil and fry the onion, garlic, coriander and chilli until soft.

Add the sweet potatoes and stock, bring to the boil and then simmer for 15 minutes.

Mash or blend until smooth. Add more water if it is too thick for your liking.

Before serving add double cream, cheese and paprika to each bowl.

Pumpkin, ginger and cheese soup

This soup is very heavy on dairy as it contains cream and cheese. Strict paleo dieters don't eat dairy at all but a moderate primal approach does allow dairy. It's very individual as to how you do on dairy, I seem to be fine with it but do choose to eat it in moderation. Other people find it causes them stomach problems or inhibits weight loss if they are aiming to lose some weight. On the plus side this soup is very filling as it contains a lot of fat and so it will keep you going throughout the afternoon if you have it for lunch. Many people (including me!)  find a bowl of vegetable based soup not enough to sustain them for several hours and so will find themselves snacking during the afternoon. This soup should be eaten alone, definitely not one to have with any bread or other carbohydrate based foods.

You will need:

1 large white onion, peeled and sliced
1 large leek, rinsed and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped (or crushed)
3cm piece ginger, peeled and chopped
25g butter
25g coconut oil
1/2 tsp turmeric
600g pumpkin (or butternut squash) peeled, deseeded and roughly chopped
600 ml sugar free vegetable stock
200ml double cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
60g coarsley grated strong cheese

Method

Saute the onion, leek, garlic and ginger in the butter and coconut oil over a low heat with the lid on, stirring occasionally, until everything is soft and wilted.

Add the turmeric, pumpkin or squash and half the stock and cook over a low heat with the lid on until the pumpkin or squash is cooked, approximately 30 mins.

When cooked mash it with a potato masher, it doesn't need to be smooth.

Add the remaining stock, the cream and plenty of coarsley ground pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer with the lid on and cook for 15 minutes.

Season with salt and add nutmeg to taste. Stir in the cheese and ladle into hot soup bowls.

If you want to freeze some or all of this soup don't add the cream or cheese before freezing. Once it is defrosted add the cream and bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes, then add the cheese and serve.