If you’re not a fan of soup, I’ve got here the best way to make sure that your winter vegetable soup is a success !
My soup recipe process is very simple: chop vegetables, cook in boiling water for thirty minutes, blend well, and serve with crusty bread. The variations or secret ingredient that make it perfect are detailed below.
Winter Vegetable Soup
When winter comes and you want to eat cosy but delicious foods, soup is not always the first meal that comes to mind. I know, I used to think the same! Especially when I was a child and we would have soup literally every evening, it became a bit redundant.
But now I could literally have it every day, because I follow simple steps to make it delicious every single time.
The basic item that goes into a soup is the vegetables. I go for minimum two, but you can mix and match, add more. The best thing is adding colourful vegetables because they’re full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
You can literally add any vegetables that you have, hanging out in your fridge, even the ones that look a bit sad, or leftovers. We’re going to mix it up at the end so have a big clear out if needed.
I also add vegetable stock to make sure that the flavours come out.
Ginger, Garlic and Onion
The winning combo when making a soup. If it’s winter, you likely want to add as many nutrients as possible because it’s cold, you’re not getting as many sun aka vitamin D as needed. You want to protect yourself from all the germs going around and eat food that can actually help.
For that purpose, all of the above are fantastic. Ginger is an anti-inflammatory, and adds a great taste to everything. Garlic and onion are antibacterial and contain minerals that fight the common cold.
On their own, you might not want to eat them, but blended in a soup, you will barely notice they’re there. So you get the benefits but not the after taste, win-win.
Coconut Milk
This is where my secret ingredient becomes your best friend. At the end of the soup cooking, when I transfer to a blender or use a bending stick, I will add coconut milk from a can. Whether your coconut milk has solidified or not, you can add half or the full can of 400mL. It will mix well when blended.
I tend to do half a can for three people, one saucepan. But if you are cooking in a big cooker and your soup will serve 6 people, add the full can definitely.
Adding the coconut milk will make your soup smooth and creamy, give it a velvety taste, and that is how I make my soup delicious every single time.
If you have vegetables with a powerful taste, or strong earthy flavours, the coconut milk makes it milder. And even when you have odd vegetables together, it will bind them in a soft cream. I absolutely love it.
One Dominant Spice
To finish the soup, just before mixing, I like to add a dominant spice. I always add ginger, cumin and paprika at the beginning.
But to finish and at the same stage as the coconut milk, I will add a table spoon of curry spice, or garam masala, depending on what I have on hand.
This is where you can try different flavours, be creative with your choice.
That step with the coconut milk one are what makes the best soups, whatever the vegetables, however long you cook everything. These are my non-negotiables when I make a vegetable soup.
Add-Ons to Finish your Vegetable Soup
I usually make my soup with just vegetables, and my grandmother would always add a potato for texture.
To add even more flavour or texture, you could add some chicken leftovers, or red lentils. For the soup to capture the taste, make sure to add them during the cooking stage, not just at the end.
You can also add herbs like thyme or sage during the cooking stage, and then remove them when you blend the soup. Or add a bunch of fresh basil at the end, or grated cheese.
Serve the vegetable soup with crusty bread, sprinkle toasted seeds, add a drizzle of olive oil, and voila !
Let me know in the comments which is your favourite technique / step.
For more soup recipes, check out my Nutty Parsnip Soup, or the Vegan Vegetable & Noodle Broth.
