Vegetable soups: complete and nutritious recipes for winter

The comforting power of a hot broth is unquestionable. Source of vitamins and minerals, vegetable soup is the most effective remedy when it comes to combating cold and any type of discomfort.

Soups have been traditionally used around the world as a remedy for any illness or discomfort. And rightly so, since the soup rehydrates us and soothes discomfort such as throat or belly. The secret is its ease of digesting and that, when prepared at home with natural ingredients, provides us with a wide variety of vitamins and minerals.

To prepare a good base vegetable broth we can use all kinds of vegetable remains that we keep (leek roots, broccoli and cauliflower trunks …), as well as whole vegetables (carrot, onion, leek and parsley). They are put in a pot with water over low heat and wait about 45 minutes.

We can add some dehydrated mushrooms and a piece of kombu or wakame seaweed to increase the minerals. Then we strain it and the broth is ready to make a very rich and substantial soup.

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST COMPLETE VEGETABLE SOUPS

If we add pasta, other cereals (brown rice, oat flakes, quinoa, millet, buckwheat or barley) or any type of legumes to the broth, we will have an extra contribution of nutrients.

A highly recommended option is to add cut vegetables to the broth. The soup will be lighter, but you can also sauté it before, add the broth afterwards and let it cook all together.

VEGETABLE SOUP: RECIPES WITH FLAVOR AND TEXTURE

Any aromatic herb or spice that is cooked with the vegetable adds flavor, but you can also experiment with soy sauce, lemon juice, vinegar or nutritional yeast for more complete tastes, and even add vegetable creams and creams.

In addition to adding fresh herbs (parsley, basil or coriander), the croutons (bread, chickpeas, toasted seeds …) will provide a crunchy point.

BARLEY AND KALE SOUP WITH VEGAN PARMESAN AND AROMATIC HERBS

Ingredients:

• 100 g barley
• 200 g kale
• 1/4 small cauliflower
• 1 onion
• 2 carrots
• 1 garlic clove
• 1.5 l water or vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon EVOO
• 1 celery branch
• Vegan Parmesan
• Black pepper
• Salt

Preparation:

1. Wash the barley very well the night before. It is very simple; you just have to put it in a bowl covered with warm water and vinegar or the juice of a lemon. Then, you leave it at room temperature, and so easily help eliminate antinutrients.
2. If you do not have enough time to let the barley soak, add it as is to the pot, but increasing the cooking time by about 10 minutes, more or less.
3. To prepare the soup, strain the barley, pass water and drain it well. Next, peel and chop the onion and garlic. Clean all the vegetables and cut them into small pieces.
4. Place the onion in a pot with hot oil and let it sauté for about eight minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables, a little salt and sauté five more minutes. Next, add the barley, water, salt, black pepper and cover the pot. Let everything cook over low heat for about 40 minutes, until the barley is well cooked.
5. Add the chopped kale and keep it on the heat for another five minutes. Serve the soup garnishing with grated vegan Parmesan on top.

Trick. To give it more flavor, add spices such as paprika, cumin or curry or aromatic herbs such as thyme or rosemary.

TURMERIC AND GINGER SOUP WITH CHICKPEAS, SHITAKE MUSHROOMS AND A TOUCH OF LEMON

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons cooked chickpeas
• 150 g shiitake mushrooms
• 8 cm turmeric root or 2 teaspoons powder
• 4 cm ginger
• 1 potato
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1/4 white cabbage
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 l of water or broth
• 4 teaspoons miso
• 2 tablespoons EVOO
• 1 handful of parsley
• 1 cayenne, pepper and salt
• Lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Prepare the vegetables. Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Then, remove the bark from the ginger and turmeric and grate them. As the color of turmeric is very intense, it is preferable that you wear gloves to handle it and thus avoid getting dirty. Peel the carrot and potato and chop them. Then, cut the cabbage and mushrooms into strips.
2. Heat the olive oil in a pot. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, fresh turmeric and cayenne and sauté for about 10 minutes with a pinch of salt, until the onion is transparent.
3. Add the remaining vegetables, add salt and pepper to taste and cook five more minutes. Add the chickpeas, turmeric powder (if the one you are going to use) and vegetable broth or water. Bring to a boil, cover and let cook over low heat for 20 minutes, until the vegetable is cooked. If you want, add more water.
4. Turn off the heat, and in a cup mix the miso with a little broth. Add this preparation to the pot and mix it well. Serve with fresh parsley and a splash of lemon juice.

Trick. To strengthen the digestive system, cook the potato with skin about 20 minutes the day before and put it in the fridge. Add it to the soup five minutes before it’s ready and it will create starches that nourish the good bacteria in your gut.

VEGETABLE MINESTRONE SOUP WITH BEANS, WHOLEMEAL PASTA AND PESTO SAUCE

Ingredients:

• 400 g cooked white beans
• 100 g wholemeal pasta
• 600 g peanut squash
• 400 g crushed tomato
• 1 onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 celery branch
• 2 bay leaves
• 1.5 l water or vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon aromatic herbal mixture
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons pesto

Preparation:

1. Wash, peel and chop the vegetables you are going to use, both onion and garlic, carrot and celery. Then cut them into slices. Separate the pulp from the pumpkin and cut it into small cubes.
2. Add the chopped onion and a pinch of salt in a pot with warm olive oil. Let it be sautéed over medium heat for about seven minutes, then add the rest of the vegetable and allow it to continue cooking for about five more minutes while you are stirring.
3. Add the aromatic herbs and wait about 30 seconds, more or less, so they can give off all their aroma.
4. Add the tomato, beans, water, bay leaf and salt and cook for about 25-30 minutes. Once you have verified that the pumpkin is already tender, it is time to add the pasta. Mix well and keep on the fire until al dente (about 10 minutes).
5. To plate, serve the desired amount in each container and put a little pesto sauce on top, as a final touch.

Trick. You can add any vegetable you have in the fridge: leek, pepper, pods, zucchini, spinach, chard, kale … The green leaves incorporate them in the last minutes.

LEEK SOUP WITH HEMP CREAM AND RYE BREAD CROUTONS

Ingredients:

• 3 leeks
• 2 tablespoons EVOO
• 1 l of water
• A pinch of cumin
• A pinch of nutmeg
• Black pepper
• Salt

For croutons –

• 4 slices rye bread
• 1 tablespoon EVOO
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• A pinch of salt

For hemp cream:

• 75 g hemp seeds
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 8 tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

1. Remove the root and harder leaves of the leek and make a vertical cut in half. Make sure there is no dirt left and chop it into thin slices.
2. Heat the oil in a pot and add the leek and a pinch of salt. Sauté it for about seven minutes with the spices and add the water. When it boils, cover it and let it cook for about 15 minutes.
3. For croutons Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Cut the bread into cubes and mix them with the oil and spices. Place them on a tray lined with vegetable paper and bake 8-10 minutes, until crispy.
4. For the cream. Crush all the ingredients with the help of a blender until you get a smooth cream. Book it.
5. Remove the leeks from heat once cooked and let them cool for about five minutes. Then, add the cream carefully so as not to cut it. Check the taste and serve with the croutons and a little black pepper.

Trick. You can add two potatoes with the leek.

VEGAN EXPRESS RAMEN WITH SWEET POTATO NOODLES, CRISPY TOFU AND BROCCOLI BOUQUETS

Ingredients:

• 250 g tofu
• 1 large sweet potato
• 1 broccoli
• 3 garlic cloves
• 6 tablespoons tamari
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1.5 l water or broth
• 1 piece of ginger
• 3 tablespoons EVOO
• Cayenne flakes
• Fresh cilantro
• Black sesame seeds
• Avocado
• Hot chili sauce
• Lemon juice
• Salt

Preparation:

1. Dry the tofu well and cut it into cubes. In a small bowl mix two tablespoons of tamari and a clove of garlic with the tofu. Sprinkle the cornstarch on top and set aside.
2. Prepare the sweet potato noodles. Cut the ends, peel it and make the noodles with the help of a spiralizer or peeler.
3. Heat a tablespoon of sesame oil in a pot and add a chopped garlic, grated ginger and pinch of cayenne flakes. Sauté it all for a couple of minutes and add the sweet potato noodles, salt, four tablespoons of tamari and water or vegetable broth.
4. Cook over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes, until the noodles are cooked, and meanwhile heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan and fry the tofu on all sides until golden brown. Remove it from the pan and store it.
5. Cut each bunch of broccolis in half and sauté it with a little salt in the same pan as before about seven minutes.
6. Spread the soup into bowls and complete with tofu, broccoli, a little fresh cilantro, some sesame seeds, avocado cubes, lemon porridge and chili sauce.

Trick: Add brown rice or buckwheat noodles if you want a more forceful soup.

4 INGREDIENTS THAT MAKE YOUR SOUPS BETTER

Ginger. This spicy spice helps warm us up during the cold months and facilitates the digestive process.

Turmeric. It has important anti-inflammatory effects that benefit, for example, the liver and heart.

Miso. A teaspoon of this fermented paste helps boost defenses. It is added after cooking.

Algae. They provide many minerals, fiber, antioxidants and high-quality proteins.