According to science soup and smoothies help to keep you fuller for longer, than if you ate the same ingredients separately.

It is classic comfort food, great for when the weather is chilly, and studies show a link between enjoying soup and an increased sense of well-being. Also, there is a lower risk of obesity and it aids body-weight management.

Additionally, it is a low-cost nutritious meal, and a great way to ensure that you’re consuming plenty of vegetables.

These days there is a huge selection of soups available in grocery stores, but I like homemade varieties, and they are easy to make. I tend to cook a batch of soup at a time, keeping it fresh in my fridge for three days. It also freezes well, but mine never reaches the icebox since leftover soup is delicious served with pasta.

The key to making a tasty hot bowl of yumminess is to layer the flavours. Start with gently frying onion, garlic, and any other herbs and spices you like.

A quick way to make roast tomato and red pepper soup is by roasting the vegetables on moderate heat for about thirty minutes. Cook them more slowly if you like and roast the garlic at the same time.

Once the vegetables are cooked, simply scoop the pulp out of the baking tray, and into the warmed saucepan, where you might have some additional garlic fusing. (You can add a teaspoon of flour to thicken the soup just before you add the water).  Simply just cover the ingredients with boiling water and a vegetable stock cube, and bring to a gentle boil. You can buy a hand-held blender for less than £10 in most supermarkets, or online.

But, if you don’t like tomatoes or bell peppers, then frankly making soup out of any leftover vegetables is as delicious. Get into the habit of weekly clearing out your vegetable box, because floppy vegetables which are still fresh don’t need to get wasted.

Again, start with layering the flavours by firstly gently cooking the onion or garlic, and then add any raw cubed root vegetables first, adding things like broccoli, which take less time to cook afterwards. Equally, if you have any cold leftover vegetables, these can get added too, and you’d add these after about five minutes from putting in the raw produce first. Stir the cubed vegetables up, ensuring you coat them with the oil. Put the heat on the lowest and cover for a few minutes before you cover it with boiling water and a stock cube. Literally just cover the vegetables in boiling water, as too much can make it watery.  Bring the ingredients to a boil then simmer for about ten minutes before you blend.

Equally, chicken or any other leftover cooked meat can be added, and make sure if using poultry you bring the saucepan to a rolling boil for thirty seconds. Keep stirring to evenly distribute the heat.

Pack your soup with nourishment, add pulses and beans, both of which are well-known to be exceptionally good for the diet. Tinned varieties can be put in your soup towards the end of cooking, and even if you don’t like them on their own, you’ll be delighted that you can’t really taste the individual flavours, yet you are boosting your fibre and vitamin intake enormously.

I think you’ll be surprised by just how flavoursome homemade soup is!

I’ve been making soup since I was a young child.  So knowing this demonstrates how easy it is. It’s also incredibly inexpensive and extremely versatile. For instance, with less water in the tomato and red pepper recipe, you have a yummy homemade tomato sauce that you can serve with pasta, rice or fish.

Happy soup-making!

 

SUNNY wishes Emma x