8 soup recipes to warm up your friends and family

Lemon Orzo Soup with Chicken

This creamy and bright orzo soup comes together in a snap and delivers on flavour. If you have leftovers, simply add a little more stock before reheating. 

Ingredients

8 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup orzo (small pasta similar in shape to barley)
300g skinless, boneless chicken breast, chopped small
3 eggs
Juice of one lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Small handful of parsley, chopped

 Method 

1. Bring stock to the boil in a large pot. Add orzo and reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Add chicken and simmer for a further 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together eggs and lemon juice in a medium-size bowl.
4. Using a ladle, spoon ⅓ hot stock into the egg mix. This will stop the egg from scrambling in the soup.
5. Add egg mixture to the rest of the soup. Simmer for 3 minutes until soup thickens.
6. Season to taste and serve with a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

Sweet Potato and Yellow Split Pea Soup

Packed with immunity boosting vitamins yet minimal on ingredients, this smooth and creamy soup is easy to make.

Ingredients

8 ½ cups water
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups dried yellow split peas
1 tbs fresh ginger, grated
1 tbs toasted pumpkin seeds
1 tbs toasted sunflower seeds

Method

1. Add onions and ½ cup water to a medium pot and heat until translucent.
2. Add ginger and saute for 2 minutes.
3. Add remaining water, sweet potato and peas and bring to the boil.
4. Reduce heat, cover and allow to simmer for 1 hour.
5. Remove lid and simmer for a further 10 minutes uncovered.
6. Allow to cool slightly, then working in batches, puree soup in a blender or food processor.
7. Garnish with toasted seeds to serve.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Containing ginger, this aromatic broth will not only warm you up on a winter’s evening, it will help cure your cold too!

Ingredients
900ml chicken stock (alternatively use miso soup mix)
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 tsp fresh ginger, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
50g rice noodles
2 tbs sweet corn, canned or frozen
2-3 mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 spring onion, shredded
2 tsp soy sauce, plus extra for serving
Mint or basil leaves
Shredded chilli to serve

Method

1. Pour stock into a large pan along with chicken, ginger and garlic. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, and then simmer for 20 minutes partially covered.
2. Remove chicken and transfer to a chopping board. Using two forks, shred chicken into bite-size pieces.
3. Return chicken to stock along with noodles, corn, mushrooms, soy sauce and half the spring onions. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until the noodles are tender.
4. Ladle into bowls and finish with remaining spring onion, herbs, chilli and a sprinkle of soy sauce.

Classic Minestrone

Comfort food doesn’t get much better than in the form of a hearty minestrone soup. Packed with flavour and incredibly nutritious, it works to warm the belly and tantalise the tastebuds.

Ingredients

1 clove garlic
1 red onion
2 carrots
2 celery sticks
1 zucchini
1 small leek
1 large potato
400g tin cannellini beans
2 rashes of smoked streaky bacon
2 400g tin diced tomato
4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup seasonal greens (kale, cabbage, chard), stalks removed
100g wholemeal pasta
½ tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
½ bunch fresh basil
Parmesan cheese to serve

Method

1. Prep vegetables (minus the potato) by washing, trimming and roughly chopping into bite-size pieces.
2. Scrub and dice the potato, drain the cannellini beans, and set aside.
3. Finely dice the bacon.
4. Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the bacon and fry gently for 2 minutes.
5. Add vegetables, oregano and bay leaf and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Add potato, beans, tomatoes and stock. Stir to combine.
7. Cover with a lid and slowly bring to the boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the potato is cooked through.
8. Add greens and pasta and cook for 10 minutes.
9. If needed, add a splash more stock or water to loosen.
10. Season with salt and pepper and serve with basil or mint and gratings of Parmesan.

Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons

The classic tomato gets an upgrade with this delicious recipe, using roasted tomatoes, healthy garlic, and crunchy, cheesy croutons.

Ingredients

Soup:

6 large tomatoes, stemmed and quartered
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
6 garlic cloves, peeled
½ cup onions, chopped
1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
1 cups cold water

Croutons:

Two slices multigrain bread
6 shavings cheddar cheese
1 tsp butter

Method

1. Preheat oven to 230 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix together tomatoes, half the olive oil, the vinegar and garlic. Season to taste.
3. Spread tomato mix out on a non-reactive baking sheet. Roast for 35-40 minutes until dark in spots. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
4. In a large saucepan, combine remaining oil, onions and a pinch of salt. Soften onions over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add basil in the final minute.
5. Add tomatoes and water and simmer for 10 minutes. Season to taste then allow to cool slightly.
6. Meanwhile, butter bread and arrange cheese on one slice. Sandwich together and grill until golden brown. Remove from pan and slice into bite size pieces.
7. In batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor.
8. Serve soup with croutons on top and sprinkle with a few extra basil leaves.

French Onion Soup

Topped with a slice of cheesy bread, this aromatic French favourite is flavoursome and super easy to make.

Ingredients

Soup

60g butter, chopped
2 tbs olive oil
6 brown onions, thinly sliced
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tbs plain flour
4 cups beef stock

Cheesy bread

12 baguette slices
Olive oil cooking spray
1 garlic clove, halved
1 cup grated Swiss cheese

Method

1. Heat butter and oil in a heavy-based saucepan until sizzling. Add onions and a pinch of salt. Cook, uncovered, for 45-50 minutes, stirring often.
2. Once onions are soft, stir in sugar and cook for 10 minutes until onions caramelise.
3. Add flour to saucepan and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add stock and 2 cups of water. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180 degrees. Spray both sides of bread with oil and rub with garlic. Arrange bread on a baking tray and bake for 10-12 minutes, turning once. Remove from oven, sprinkle with cheese and return to oven for 3-4 minutes.
5. Ladle soup into bowls and top with cheesy bread. Season before serving.

For the kids…

Let’s face it, kids can sometimes be a bit fussy. That’s why soups are great - you can hide all sorts of things in there! Just check out these kid-friendly soup recipes that even the fussiest of kids will love:

Cauliflower Chowder

This creamy, delicious chowder is a true winner with kids. It’s hearty, low-carb and wonderfully cozy for those extra chilly nights.

Ingredients

4 slices bacon, diced
2 tbs unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery sticks, diced
¼ cup plain flour
4 cups chicken stock
½ cup milk
1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
1 bay leaf
2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper

Method

1. Heat a medium skillet, add bacon, and cook until brown and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
2. Melt butter in a large stockpot. Add onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Stir in cauliflower and add bay leaf. Cook, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes.
4. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, then gradually whisk in stock and milk. Continue whisking for 3-4 minutes, until slightly thickened.
5. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 12-15 minutes. Season to taste and add more milk if required.
6. Serve immediately, garnished with bacon and parsley.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Not only will the kids love topping this delicious soup with their choice of toppings, it’s made in the slow cooker, making life super easy for you!

Ingredients

3 tbs butter
3 tbs plain flour
½ cup chicken stock
2 cups milk
1 400g tin black beans, rinsed and drained
1 400g tin diced tomatoes
1 tin sweet corn
1 onion, chopped
1 red capsicum, chopped
1 jar enchilada sauce
2 whole chicken breasts
1 cup shredded cheese

Method

1. Melt butter over medium heat and stir in flour. Keep stirring until smooth.
2. Remove from heat and add stock and ½ cup of milk, stirring as you go to combine. Return to heat and stir for 3-4 minutes until sauce thickens.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together enchilada sauce and chicken stock sauce. Gradually whisk in remaining milk and set aside.
4. In your slow cooker pot, combine beans, tomatoes, corn and capsicum. Place chicken breasts on top of the mixture. Pour mixture over chicken, cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
5. Remove chicken and shred using two forks. Return chicken and stir together.
6. Ladle into bowls and serve with cheese, avocado, sour cream and crushed tortilla chips.

Something to remember…

Soup is a quick, hot meal that offers plenty of health benefits. The healthiest soups include fresh, low fat ingredients and contain little salt or extra fat. Soup lends itself to experimentation, so try throwing your leftovers into a slow cooker to create new variations on some classic soup recipes. Aim to include veggies, beans and lean meats, and stick to fat-free broths if you’re particularly health conscious. Or try thickening your soups by adding pureed delicious and super healthy white beans. Yum!