Some yummy & healthy spring soup recipes

Sun is shining, birds are singing, spring is here but the evenings are still chilly. So we’ve got 4 tasty, healthy, low calorie and easy soup recipes for you to cook. Enjoy!

1) Watercress Soup

Makes 4 servings

• 100g (4oz) butter or margarine
• 1 medium onion, skinned and chopped
• 2 bunches watercress
• 50g (2oz) plain flour
• 750ml (1 ¼ pints) chicken or veal stock
• 300ml (1/2 pint) milk
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onion and cook gently for 10 minutes until soft but not colored.
2. Meanwhile,wash and trim the watercress, leaving some of the stem, then chop roughly.
3. Add the chopped watercress to the onion; cover the pan with a lid and cook gently for a further 4 minutes.
4. Add the flour and cook gently, stirring, for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and gradually blend in the stock and milk. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly then, simmer for 3 minutes. Season to taste.
5. Sieve or purée the soup in a blender or food processor. Return to the rinsed-out pan and reheat gently, without boiling. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Serve hot.

Note: It’s good for you. Packed with iron and totally yummy.

2) Haricot bean soup

Makes 4 servings

• 3 litres (5 pints) of water
• 325g (11oz) tins haricot beans
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp salt
• Pinch of pepper
• Tabasco sauce (optional)

Heat the beans gently in water. Then add the carrots, onion, celery and bay leaf and cook about 1 hour or until the vegetables and beans are tender. Remove the bay leaf. Add salt and pepper. Serve with Tabasco, if desired.

3) Cream of carrot with orange soup  

Makes 4-6 servings

•  25g (1oz) butter or margarine
• 700g (1 ½ lb) carrots, peeled and sliced
• 225g (8oz) onion, skinned and sliced
• 1 liter (1 ¾ pints) chicken or ham stock
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 orange

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the vegetables and cook gently for 10 minutes until softened slightly.

2. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

3. Sieve or puree the vegetables with half of the stock in a blender or food processor. Add this mixture to the stock remaining in the pan.

4. Finely grate the remaining orange rind into the soup. Stir well to combine with the ingredients in the pan.

5. Squeeze the juice of the orange into the pan. Reheat the soup gently, then taste and adjust seasoning. Drain the shreds of orange rind and use to garnish the soup just before serving. Serve hot.

Note: This is an everyday soup made from basic ingredients, but the orange rind and juice give a delicious “kick” to the flavor.

4) Curried potato and Apple Soup  

Makes 4 servings

• 50g (2oz) butter or margarine
• 4 medium old potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 eating apples, peeled, cored and diced
• 10 ml (2tsp) curry powder
• 1.2 liters (2 pints) vegetable stock or water
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 150ml (1/4 pint) natural yogurt, at room temperature.

1. Melt the butter or margarine in a large saucepan. Add the potatoes and apples and fry gently for about 10 minutes until lightly colored shaking the pan and stirring frequently.

2. Add the curry powder and fry gently for 1-2 minutes, stirring. Pour in the stock or water and bring to the boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes and apples are really tender.

3.  Sieve or puree the vegetables with half of the stock in a blender or food processor, then return to the rinsed-out pan.

4. Stir the yogurt until smooth, then pour half into the soup. Heat through, stirring constantly, then taste adjust seasoning.

5. Pour the hot soup into warmed in the remaining yogurt. Serve immediately.

Note: This soup is delicately spiced with a sweet flavor of apples. It is important to fry the curry powder in step 2 of the recipe, or the spices will taste raw in the finished soup. Natural yogurt has a tendency to curl when stirred into very hot liquids. This problem can be overcome if the yogurt is brought to room temperature and stirred well before use.