*** BIG THANK YOU for all your lovely messages in response to the news that Dinner made the New York Times best sellers list! Who ever thought a cookbook with a dog on the cover would become a NYT best seller. 😂***

As for today’s recipe – a healthy dose of cumin plus a good amount of onion and leek keeps things interesting with this Sweet Potato Soup! If leeks are a bit pricey, use more onion instead. Serve with a shower of something crunchy – croutons, nuts, crispy shallots. I used flatbread ribbons and pistachios.

Sweet potato soup

A basic sweet potato soup is made with garlic, onion and sweet potato boiled in stock that is then blitzed. It’s fine, but it’s kind of boring (sorry!).

A carton of cream and giant hunk of cheesy garlic bread will go a long way to make it more interesting. But as a general rule, I like my soups to be able to stand on their own two feet without relying on too many extras to prop it up.

Today’s flavour dial ups come in the form of lots of onion and leek, plus a whole tablespoon of cumin. Gosh, it’s amazing what a difference it makes to turn “fine” into “OMG THIS IS SO DELICIOUS!!”

All you need for The Sweet Potato Soup

Here’s all you need. The recipe only calls for 1/3 cup cream (80 ml!) for a touch of creamy mouthfeel. We don’t need much because the generous amount of leek & onion plus the cumin adds great flavour. Without these, I’d be using a lot more cream!

• Leeks and onions – These add a flavour boost without having to resort to loads of cream or tons of spices to make this soup really tasty. If leeks are a bit pricey (as they can be during some months of the year) just use an extra onion instead. Just one onion to replace two leeks. Why? Because leeks have a more subtle, mild taste than onion. Two extra onions would make this soup too oniony, I think.

  Bonus – Leeks don’t make your eyes water when you cut them! 👏🏻

• Sweet potato – 2 medium ones totalling 1 kg / 2 lb (unpeeled weight), or one gigantic one.

• Cumin powder – A spice that really compliments the sweet flavour of sweet potato. Gives this a flavour reminiscent of Moroccan food which you know is a good thing!

• Garlic – This soup was never going to happen without garlic!

• Butter and oil – Because of the sheer volume of onion and leek that is sautéed, we need 4 tablespoons of fat to cook them. I felt like using just butter makes the soup a little too buttery, but using just oil isn’t as fun. So I took the best of both worlds by using equal amounts of each.😎 You can double up on either of them, if you prefer.

• Chicken stock (or vegetable stock) – I know it’s counterintuitive to use chicken stock for an otherwise vegetarian soup. But it really does give the soup deeper flavour than vegetable stock. However, I freely substitute vegetable stock.

• Cream – Any dairy cream will work here. Thickened or heavy cream, pure cream, single cream, double cream etc.

  Alternatives – I haven’t tried coconut milk or cream but I think they’d work nicely here. Sour cream and yogurt can also be used but they won’t add that touch of creamy mouthfeel that cream gives this soup. I’d rather use an extra knob of butter, personally.

How to make sweet potato soup

I’m a stick blender girl, when it comes to soups. So much less mess than using a blender.

1. Sauté leek, onion and garlic for 5 minutes until sweet and softened.

2. Stir sweet potato and cumin for 3 minutes so it’s nicely coated in the flavoured oil and the cumin gets toasted, which brings out the flavour.

3. Simmer 20 minutes – Add the stock and simmer for 20 minutes with the lid off.

4. Blitz with a stick blender until smooth.

5. Stir in cream.

6. Serve – Ladle into bowls and shower with something crispy! More chat on this below.

Soup toppers

I know I said at the beginning that this is a soup that stands on its own two feet. And it does. I drink it by the mugful, plain.

That said, I am a soup toppings gal and I will always encourage you to make soups more interesting with toppers. And wow, yes, we can do something different to the usual croutons and a swirl of cream!!! Today – crispy flatbread ribbons, a sprinkle of pistachio and swish of olive oil. Chosen as a nod to the Moroccan vibes in this soup.

I fried the crispy ribbons – for shooting speed purposes – but they are just as easily baked. Directions in the recipe. – Nagi x

PS And yes, you can absolutely do croutons instead if you prefer. Don’t let me deter you!

Watch how to make it

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The Sweet Potato Soup

Recipe video above. A healthy dose of cumin plus a good amount of onion and leek keeps things interesting with this Sweet Potato Soup! If leeks are a bit pricey, use more onion instead.

Serve with a shower of something crunchy – croutons, nuts, crispy shallots. I used pistachios and flatbread ribbons, fried for speed, but they can be baked – Note 3.

Course Soup

Cuisine Western

Keyword sweet potato soup

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 337cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 30g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter – or more oil
• 2 onions , diced
• 2 leeks , white and pale green part only, quartered, cut into 1cm / 1/2″ slices (Note 1)
• 2 garlic cloves , chopped
• 1 kg/ 2 lb sweet potato , peeled, quartered lengthwise, cut into 2cm / 0.8″ chunks
• 1 tbsp cumin powder
• 1.25 litre / 1.25 quarts chicken or vegetable stock , low sodium (Note 2)
• 1.5 tsp cooking / kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/3 cup cream (any type) or an extra knob of butter

Garnishes (Note 3)

• Something to drizzle / dollop – extra virgin olive oil, cream, yogurt, sour cream
• Something crunchy – flatbread strips (pictured, Note 3), croutons, pistachios, pepitas, crispy fried shallots

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Sauté aromatics – Heat the oil and melt the butter in a large heavy based pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, leek and garlic for 5 minutes until softened.
• Add the sweet potato and cumin, cook for another 3 minutes, stirring regularly.
• Simmer 20 minutes – Add the stock, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then cook for 20 minutes at a gentle simmer until the sweet potato is very tender (no lid).
• Blitz – Remove the pot from the stove. Blitz with a hand-held stick until smooth. (Note 4 for blender) Stir in cream.
• Garnish – Ladle into bowls. Drizzle with yogurt, cream or olive oil with a sprinkle of something crunchy – pictured with pistachios and crispy flatbread strips (Note 3).

Notes

1. Leeks washing ( video 0.09 sec) – Chop the reedy dark green part off, only use the soft white & pale green part. Cut in quarters lengthwise but keep the root intact (for gripping). The cut part of the leek will splay out like tassles / cheerleader pom poms! Hold the root part and wash the cut part of the leek under a running tap. Shake excess water off well, then chop.

2. Stock – I really do prefer this made with chicken rather than veg stock because it gives it a deeper flavour. But veg stock is a close 2nd I freely use to keep this vegetarian.

3. Garnishes – Something drizzled and something crunchy is my standard soup baseline. I used crispy flatbread strips in a nod to the vaguely reminiscent Moroccan flavours in this (I say that only because of the cumin!).

CRISPY FLATBREAD STRIPS – Cut 1cm / 0.4″ strips. Scrunch in hand (to curl) then fry in 3cm / 1″ 180°C/350°F oil for 20 seconds until light golden. Sprinkle immediately with salt while hot (so it sticks). 

BAKED OPTION – Coat strips generously with olive oil spray, sprinkle with salt, bake at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) for 10 to 13 minutes or until golden and crisp, tossing once or twice. Exact time will depend on thickness of flatbread.

Croutons – Cut any bread (crustless) into 0.75 cm / ⅓” cubes. Toss in a little olive oil to coat, sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Bake at 180°C/350°F for 10 min, tossing halfway, until golden and crunchy. Cool fully on tray before using.

4. Blender option – Allow soup to cool for 10 minutes then transfer half into a blender. Remove the lid of the feeder tube (it might blow-off due to the heat inside!), then put the lid on. Use a folded tea towel to cover the hole then blitz until smooth. Transfer to a separate pot. Repeat with remaining soup. (Stick blender really is easier!)

Silky smooth soup – You’ll need a high powered blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec. Note: soups as is might look a bit lumpy but it tastes smooth. 

5. Leftovers will keep for 4 days in the fridge. Great for freezing too! 

Nutrition per serving, soup only (because I can’t be held responsible for how crazy you go with toppings – and I fully endorse excessive toppings!).

Nutrition

Calories: 337cal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 749mg | Potassium: 888mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 24474IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 3mg

More cosy bowls of soup

Pumpkin Soup

Broccoli and Potato Soup

Creamy Carrot Soup

Chicken and Rice Soup

Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Soup

Chinese Corn Soup with Chicken

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup

Soups

Life of Dozer

Crashed out in his kennel at the end of a big Easter long weekend. (By “big”, I am obviously referring to extreme amounts of food scavenging and play time.)

The post Sweet Potato Soup – simple but great! appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

If the thought of this cold Spanish soup conjures up visions of watery, bland, pureed vegetables, think again! The secret to a really good Gazpacho is marinating ripe vegetables with vinegar, olive oil and garlic. Fabulous, refreshing summer food bursting with flavour. No cook!

Gazpacho – chilled Spanish soup

I tell people gazpacho is like salsa in soup form. But instead of using corn chips for scooping, you get to dunk chunks of crusty bread into that bowl of tasty goodness.

The fact that it’s good-for-you doesn’t even cross your mind. All you know is that once you start, you don’t want to stop. And if you’re eating this on your deck on a hot summer day? I WANT TO BE YOU! (Especially if you have a cold glass of wine on the side….)

What you need to make gazpacho

Traditionally, gazpacho includes bread for thickening the soup and keep leftovers from splitting if you leave it overnight. I find the soup is plenty thick enough without bread. As for splitting? Just stir once – maybe twice – and it’s back to the original state.

So – my recipe has no bread! (Bonus: means it’s gluten free and virtually carb free.)

• Tomatoes – As the primary ingredient in gazpacho, getting juicy ripe ones is key to great flavour here! Don’t be tempted to substitute with canned tomato. It just won’t be the same.

• Cucumber – One cucumber around 20cm/8″ long. I like to peel it to preserve the reddish colour of this soup and also it makes the soup smoother. But, you can leave it on it you wish. Extra nutrition! Just expect slightly more texture in your soup as it won’t puree fully.

• Red capsicum / bell pepper – Traditionally. Spanish gazpacho is more frequently made with green rather than red capsicum / bell pepper. I like to use red for colour consistency and also because red capsicum is slightly sweeter than green (which is actually just un-ripened red capsicum!).

• Red onion – You’ll only need about 1/4 of a red onion as we need 1/4 cup of chopped red onion. I don’t usually measure red onion in cups but in this no-cook soup, if you use too much then it’s too onion-y. And if you don’t use enough, you lack the fresh zing.

  So – chop. Then measure 1/4 cup!

• Garlic – Gazpacho is not gazpacho without the delicious flavour garlic brings to it!

• Sherry vinegar – This is the vinegar that is traditionally used in gazpacho. It’s made from sherry and has more flavour than common plain white vinegar.

  Quality – The more you pay, the better the quality. The vinegar will be aged which means it has more flavour than economical brands. Such is the secret of why simple salads at fine dining restaurants are so good! Use what suits your budget. I reserve my 25 year Pedro Ximenez Sherry Vinegar for special occasion salads. I use Chef’s Choice or Moro for everyday purposes and recipe development.

  Substitute with white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar or champagne vinegar. Apple cider vinegar will also work but a wee bit sharper.
  

• Extra virgin olive oil – As with the sherry vinegar, the more you pay, the better the quality. Lomondo is an Australian extra virgin olive oil which I use as my “good olive oil”, though I always enjoy trying local varieties wherever I travel.

• Salt and pepper – The only seasoning required for this wonderful refreshing dish!

How to make gazpacho

Authenticity note: Marinating the vegetables isn’t a step in traditional gazpacho recipes. But it does improve the flavour so it’s a recommended step, especially if you are using an economical vinegar or if your tomatoes aren’t farm-fresh-organic-ridiculously-ripe-and-sweet. That would be tomatoes sold in everyday Australian grocery stores, even at the height of summer.

1. Marinate – Toss all the vegetables with the garlic, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Then set aside to marinate, preferably overnight (12 hrs up to 24 hours) or at least 3 hours. This allows the flavours to meld together more and the vinegar flavour smooths out as well. It really does make a noticeable difference.

   However, if you don’t have time, it’s fine! Just proceed to the next step immediately. I do like to add an extra glug of olive oil when I don’t marinate, just to compensate.

2. Blitz! Transfer everything into a blender and puree until smooth. If you have a powerful one like a Vitamix or Blendtec then it will only take around 45 seconds on speed 7 or so. If yours is not as powerful then it may take a little longer.

   Handheld blender stick also works but takes a little longer. Use a tall jug and work in batches, if need be. A food processor will get 90% of the way there but I find it doesn’t make it quite as smooth.

   Smoothness note – If you’d like yours 100% smooth and thinner, more like a drink than a soup, then pass it through a very fine mesh or food mill. Discard the solids.

   I like mine straight out of the blender which has a bit of texture to it, not 100% smooth, and a bit thick. Reminds me I’m eating a meal, not sipping a drink!

3. Rest – Pour the soup into a bowl and let it rest for 15 minutes. This allows the aeration incorporated into the soup when you blended it to settle a bit (so you don’t feel like you’re eating a mouthful of foam) and the colour will change slightly from orange to a slightly darker orange.

   Wait, gazpacho isn’t red? Nope, it’s actually not! It’s more of a burnt orange colour.

4. Serve – Ladle into bowls and serve. Sometimes I top with little diced cubes of cucumber, for colour / texture / healthy garnish. I always finish with a swish of olive oil and pinch of pepper.

   I like to serve gazpacho with crusty white bread for dunking. Both for the eating experience, and to bulk out the meal.

This gazpacho truly is seriously delicious. I’m not sharing this as diet food – low-carb, low-calorie, low-sugar food, high nutrition, etc etc.

It’s just a downright good food. Regular readers know I’m not a health-food website. I will never sacrifice tastiness for the sake of reducing calories. I just can’t. I enjoy food too much!

But I do believe in eating a balanced diet, and I do get extra excited when I can share a really great recipe that happens to be healthy.

Gazpacho ticks those boxes. 50 million Spaniards can’t be wrong! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Gazpacho

Recipe video above. If the thought of this chilled Spanish soup conjures up visions of watery, bland, pureed vegetables, think again! Fabulous refreshing and full of flavour.

Marinating isn't traditional but does improve flavour. So it's recommended, especially if you use economical vinegar or if your tomatoes aren't farm-fresh-ripe-and-sweet (ie typical tomatoes from everyday grocery stores….)

This version has no bread in it – it's thick enough as is, I find. Serve with crusty bread on the side, for dunking. Fabulous meal for a hot summer day!

Serves 3 hearty appetites, 4 normal appetites (with bread for dunking).

Course Light mains, Mains, Soup

Cuisine Spanish

Keyword cold soup, gazpacho, summer food, tomato soup

Prep Time 15 minutes

Marinating (3 – 12 hrs recommended) 12 hours

Servings 3 – 4

Calories 189cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Gazpacho:

• 1 kg / 2 lb ripe tomatoes (~7), cut into 8 wedges, core removed
• 1 cucumber (20cm/8" long) , peeled and diced into 1cm / 1/2" cubes
• 1 red capsicum/bell pepper , cut into 1.5 cm / 1/2″ cubes
• 2 garlic cloves , chopped
• 1/4 cup red onion , finely diced (Note 1)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil , + extra for serving
• 1 1/2 tbsp sherry vinegar (sub white wine or champagne vinegar)
• 3/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Serving:

• Crusty bread
• Cucumber , cut into small cubes (optional)

Instructions

• Marinate – Toss all the gazpacho ingredients together in a large bowl. Cover then set aside to marinate, preferably 12 to 24 hours, or at least 3 hours. (Note 3)
• Blitz – Transfer everything into a blender and blitz on high until smooth. (Or use a tall jug with a hand blender). For 100% perfectly smooth, pass through a fine mesh strainer or food mill and discard solids (Note 2)
• Serve – Pour into a bowl. Rest for 15 minutes to let the bubbles subside. Stir, then ladle into bowls.
• Garnish – Top with diced cucumber, if using, and a swish of olive oil. Serve with crusty bread!

Notes

1. Red onion – I know it’s unusual to see red onion listed using a cup measure. But it makes a difference here. Too much = too onion-y. Too little, and it’s missing zing. Chop and measure!

2. Smooth vs slightly grainy (my preference) – If you make it completely smooth, I find it makes it seem more like a cold drink rather than a soup as a meal. I actually like it with a bit of texture in the finished dish. Reminds me I’m eating a meal rather than drinking a Bloody Mary!

3. Marinating – If you don’t have time, make this anyway with an extra 2 tbsp of olive oil to compensate! But be sure to chill the finished soup before serving because it’s best served cold. Not fridge-ice-cold, not at room temperature. Somewhere in between.

4. Leftovers will keep overnight. Beyond this, I’d freeze then just add to tomato based cooked sauces, though a reader suggest that if you blend it again it will resurrect it. Interested to hear if you try this!

5. Nutrition per serving, for the gazpacho only.

Nutrition

Calories: 189cal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 453mg | Potassium: 784mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 3070IU | Vitamin C: 76mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg

Life of Dozer

Dozer’s mates!! He wants to join the party but it’s a bit too cosy in there. 😂

The post Gazpacho appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

I honestly can’t think of a better way to celebrate the excellent-quality seafood we have in Australia than this wonderful Spanish stew. I particularly love the garlicky picada, a finishing flourish that dials the deliciousness up to 11.

Find the recipe on page 288 of Dinner.

This is a cookbook exclusive recipe!

This recipe is exclusive to my debut cookbook Dinner which includes a how-to video for every recipe. Just scan the QR code!

Just to explain….

I know, it’s confusing! You’re so used to getting recipes on my website – there’s over 1,200 of them, after all. And here you are looking at a tasty recipe video and I haven’t provided the recipe. 🙀

I’m not just doing this to torture you, I promise.

This page exists to display the how-to video for this recipe which I exclusively created for my debut cookbook, Dinner. Every recipe in the cookbook has a tutorial video. To watch it, you simply scan the QR code with your phone or tablet and it will take you straight to the recipe video like the one shown above!

Curious about my cookbook?

• Read the cookbook overview

• Browse all cookbook exclusive recipes here

• Read the Cookbook Tales. Spoiler alert: there’s A LOT of dirty dishes!! And quite a lot of Dozer. 😂

Stay tuned for more on this page! Some cookbook exclusive recipes will have extra information added as well as extra tips. I am also looking at enabling comments for selected recipes so I can answer reader questions about cookbook recipes. I’m just a little snowed under during this launch period – book tours, getting 131 recipe videos out, launching the book overseas. Please bear with me! – Nagi x (10 October 2022)

The post Spanish Seafood Stew appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

This Green Goddess Soup defies all expectations of what green soups typically are. It doesn’t taste like pureed grass for one. It’s actually delicious. And it’s being shared by me, a self confessed Cheese-Lovin’-Carb-Monster (who ever thought THAT would happen!) Packed with immunity-boosting vegetables, this verdant soup is just what you need to fight off winter blues.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and nothing in this post should be interpreted as medical advice. I’m just sharing a recipe that is loaded with good-for-you nutritious vegetables!

Immunity-boosting Green Goddess Soup

Half of Sydney is out of action with the flu or COVID right now. So here by popular demand is a big pot of nutrition packed goodness that actually tastes great!

I’m not going to lie. The first couple of attempts here were pretty dismal and tasted like a hot green wheatgrass smoothie. I knew it was doing good things to my insides….but it wasn’t fun eating it!!!

But with a bit of tinkering, turns out it is possible to make a green soup that’s as delicious as it is good for you. The 3 little things that make all the difference here are:

1. Sautéing plenty of aromatics – lots of garlic, onion and/or leeks, celery and fennel (the secret ingredient);

2. Hint of spices – cumin and allspice <– Another secret ingredient

3. Cooking off the spices with the aromatics – Makes the spices toasty and brings out the flavour. So much more effective than just adding it straight into liquids!

What goes in my Green Goddess Soup

Just WAIT until you see the enormous pile of green goodness you’re about to cook down! It makes you feel virtuous even just thinking about making this. 😂

I’ve tried various combinations and the vegetables shown below are my favourite for best flavour so it doesn’t taste like you’re eating a bowl of hot grass. But you can switch out with whatever veg you’ve got, so don’t get too hung up on copying everything I’ve used.

Don’t skip the spices. It’s not much in there, but it really makes a difference to the end result!

Veg load #1

If you don’t have one of the vegetables, just double up on another. This is a highly flexible recipe!

• Broccoli – A whole head! I use the stalk too. Just peel the fibrous skin, dice the stalk and throw it into the pot.

• Fennel – In my opinion, this is an under-utilised “secret ingredient” that adds a touch of special flavour to so many dishes! When raw, fennel has a mild aniseed flavour. Once cooked it tends to be muted when used in relatively small quantities like in this recipe. However cooked fennel has a wonderful sweetness that really adds to the flavour base of this soup.

• Celery – Another regularly used flavour base ingredient.

• Leek – In my base recipe I’m using one onion and one leek, so you can see both. But you can just double up on either. Again these bring a natural sweetness to the soup.

• Frozen peas – To thicken the soup as well as adding a touch of sweetness. Substitute with an equal amount of either more fennel, broccoli or potato.

Veg load #2

• Kale – Yep, a WHOLE BUNCH of kale! OK fine, it’s a small-ish bunch. And we just use the leaves 😂 But I do like flaunting the fact that it’s got so much superfood kale in it yet it doesn’t taste kale-y (which I know people are not a fan of). Substitute with frozen kale or more baby spinach.

• Baby spinach – An enormous mound of baby spinach, I use a whole bag (standard size 280g / 10 oz). Substitute with frozen spinach, fresh English spinach or more kale.

Aromatics and flavour

OK, so here are the ingredients that make this soup tasty!! You didn’t seriously think I was just going to ask you to whizz up a pile of green veg, did you??

• Cumin and all spice – Just 3/4 teaspoon of each does wonders to add a hint of background flavour. This adds some complexity and interest to what could otherwise be a very one-note, grassy-tasting soup. You can’t actually taste them unless you have a very refined palette, which I don’t. But if you skip them, you will know something’s missing. So don’t! 😂 Sub: All spice -> mixed spice, cumin -> coriander.

• Potato – This is for soup thickening purposes. You can use any type you want. If you switch with sweet potato, I cannot be held responsible for what it does to the colour of your soup (I see …. brown in your future?? 😂)

• Garlic – 5 whole cloves. You know you want it!

• Onion – More flavour base. In the base recipe, I use one leek (see Veg load #1) and one onion. But if leeks are expensive, I just double up on onion. (In case you’re wondering why I bother with leek, it’s because it has a slightly sweeter and gentler flavour than onion.)

• Cream – I’m just going to tell it to you straight: without the cream, this tastes like a hot green smoothie. Full fat, cow’s milk cream, all the way. Substitute with sour cream or creme fraiche, though be prepared for a slightly tangy edge to the soup (which would actually be delicious too). For non-dairy, coconut cream will work fine but will alter the flavour. Butter will also make a suitable alternative. I’d use a generous knob for sautéing the veg then stir in more at the end. Just keep adding then tasting, adding then tasting!

Just add water!

Most soups on my website call for stock for the cooking liquid, but this recipe only requires water. This is because we’re essentially making our own homemade vegetable stock as part of this recipe! The considerable volume of flavour base aromatics we use (garlic, onion/leek, celery, fennel) goes a long way to contribute to this.

How to make Green Goddess Soup

Nice and easy – 6 minutes sauté followed by a 8 minute simmer then blitz!

Be sure to use a very big pot. This is a big batch soup! Don’t worry, it keeps perfectly – fridge 5 days or freezer for 3 months (and stays nice and green!).

1. Sauté aromatics – Start off by sautéing the onion, garlic, leek, celery and fennel for 5 minutes until softened. These are our aromatics and using a generous amount like we do in this soup is the reason why we can get away with just using water rather than stock (as mentioned above).

2. Cook off spices – Add the all spice and cumin then cook for 1 minute. Cooking the spices is a neat trick for adding toastiness as well as coaxing more flavour out of them.

3. Simmer with vegetables – Add the broccoli, potato, water, salt and pepper and simmer for 7 minutes or until the broccoli and potato is tender.

   At this stage, your green soup will look rather brown, but have faith! It will be a vibrant green once the kale and spinach are blitzed in!

4. Peas – Add the frozen peas (still frozen is fine) then simmer for 1 minute. That’s all the cooking time you need even if they were still frozen as they’ll continue to cook in the residual heat.

5. Blitz in kale and spinach – Turn the stove off then add the kale. Push it into the hot liquid to wilt slightly then use a stick blender to blitz. Once the blended kale is mostly wilted, do the same with the baby spinach.

   Now blitz until it’s as smooth as you desire – have a little taste test to check. I blitz for a good 3 minutes on high. With a stick blender the soup won’t be completely smooth but I like having a bit of texture. For some reason, the thought of a completely smooth bright green soup creeps me out!

   If 100% smooth is what you’re after, use a normal blender. Blend in batches with the feeder lid removed, else the lid will blow off when you blend due to the heat. Cover the opening with a folded tea towel and blend in batches then transfer into a separate pot. (Note all the extra washing up = reason why I’ll always use a stick blender if I can!).

6. Stir in cream. There’s plenty of residual heat in this soup so there’s no need to return it to the stove!

7. Check salt – Have a taste and check if there is sufficient salt for your taste. Just a side note: the salt comes out more the next day and beyond. I don’t know the science behind it, all I know is that the soup seems to get saltier the next day!

8. Soup garnishes – Ladle the soup into bowls then top with finishes of choice. I’ve gone with a swirl of cream, swish of olive oil and sprinkle of toasted sunflower seeds, for something different from the predictable (albeit much loved!) croutons. Though if croutons is what you’re after, find it in my Celeriac Soup recipe.

I find this soup filling enough by itself but you know me, I’ll never pass up an opportunity for a hunk of bread for dunking. It’s pictured above with Crusty Artisan Bread, otherwise known as the world’s easiest no-knead bread and one of the most popular recipes on this website. If you haven’t tried it, it’s a must!

Here are a few more bread dunking options:

Bread dunking options

World’s Easiest Yeast Bread recipe – Artisan, NO KNEAD crusty bread

Quick Cheesy Garlic Bread

World’s best No Yeast Bread – Irish Soda Bread

Savoury Cheese Muffins

Sandwich Bread WITHOUT yeast

Better-Than-Dominos Garlic Bread

Big batch, keeps well – and stays green!

I don’t know about you but the last time I attempted a green soup, it went brown when I reheated it. 😂 So I’m pleased to say that this soup stays ultra-green through multiple reheats. It will keep for 5 days in the fridge or freezer for 3 months. Very handy when you’re out with a cold and it’s all you can do to stick a mug of soup in the microwave!!

Also, this is a big-batch recipe. Mainly because it was designed around using 1 whole bag of baby spinach, a whole bunch of kale, a whole fennel bulb etc etc. But it scales down perfectly – just use the slider on the recipe card (click on the Servings then slide down).

If you try this Green Goddess Soup, I’d love to know what you think! – Nagi x

Thanks for the inspiration, Ingrid!

I was going to call this soup Ingrid’s Green Goddess Soup (Hacked By Nagi). Because it’s inspired by my cookbook publisher, Ingrid from Pan Macmillan, who kindly sent up her Green Goddess Soup when I was struck down with COVID a couple of months ago. Nourishing and delicious! So I copied it. 😇

Watch how to make it

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Immunity Boosting Green Goddess Soup

Recipe video above. A feel-good soup packed full of nutrition created to cure winter colds! While you could switch out the veg with whatever you’ve got, I’ve tried various combinations and this is my favourite for best flavour so it doesn’t taste like you’re eating a bowl of hot grass.

Don’t skip the spices. Doesn’t look like much but it really makes a difference!

Course Main

Cuisine Western

Keyword green goddess soup, immunity boosting food

Prep Time 15 minutes

Servings 8 people

Calories 191cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion , diced (Note 1)
• 1 leek (white part only) or another onion , diced (Note 1)
• 1 medium fennel , chopped (Note 2)
• 2 celery stems , roughly chopped
• 5 garlic cloves , roughly minced
• 3/4 tsp all spice powder (sub mixed spice)
• 3/4 tsp cumin powder (sub coriander)
• 1 medium potato (any type), peeled, 1.5 cm cubes
• 1 head broccoli , florets (peel and chop stalk too)
• 2 1/2 tsp cooking / kosher salt
• 3/4 tsp black pepper
• 1.75 litres / quarts water (Note 3)
• 1 cup frozen peas (Note 4)
• 5 cups (tightly packed) kale leaves , roughly chopped (1 small bunch, Note 5)
• 5 cups (tightly packed) baby spinach (Note 6)
• 3/4 cup thickened cream (Note 7)

Garnishes

• 2 tbsp sunflower seeds, toasted (or croutons or other toasted nuts, Note 8)
• Cream and/or olive oil for drizzling

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Sauté aromatics: Heat oil in a very large pot (6L/qt) over medium high heat. Cook onion, leek, celery, garlic and fennel for 5 minutes until softened.
• Cook spices: Add all spice and cumin, and cook for 1 minute.
• Add water, potatoes, broccoli, salt and pepper. Stir, bring to simmer, and simmer for 7 minutes (no lid) until the broccoli is tender.
• Add peas: Add peas, simmer for 1 minute.
• Blitz in kale: Remove pot off the stove. Add kale, push it under the liquid, then blitz with a stick blender until mostly smooth. Add spinach, push under the liquid then blitz again until smooth as possible (approx 3 to 5 mins). This will result in a smooth soup but with little green bits in it – I like this for a little texture.
• Serve: Stir in cream. Ladle into bowls, drizzle with extra cream and/or olive oil and finish with a sprinkle of sunflower seeds. Eat and feel great!

Notes

1. Onion / leeks – Use either one of each, as shown in the base recipe and recipe video, or use either 2 leeks or 2 onions. Leek has a slightly sweeter, more rounded flavour which I like to use when they’re on special!

2. Fennel adds a great flavour base to this soup so really try not to skip it. For those who are not a fan of the aniseed flavour of fennel, don’t worry, you can’t taste it!

3. Just water is required for this soup. We don’t need chicken or other stock for a flavour backing, like I use for most soup recipes. We’re essentially making a homemade vegetable stock here!

4. Peas can be substituted with more broccoli, fennel or potato.

5. Kale – Nutrition booster! In case you’re concerned about a strong kale flavour, don’t worry! With everything else going on in the soup, the kale flavour is not really there. Substitute with more baby spinach or English spinach. Or 300 – 400g frozen kale or spinach (thawed, excess water lightly squeezed out).

To remove kale leaves, enclose your hand around the base of the stem then run your enclosed fist up the stem to strip the leaves off. To measure, push the kale leaves really tightly into the measuring cup. Jam pack it in!

6. Baby spinach – Substitute with English spinach, or more kale. To measure, jam pack it really tightly into a measuring cup!

7. Cream alternative – To make this vegan, use a vegan cream (available at some grocery stores these days), coconut cream or coconut milk (it will add a touch of coconut flavour which I think would be nice).

8. Sunflower seeds – To toast, preheat a small pan (no oil) over medium high heat then toast the sunflower seeds, stirring or shaking the pan every now and then, until light golden. Do the same with other nuts/seeds of choice (pine nuts, pepitas, almond flakes would be nice). For croutons, use the directions in the Celeriac soup recipe.

9. Nutrition per serving, about 2 1/2 cups per serving (generous meal!).

Nutrition

Calories: 191cal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 806mg | Potassium: 678mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 6824IU | Vitamin C: 83mg | Calcium: 192mg | Iron: 2mg

Life of Dozer

Pretty sure he’s never had a cold in his life….

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