3 Easy Soups for Week Nights

by hbhs07, posted in Healthy Recipes

Soups are easy to cook, healthy, refreshing, and a delicious option for a light dinner. Soups always give you that vibrant, specific feeling of fullness, especially during winter evenings when they pleasantly warm you up. Here are 3 easy soups for weeknights.

Here are three recipes for easy soups suitable for weeknights when you come from work and have no time for big cooking. To make things easier and faster, you can wash and peel your vegetables the day before, or even a few days earlier and keep them in the fridge in an airtight container. Just peel them and soak them in a baking soda solution for 15 minutes, then rinse, dry with a paper towel, and place in an airtight container. You can keep them refrigerated for up to 5 days.

bowl of soup and two silver spoons
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Easy Soups Recipe:

1. Pumpkin Soup

Serves: 6

Preparation: 15 minutes + 15 minutes soaking time

Cooking: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
  • 1 kg butternut pumpkin, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
  • 1 onion
  • 3 carrots
  • 1 parsnip
  • 2 celery sticks
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1 green capsicum
  • 2 tsp homemade dry seasoning
  • 1 tsp Himalayan salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ½ cup parsley leaves, finely chopped to serve
  • Greek yoghurt, natural style to serve
Easy Soups
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Method:
  1. Peel the pumpkin, onion, carrots, parsnip, garlic, and capsicum, add celery sticks and soak in a baking soda solution for 15 minutes, then rinse, pat dry, and put in a medium pot.
  2. Add filtered water to cover the vegetables well.
  3. Add dry seasoning, pepper, and salt and cook for 30 minutes, or until softened.
  4. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
  5. Use a stick blender to blend the soup.
  6. Divide the soup between serving bowls and spoon in the yogurt to taste. Top with a chopped parsley leaf.

2. Healthy Vegetable Soup

Serves: 6

Preparation: 15 minutes + 15 minutes soaking time

Cooking: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
  • 1 medium broccoli
  • 1 small cauliflower
  • 3 carrots
  • 1 parsnip
  • 1 onion
  • 2 celery sticks
  • 1 capsicum
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • ¼ cup parsley leaf, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp homemade dry seasoning
  • 1 tsp Himalayan salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 20 ml extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup vermicelli pasta
Easy Soups
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Method:     
  1. Peel the vegetables and soak in a baking soda solution for 15 minutes, then rinse, pat dry, and put in a medium bowl.
  2. In a medium saucepan, put the olive oil, chopped onion, sliced carrots, and parsnip, and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the chopped capsicum, celery, and garlic and stir to combine. Cook for a further 5 minutes. Add filtered water to cover the vegetables well and bring to a boil over medium heat.
  4. Put in coarsely chopped cauliflower and broccoli, and add frozen peas. Add dry seasoning, pepper, and salt and cook for 30 minutes, or until softened.  Add the parsley and pasta, and stir to combine.
  5. Remove from heat and set aside for 5 minutes.
  6. Divide the soup between serving bowls and serve hot.

3. Vegetarian Lentil Soup

Serves: 6

Preparation: 25 minutes

Cooking: 60 minutes

Ingredients:
  • 500 g brown lentils soaked
  • 500 g potatoes, chopped
  • 200 g carrots, grated
  • 300 g zucchini, grated
  • 200 g celery, chopped   
  • 1 red capsicum shopped
  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves chopped
  • ½ cup organic tomato passata
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tsp homemade dry seasoning
  • 1 tsp Himalayan salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped to serve
  • Greek yoghurt, natural style to serve
  Method:
  1. Peel the vegetables and soak in a bicarb soda solution for 15 minutes, then rinse, chop/grate, and put in separate bowls.
  2. Rinse lentils and soak in a bicarb soda solution for 15 minutes. Rinse again and immerse in filtered water for another 15 minutes, or until needed.
  3. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and fry the onions until translucent. Add the potatoes and carrots and fry for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
  4. Add zucchini, celery, garlic, and capsicum and mix well to combine. Add 2 litres of filtered water and lentils, bring to a boil, then reduce the temperature and simmer.
  5. Add salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, dry seasoning, bay leaf, and tomato passata, stir to combine, and cook for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside for 5 minutes.
  6. Divide the soup between the serving bowls, spoon in yogurt to taste, and top with parsley.

Try these easy soups and don’t forget to share recipes with your friends!

Looking for more recipe ideas? Check these out:

➥ DISCLAIMER: This post is not intended to replace medical treatment. The information provided is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.