4 Delicious Soups That Will Warm Up Your Winter Nights

By Kaveri Jain. Photographs by Aadi Jain

Looking to curl up with a hot soup on a winter night? Here are four recipes to warm you up.

Bean and Quinoa Soup

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 3-4 cups water
750 gms tomatoes, chopped
1½ cups cooked beans 1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp salt
½ cup quinoa
¼ cup chopped cilantro
Cayenne pepper
Dash of black pepper

Instructions:
1. Warm the oil in a pot. Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic. Sauté vegetables till tender.
2. Add the water, tomatoes, beans, cumin, salt, quinoa, cilantro and cayenne pepper. Bring the soup to a boil. Add black pepper.
3. Bring heat down and let soup simmer until the quinoa is tender.
4. Serve hot.

 

Asparagus and Pea Soup

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp chopped onion
2 tbsp leek, thinly sliced
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
150 gms asparagus, chopped
150 gms green peas
Salt to taste
Pepper
Garnish with Parmesan

Instructions:
1. In a pot, heat oil, add minced garlic, leeks, and onion. Cook on low heat until fragrant and translucent.
2. Add vegetable broth and water, and bring to a boil.
3. Then add asparagus and peas cook until soft and tender.
4. Turn off heat. Transfer to blender. Puree on high speed until smooth.
5. Return to pot, taste and add salt. Keep on low heat for 5 minutes.
6. Pour into bowls and top with coarse black pepper and Parmesan.

 

Vegetables and Pearl Barley Soup

Ingredients:
1/4 cup uncooked pearl barley
6 cups vegetable broth
2 zucchini, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 big potato, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
100 gms green beans, chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup fresh cream
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
Garnish with greens

Instructions:
1. Rinse the barley and put in a saucepan with the vegetable broth. Add all the vegetables.
2. Over medium heat, let the soup simmer on low heat for 1 hour.
Stir occasionally to avoid the vegetables from sticking at the bottom.
3. Add the basil while cooking then season with salt and pepper.
4. When cooked, turn off the fire then add the fresh cream and Parmesan cheese.
5. Pour in bowls, garnish and serve hot.

 

Vietnamese Noodle Soup

Ingredients:
2 cinnamon sticks, dry roasted
2 whole cloves, dry roasted
3 star anise, dry roasted
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
3”piece of fresh ginger, roughly chopped
4 cups vegetable stock
4 cups water
2 tbsp tamari
100 gms rice noodles, boiled as per packet instructions
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
150 gms thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
100 gms sliced button mushrooms
100 gms bean sprouts
100 gms sliced carrot
100 gms snow peas
100 gms asparagus
Red jalapeños (optional)
Salt

Instructions:
1. Warm a soup pot and add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, and star anise. To the spice mix, add the onion, ginger, vegetable stock, water and tamari. Raise heat and bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and let the broth simmer for 20-30 mins (keep covered).
2. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms, carrots, asparagus, snow peas and a dash of salt. Cook until mushrooms are tender (about 2 mins), the other vegetables will be crunchy. Keep aside.
4. Once broth is ready, strain out the onions, ginger and spices. Season with tamari and/or salt.
5. Ladle the broth into bowls, add boiled noodles and all vegetables. Garnish with bean sprouts and jalapeños.

First published in eShe’s November 2019 issue