Recipe: 4 Soups That Are Sure to Warm the Whole Family This Winter
Break out your slow cookers and favourite Le Creusut cast iron pots for soup season is finally upon us. For us South Africans, soup season (according to the weather, not our cravings for delicious soup) is from May to September where cold weather drives us indoors where we cocoon with hearty dishes full of flavour.
We’ve scoured our favourite cookbooks, chatted to the top South African Chefs, and searched our archives to bring the most flavourful and heart-warming soups that will carry you through these colder months. There is a soup for everyone and every occasion: Vegetarians and meat-lovers, low and slow soups to easy 15 minute recipes, and soups that can be scaled for buzzing dinner soirées.
Spicy Mexican Roast Vegetable Soup Full of Herbs and Spices
Created by Chef Ollie Swart, this spicy, warm and delicious bowl of goodness keeps it simple with hero quality ingredients.’ Although this recipes calls for tomatoes, courgettes, red and yellow peppers, and a medley onions, this recipe is a great “use all the leftovers in your fridge” soup. Be sure to top it off with tortillas (which you should definitely have on hand frozen in your freezer), crisped to perfection on the stove.
Get the full recipe here
Hearty Stew Made with Beef Meatballs
Thanks to the meatballs in this soup, you don’t need to spend hours simmering a pot of beef stew. Filled to the brim with meaty flavour, this is the soup you go to for hearty week night dinner that takes just one hour to make.
Sautéing the beef meatballs until they’re browned all over helps develop the fond on the bottom of the pot, which is key to building flavour. Meanwhile, giving the panko breadcrumbs a quick soak once combined with the other meatball ingredients helps them retain moisture, ensuring juicy meatballs every time—even if you choose to use ground turkey or pork instead. Delicious, right?
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One Pot Lentil Soup Served with Toasted Crusty Bread
Coming together in less than an hour, this lentil soup that's anything but run-of-the-mill. Add ground-up sausage meat for savoury sustenance, and a whole head of mustard greens imparts some peppery bitterness and a pleasant chew. Finally, lots and lots of black pepper and a final splash of red wine vinegar keep things vibrant.
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Lamb Soup with Feta, Coriander and Lime
The best parts about this hearty stew is twofold: Not only is it deeply flavourful thanks to its meaty base with toasty spices and aromatics, but it doesn’t require a long day of hours-long slowcooking. There’s no need for a bespoke meaty stock, just a crazy-tasty broth without a million ingredients, tender browned meat, and a genius roasted-vegetable puree.
Get the full recipe here