1 Homemade Vegetable Stock and 3 soups

One of the most useful things to know how to make, is a simple homemade vegetable stock!  It's so much easier than people think so we thought we'd give you our recipe along with three of our favorite soups!   It's healthier and more delicious than store bought.  We LOVE soups!!!   

Ingredients

Note: For the vegetable broth we save all the stalks from broccoli, all the shavings from carrots, the ends of all the vegetables, the peel from potatoes - frankly anything and throw it into an ice cold pot of water.

  • 4 carrots cut into thirds

  • 4 celery stalks cut into thirds

  • 1 large yellow onion cut into quarters with the skin on

  • Any leftover vegetables

  • 4 bay leaves

  • 12 peppercorns

Place broth ingredients into a stock pot with 10 cups of cold water and slowly bring to a simmer. Cook for 4 hours. Let cool and strain vegetables through a large seive pressing down on cooked vegetables for any liquid. Either use immediately or place in containers and freeze.

3 Soup Recipes

Now that you have mastered the base of all homemade soups (broth) you can do anything! Here are three of our favorite soup recipes! 

Tomato and Orange Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs. of fresh, juicy tomatoes, halved

  • 2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • 4 Tbsp of olive oil

  • 2 leeks, chopped

  • 2 carrots, grated and chopped

  • 2 celery stems, chopped

  • 1/4 tsp of cumin

  • 4 cups of vegetable stock

  • ½ cup of freshly squeezed orange juice (about 2 oranges)

  • Optional: orange zest and seed mix to sprinkle on the soup (pumpkin seeds, sunflower or sesame)

Directions:

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

  • Put tomatoes halves on a baking tray, drizzle with 2 Tbsp of olive oil, sea salt, pepper and garlic. Bake in oven for 40 minutes.

  • In the meantime, add the remaining olive oil to a saucepan. Over medium heat, sauté the carrots, leeks, celery and cumin. After a couple of minutes add the vegetable stock. and cover the saucepan with a lid.

  • Cover the saucepan with a lid and cook for 20 minutes or until the carrots are tender.

  • Add the cooked tomatoes and the orange juice to the saucepan and bring to a boil for a minute.

  • Remove from heat and let the soup cool a bit before putting in a blender.

  • Note: Can be served with orange zest or a mix of seeds. This soup can either be served hot or cold.  

Green Pea Soup

SERVES 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil, or more to coat bottom of pan

  • 1 medium leek, whites and light green parts only, halved and sliced thin

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 4 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 large potato cut into small cubes

  • 16 oz frozen peas

  • 4 cups vegetable stock

  • A couple sprigs of fresh lemon thyme, tied in a bundle (or some mint)

  • 1/3 cup sour cream, plus more for serving

  • Additional lemon thyme for serving

DIRECTIONS:

  • Heat large heavy bottomed stockpot. Add oil. Once oil is warm, add garlic and onions. Cook over medium-high heat for 30-45 seconds until garlic is fragrant. Add leeks and cook until leeks and onions have softened, about 3 minutes.

  • Add potatoes and peas. Cook for about 2 minutes until frozen peas start to defrost. Add vegetable stock and lemon thyme bundle. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer for 15-20 minutes until potatoes can be easily smashed with a fork. Remove from heat and let cool for 10-15 minutes. Remove lemon thyme bundle.

  • Puree soup using an immersion blender, or transfer soup in batches to a blender. Blend soup until smooth. Stir in sour cream and season with salt and pepper. Serve soup warm or chilled with additional sour cream and fresh lemon thyme leaves.

Beetroot Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 6 large organic beetroots, washed (not skinned)

  • 5 cups of vegetable stock

  • 2 Tbls lemon juice

  • 1 Tbls apple cider vinegar

  • 2 Tbls chopped dill

  • ½ cup Greek yoghurt + extra to serve

  • salt and pepper to taste

  • 1 handful micro herbs

  • 1 handful sunflower seeds

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place beets in aluminum foil with a drizzle of olive oil.  Wrap tightly and roast for 1 hour.  We roast our beets rather than boiling them because it preserves more of the beneficial nutrients. 

  • Remove the skins (they should come off quite easily if just nudged with your fingers). *wear plastic gloves if you are worried about the beetroot staining your hands (or use a paper towel). 

  • Cut the beetroot into smaller chunks, then add them to a food processor along with the stock, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, dill, yoghurt, salt and pepper.

  • Process to a very smooth consistency, then test seasoning and add more salt/pepper if necessary. Remember, cold soup will need more seasoning than hot soup.

  • Refrigerate until ready to eat.

  • Serve cold or at room temperature with dollop of yoghurt or cream, some micro herbs and a sprinkling of sunflower seeds.

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We hope you enjoy these!!! Let us know if you have any comments or suggestions for our next soup adventure! xx

Eat Pretty, RecipesLindsay Bovairdsoup, appetizer, vegetable stock, broth, healthy, detoxComment