Food & Drinks

3x soup that warms you up

At least once a week, I throw a kilo of vegetables into the pot and make a big batch of soup for the whole week. Especially in winter, a large bowl of soup is pure comfort food. As lunch, a snack, or in the evening on the couch with a series. My current favorite is an old-fashioned vegetable soup, just like you eat it at grandma's house on a white woven tablecloth. With meatballs, as it should be. No idea what to conjure up on your plate tonight? These soups are quick to make, and if you double the quantity, you can also stock up the freezer with a supply.

1. Grandma's vegetable soup

  • 1 litre of vegetable stock
  • 1 leek
  • piece of cauliflower
  • 2 large winter carrots
  • 1 large onion
  • bunch of parsley
  • container of meatballs
  1. Cut the carrots and cauliflower into desired pieces and the leek into rings.
  2. Wash the onion and leave the skin on.
  3. Bring the vegetable broth to a boil and add the vegetables.
  4. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for at least an hour.
  5. Chop the parsley coarsely and add it along with the meatballs to the soup.
  6. Remove the onion when it is soft, discard the skin, and cut into pieces.

2. Moroccan cauliflower soup

  • 1 large cauliflower
  • olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp harissa
  • 1 liter vegetable broth
  • 100 grams of sliced almonds (plus extra for garnish)
  1. Cut the cauliflower into small florets.
  2. Heat some olive oil in a large pot together with 1/2 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 2 tbsp harissa.
  3. Meanwhile, toast the almonds in a dry frying pan
  4. After a few minutes, add the cauliflower along with the vegetable broth and 50 g of toasted almond slices.
  5. Cover the pot and let it simmer gently for 20 minutes until the cauliflower is tender.
  6. Puree the soup with an immersion blender or in a blender and season with pepper and salt.
  7. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle some extra toasted almond slices on top. Serve with extra harissa.

3. Carrot soup with harissa

  • 1.5 kg carrots
  • 1.5 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • olive oil
  • 1 tbsp sea salt
  • 2 onions
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 2 liters vegetable broth
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
  • 3 tsp harissa
  • 2 heaping tablespoons Greek yogurt
  • fresh mint
  1. Preheat the oven to 220 ºC.
  2. Cut the carrots into pieces and halve them or cut them into quarters.
  3. Spread the carrots out on the baking sheet. Mix the cumin and coriander with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Drizzle the carrots with the cumin-coriander oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
  4. Roast the carrots for 20 minutes until just tender.
  5. In a large pot, heat some olive oil.
  6. Sauté the onion and garlic for 1 minute. Add the roasted carrots.
  7. Pour the broth into the pot, bring to a boil, and let it simmer gently for 10 minutes.
  8. Meanwhile, toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan and stir the harissa into the Greek yogurt.
  9. Puree the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender and serve with the harissa yogurt and pumpkin seeds.