November is upon us, and while we're busy trying our best to refrain from getting into full-on Christmas mode too early, the start of winter is coming and our summer salads are a distant warm memory. But now we must embrace the cold and make the most of the delicious food that winter can offer.
November can bring us the last few whisps of Autumn, with pumpkins left over from Halloween and bonfire spice giving us smokey, cinnamon flavours. In the darker months it’s hard to get the vitamins you need, its super easy escaping the horrid weather and watching a movie while binge eating comfort junk food, forgetting about the nutrients you need. You may want to try The Detox Booster to bump up the goodness in your diet, and in honour of November being world vegan month, try our four tantalisingly delicious vegan soup recipes. Whether you want to go vegan of just try something different these soups will warm you up from the inside on those imminent cold winter days.
- Easy pumpkin soup- by @give_me_lemons
@give_me_lemons EASIEST #veganpumpkinsoup ever. #pumpkinsoup #roastedpumpkinsoup ♬ original sound - Give Me Lemons
You're sat at home with your Halloween pumpkins looking a bit scary, no not because of the faces you’ve carved in them, but the fact that they are starting to look a bit mushy and on the turn. Well, you don’t need to discard them just yet. If you have some that you haven’t carved you can try this super simple and healthy vegan pumpkin soup. Just like carrots, pumpkins are rich in the antioxidant beta carotene which you body turns into vitamin A, this helps your heart, kidneys and lungs to stay healthy. What you will need for this healthy soup is:
- 1 pumpkin
- 1 onion
- 1 whole garlic
- Coconut oil
- 1 tin of coconut milk
- 1 lime
- A teaspoon of grated ginger
- 1 chopped chilli
- Salt, pepper and curry powder for seasoning.
- 1 vegetable stock cube
Start with cutting all your veg in half, make sure to keep all the skins on them. Place them all on a baking tray and coat with your coconut oil, salt, pepper and curry powder. Then roast for 45-55 minutes until soft. Place all your veg in a pan, removing the skins (except the pumpkin skins). Add your tin of coconut milk, the zest of your lime, ginger, and chilli. Pour in 1 litre of hot water with your stock cube and blend everything with a food processor until you have a smooth soup consistency. Gently warm your soup while adding the juice of your lime and any more seasoning you may wish. Garnish with some more chilli’s and enjoy!
- Vegan cream of mushroom & chicken
Just because were dabbling in the meat free scene doesn’t mean you have to cut out the favourite classics, this not so clucking chicken soup will satisfy your meat needs. Being meat free doesn’t mean its nutrition free though, mushrooms are incredibly rich in vitamin D, and help to prevent cancer, heart disease and diabetes. What you will need for this soup is:
- Vegan chicken strips, or butter soy curls
- Vegetable broth -1litre
- Green peppers
- Mushrooms
- Garlic powder
- Nutritional yeast- optional for a savoury cheesy flavour.
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
- Olive oil
- Plant based milk – any dairy free alternative of your choice
- Vegan margarine
- Flour – to thicken
First, chop your mushrooms and peppers into small pieces. Sauté your mushrooms and peppers and no chicken, chicken strips in a deep pan with a tsp of olive oil over a low heat for 5 minutes. Add your garlic powder, salt pepper and spices of your choice as well as your vegetable broth. Pour your plant-based milk in and cook for another 3-4 minutes. If you wish to leave your soup as a chicken broth you are done. But if you want a creamy soup you will need to create a roux. Heat your margarine in a separate pot and sieve in your flour. Once your mixture is a thick smooth consistency stop adding flour and start to ladle in your chicken broth. Add the broth one ladle at a time a consistently stir to avoid any lumps. Once the majority of your broth is in you can add the vegetables and “chicken”. You can now tuck in!
- Creamy broccoli
The health benefits for broccoli s are outstanding, if you eat broccoli regularly you can normalize your bowel movements, lower your cholesterol levels, aid in maintaining a healthy weight and control your blood sugar. This is the best vegan soup to do wonders on your body. For this soup you will need:
- 1 brown onion chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 medium broccoli's’
- 2 potatoes peeled and chopped
- 750ml of vegetable stock
- A splash of oat milk
- Chili flakes (optional)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Kick off this soup by heating your oil and onions in a large pan for 5 mins on a medium heat. Add your broccoli in florets and your chopped potatoes. Pop in your stock and chili flakes along with your splash of oat milk, or another alternative if you wish. Lower your heat and let your mixture simmer for 20 minutes until your vegetables soften. Once your vegetables are super soft all you have left to do is blend blend blend! If your feeling brave you can add a vegan stilton to add a stronger tasting element to this super simple soup.
- Roasted tomato
@fitgreenmind SOUPer delicious! 🍅😋 #tomatosoup #vegansoup #veganrecipes #easyveganrecipes ♬ Originalton - Maya Leinenbach
Easily the best vegan soup on TikTok, the viral roasted tomato soup. @fitgreenmind show us here super simple method of making this seriously delicious vegan soup. Tomatoes are a brilliant source of vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin K, reducing your risk of cancer, and heart disease. What you will need for this one is:
- Tomatoes
- 1 onion
- 1 bulb of garlic
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Vegan cream or coconut cream
Start with chopping your tomatoes and onions in half as well as your garlic bulbs. Place on a baking tray and drizzle in olive oil and add your salt and pepper. Roast these for about 50minutes. Once roasted, put into a deep pan and add your vegan cream and 500ml of water and, you guessed it, blend! Once you’ve blended it to your ideal consistency you can delve in!
Hopefully now you’ve got enough inspiration for a winter soup to keep you, cosy, warm and full this cold season. You may not be Gordon Ramsay, but you won’t be far off with these delish soups. There are many more ways to tantalise your taste buds this season, from foods that boost your energy to high fibre foods that help support digestion. You won’t be going hungry this winter!
