Pumpkin goulash soup

Autumn is an inspiring time for me. I love the warm colours and comforting sweetness of vegetables like winter squash.

With Halloween approaching, the shops are full of pumpkins. The type of pumpkins used for carving jack-o'-lanterns are generally not very tasty, so don't try to use them in cooking. Here's one I carved last year.

Instead, you can buy other multi-coloured varieties of winter squash, such as Blue Hubbard, Acorn, Kabocha, Delicata and Spaghetti squash, each with their own unique texture and flavour. I particularly like the orange ones that look like mini pumpkins (var. Kabocha).

Winter squash, like other richly coloured vegetables, are excellent sources of carotenes – the darker the colour, the higher the concentration. They're also a very good source of vitamins C and B1, folic acid, vitamin B5, potassium and dietary fibre; and a good source of vitamins B3 and B6.

Like other carotene-rich vegetables, winter squash have been shown to have a protective effect against many cancers, including lung cancer. Diets rich in carotenes also appear to protect against type 2 diabetes. Pumpkin seeds have been shown to be helpful in reducing symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

In this recipe, I combined sweet orange winter squash, with red and yellow bell peppers, tomatoes, potato, onions and smoked paprika to create a colourful, satisfying and antioxidant-rich soup, with a delicately smoky flavour.

Bell peppers are extremely nutrient dense. They are low in calories but high in vitamin C, beta-carotene, vitamin K, thiamine, folic acid and vitamin B6.

Bell peppers are also a very good source of phytochemicals with exceptional antioxidant activity, such as chlorogenic acid, coumeric acid, and zeaxanthin.

Studies in Italy have shown that consumption of bell peppers reduced risk for cataract surgery and also had a protective effect against cataracts.

Like tomatoes, red bell peppers also contain lycopene, which is known to protect against cancer and heart disease. Lycopene has been shown to be particularly protective against prostate cancer.

Bell peppers also contain capsaicin, flavonoids and vitamin C, which have been shown to prevent blood clot formation and reduce risk of heart attacks and stroke.

Ingredients

• 1-2 tsp olive oil or 1 tbsp water
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 2 onions (200g/7oz), peeled and chopped
• ½ winter squash (680g/24oz), peeled and chopped
• 1 red pepper, washed, de-seeded and chopped into small pieces
• 1 yellow pepper, washed, de-seeded and chopped into small pieces
• 1 medium potato, peeled and chopped
• 1 can (400g/14oz) chopped tomatoes
• 2-3 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp sweet white miso, diluted in a little water
• Chopped fresh herbs to garnish

Method

Heat oil or water in a pan, add a pinch of salt and the onions and sweat for 5 minutes until onions are soft and translucent.

Add chopped winter squash, red pepper, yellow pepper, potato, tomatoes and smoked paprika and simmer on a low heat for 20-25 minutes, until vegetables are soft.

Partially blend soup with a hand blender, so the vegetables are reduced to small chunks. Add miso little by little to taste.

Garnish with fresh herbs and serve hot.

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Nutrient information

Chickpea (garbanzo bean), celeriac, squash, cabbage and fennel seed soup

September is the best month for celeriac in Europe.

Celeriac may appear as an ugly, uninteresting, knobbly root but don’t be fooled – it’s brimming with nutrients and adds delicate flavour and subtle texture to autumn dishes.

Celeriac is derived from wild celery, which has a small, edible root and has been used in Europe since ancient times.

It’s mentioned in Homer's Odyssey as selinon.

It’s unclear when celeriac was first cultivated but there are references to it dating back to the seventeenth century.

Its flesh is crispy when raw and smooth when cooked and has a delicate taste which suggests the flavours of celery and parsley with a slight nuttiness.

I love one pot lunches, so created this Tuscan-style satisfying and nutritious soup with celeriac combined with chick peas (garbanzo beans), winter squash and cabbage, flavoured with fennel seeds.

This dish provides 10 per cent of your daily protein needs but only 5 per cent of daily calorie needs. It's very high in dietary fibre and also contains substantial amounts of vitamins A, C, B1, B6 and folate and the minerals potassium, copper, manganese and iodine (the iodine comes from the vegetable stock which included the sea vegetable kombu). 

For more detailed information please read my article on the health benefits of celery and celeriac.

You can also try celeriac mashed with potatoes and garlic or in the French favourite Celeri Rémoulade, which is basically grated celeriac in mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice and seasonings.

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil or 2 tbsp water
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 2 small red onions, peeled and diced
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• ½ medium-sized celeriac (approx. 375g/13oz), peeled and cut into small (1cm/⅓”) chunks
• ½ small winter squash (270g/9½oz), peeled and cut into small (1cm/⅓”) chunks
• 400g/14oz can (240g/8oz drained weight) cooked chickpeas
• 750ml/1½ pints vegetable stock (see instructions below)*
• 1 tsp sweet white miso (diluted in a little water)
• 250g/8oz savoy cabbage, washed and finely shredded

Method

Heat oil or water in a thick-based pan with a pinch of sea salt, add onions and fennel seed and sweat gently until onion is soft and translucent.

Add chickpeas (garbanzo beans), celeriac, squash and vegetable stock* and simmer gently for 20-30 minutes until vegetables are soft.

Season with diluted miso, adding a little at a time until you’ve achieved the desired taste.

Right at the end, add the shredded savoy cabbage and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

Serve in a bowl with a crusty roll or sprouted bread.

You can also make this one-pot lunch soup in a slow cooker. 

Just put onions, fennel seeds, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), celeriac, squash, and vegetable stock in a slow cooker and leave on a medium setting for 1-2 hours, or on a low setting for 5-6 hours. Season with miso to taste at the end. Lightly steam the shredded cabbage and mix into the soup just before serving.

To make your own vegetable stock

Ingredients

• 2 leeks
• 3 carrots
• Outside cabbage leaves
• 4 sticks celery
• Mushroom stalks
• Pea pods if available
• Large handful of assorted herbs, e.g., basil, marjoram, lovage, parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 strip dried kombu sea vegetable
• ½ tsp black peppercorns
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 litres/3½ pints water

Method

Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 1 hour.

Strain and discard vegetables.

Return liquid to pan and reduce to desired strength.

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Nutrition information

Creamy broccoli and almond soup

Broccoli is one of the most nutrient-dense foods.

It's an excellent source of vitamins K, C and A, as well as folic acid and fibre; and a very good source of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and the vitamins B6 and E.

Many of its health benefits are due to its phytonutrients.

Broccoli is rich in phytochemicals called glucosinolates with well-evidenced anti-cancer properties and the carotenoid lutein, which is a powerful antioxidant known to prevent macular degeneration.

Creamy broccoli and almond soup is is one of my favourite plant-based soup recipes. It's delicious, easy to prepare and very satisfying.

The creamy texture comes from the ground almonds and gently sauted onions and it's vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and added sugar-free.

Recipe

Yield

• Makes 4 servings

Serving size

• 340g/12oz

Calories per serving

• 151

Tools

• Thick-based cooking pot
• Simple hand blender

Prepare ahead

• Store any portions leftover in the refrigerator or freezer

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 2 white onions (300g/10½oz) (roughly chopped)
• 1 head broccoli (400g/14oz), washed and cut into small florets. Cut stalks into small pieces. Set aside a few florets, cut into bite-sized pieces, to add at the end.
• 2-3 cups water
• 3 tbsp ground almonds
• 1 dessertspoon sweet white miso, dissolved in a little water to make it easier to mix into the dish         without lumps
• 1 tsp flaked almonds

Method

Add olive oil and a small pinch of salt to a thick-based pan. Add the chopped onions and spices and sweat gently over a low heat until the onions are soft and translucent.

Sweat - A technique by which ingredients, particularly vegetables, are cooked gently in a small amount of fat over low heat, in a tightly covered pot. With this method, the ingredients soften without browning, and cook in their own juices. 

Sweating is different from sautéing, which is cooking food quickly in a small amount of oil or other fat in a skillet or sauté pan over direct heat.

Add broccoli florets (apart from the small handful of florets you’ve put to one side) and the chopped broccoli stalks.

Add enough water to just cover the vegetables. Don’t add too much water at this stage otherwise the soup will end up watery and it will take you ages to reduce it. If the soup is too thick, you can always add more water later. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat low and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the broccoli is soft enough to blend. Don’t overcook it otherwise the broccoli will lose its vibrant green colour.

Blend the soup with a simple hand blender. Add the ground almonds and sweet white miso to taste.

Add the small broccoli florets you set aside and simmer for a further 2 minutes, until they are cooked al dente.

al dente [al-DEN -tay] An Italian phrase meaning “to the tooth,” used to describe pasta or other food that is cooked only until it offers a slight resistance when bitten into, but which is not soft or overdone.

Serve the soup garnished with flaked almonds.

There are many dishes you can make using broccoli. Check out my recipe for purple spouting broccoli with mushrooms and arame.

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Creamy courgette (zucchini), leek, lime and basil soup

If you're looking for a light summer soup, you'll love this recipe. It's sweet, creamy (though no dairy products involved), light and delicious.

Courgettes or zucchini are a type of summer squash that resemble a cucumber in size and shape. They are low in calories and provide reasonable amounts of vitamin C, potassium and carotenes.

Carotenes are powerful antioxidants and help to protect the body from cancer and other chronic diseases.

Leeks have similar nutritional properties to onions. They are a good source of vitamins B6, C and folic acid; the minerals manganese and iron; and dietary fibre.

Like onions, leeks contain numerous beneficial substances, including flavonoids. In clinical studies, these substances have been shown to help decrease blood lipid levels and blood sugar levels.

The active blood sugar lowering compound is believed to be allyl propyl disulphide (APDS). Evidence suggests that APDS competes with insulin for breakdown sites in the liver, thereby increasing the life span of insulin.

Whenever possible, I add sea vegetables to my recipes, as they are rich in minerals and soluble fibre, which soothes the digestive tract.

So here's the recipe - hope you enjoy it - and please leave any questions or comments below.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• Olive oil (1 tbsp)
• A small pinch of fine sea salt
• 3 medium leeks (sliced in half lengthwise, washed and cut in small pieces)
• 3 courgettes (zucchini) (washed and sliced)
• 1 strip wakame sea vegetable (soaked for 5 minutes and cut into small pieces)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil or 1-2 tablespoons fresh basil (chopped)
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 2-3 cups water
• 1 dessertspoon of white (shiro) miso. You can use a stock cube or home made vegetable stock instead. I use miso because it's full of beneficial nutrients and antioxidants. Please click here to read more about cooking with miso.
• Fresh basil to garnish

Method

Heat a saucepan, add the oil and a pinch of sea salt and gently saute the leeks for 5 to 10 minutes until soft and translucent

Add the rinsed wakame sea vegetable, courgettes (zucchini) and just enough water to cover the vegetables. If using dried basil, add now.

Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until soft. If using fresh basil, add now after the other vegetables have cooked so you preserve the flavour.

Add the lime juice and blend to a smooth consistency, adjusting the liquid if necessary.

Dilute 1 dessert spoon of white miso in a little water and add gradually to the soup. Keep tasting until you have added enough miso to obtain a flavour you love.

Serve garnished with some fresh basil.

Nutritional information

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Celery and sweetcorn chowder

Celery and Sweetcorn Chowder
www.cookingforhealth.biz

This simple, sweet, soup recipe was given to me by my cookery teacher Montse Bradford.  It can be served warm or cold.

Soup helps to relax us and prepare the digestive system for the rest of the meal. 

The basic ingredients of any soup are: a sea vegetable; two or more land vegetables; and usually one fermented seasoning, such as miso or soya sauce.  

Sea vegetables have numerous health benefits and are added to increase the mineral content of a dish and to enhance flavour.

You can use regular sea salt to season if you wish but this does not contain the other beneficial nutrients found in fermented foods like miso.

This soup contains celery, which has traditionally been used for a variety of medicinal purposes and contains vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients with numerous positive effects on our health.  

Ingredients

1 strip kombu sea vegetable, simmered in 4 cups water for 15-30 min

2 medium onions, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pinch sea salt

1 bunch celery, washed and chopped into small pieces

285 g/10 oz sweetcorn kernels

1 dessert spoon white (shiro) miso, dissolved in 2 tbsp water

Method

1. Place the dried kombu sea vegetable in a pan with 4 cups of water and simmer gently whilst you are chopping the vegetables
2. Chop the onions and celery and saute in olive oil with a small pinch of sea salt until the vegetables are soft and translucent.  The salt helps to draw water out of the vegetables and prevents burning.
3. Remove the kombu from the water and add the water to the chopped sauteed vegetables until it just covers them.  If you need to add more water at this stage you can.  Simmer the vegetables for 15-20 min or until soft.
4. Blend until smooth using a hand blender or food processor.
5. Add the diluted miso a little at a time until and taste until you achieve the level of seasoning you require.  If you do not have miso, you can use sea salt to taste.
6. Simmer the soup for 2 minutes and serve garnished with fresh herbs.  You can also serve it cold.

Sauteing the vegetables in a little olive oil

Nutritional information

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Swede and sumac soup

Swede and sumac soup

Recently, I bought a swede at a farmer’s market and was musing about what I could make with it.

The swede is a member of the cabbage family; it is often confused with the turnip, though they look quite different. It's also known as yellow turnip, Swedish turnip and Russian turnip and, in America, rutabaga.

Swede has a round shape and a purple-green skin, and the flesh is yellowy-orange, with a sweet, earthy flavour.

I had never made soup from swede and wondered what I could add to lift and balance the earthy flavour.

Searching in my spice cupboard, I found a jar of sumac.

Sumac is a spice which comes from the berries of a wild bushy shrub that thrives in poor soils and grows wild in all Mediterranean areas and parts of the Middle East.  The highest quality sumac berries come from higher altitude areas.  Sumac is any one of approximately 250 species of flowering plants in the genus Rhus.

The fruits of the genus Rhus are ground into a deep-red or purple powder used as a spice in Middle Eastern cuisine to add a lemony taste to dishes.

So I decided to experiment by combining the sweet earthy flavour of swede with the tangy citrus flavour of sumac and the result was delicious.  Here is the recipe – enjoy!

Swede and Sumac Soup
(serves 2-3)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 medium onions (diced)
• 1 small pinch salt
• ½ swede (cubed)
• 2/3 teaspoon sumac
• 1 dessert spoon white (shiro) miso (diluted in a little water)

Method

1. Put olive oil in a pan, add onions and pinch of salt.  Sauté gently on a low flame until the onions are soft and translucent
2. Add the swede and water to cover half of the vegetables’ volume.  Simmer on a low heat for about 20 minutes or until the swede is soft.
3. Add the sumac spice and the white miso.  Blend until smooth.  Taste and add more water and seasonings if necessary to obtain the desired consistency and flavour.
4. Serve with a garnish of fresh chopped herbs or a sprinkling of sumac powder 

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Winter squash and ginger soup

Winter squash is a superb 'comfort food' for this time of year.

In Chinese medicine it is considered a warming food that is medicinal to the spleen-pancreas and stomach.

Winter squash is exceptionally high in complex carbohydrates and is considered beneficial for those with digestive problems.

It is a good source of vitamins A, C, and E and the minerals potassium, iron and magnesium.

Winter squash is also a rich source of carotenoids, including lutein, zeaxanthin and beta-cryptoxanthin, which are powerful antioxidants known to protect the body from cancer and other conditions such as macular degeneration.

Here is a recipe for winter squash and ginger soup, which is relaxing, warming and comforting, as well as providing your body with powerful protective nutrients.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 large onion (diced)
• 1 small squash, e.g., onion squash or harlequin squash (cut in cubes)
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small pinch sea salt
• Root ginger (2cm piece finely chopped)
• 1 dessert spoon white (shiro) miso (diluted in a little water)

Method

• Heat a cooking pot, add 1-2 tbsp oil, the onion and a small pinch of sea salt and sauté the onions gently on a very low heat until they are soft and translucent
• Add the squash cubes, ginger and water to cover half of the vegetables’ volume.  Bring to a boil and simmer for at least 20 minutes or until the squash is soft.
• Blend to a smooth texture.  Adjust to the desired consistency by adding more water if necessary.  Season to taste with white (shiro) miso.
• Serve hot and garnish with fresh parsley.

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Creamy courgette and leek soup

Fruit and vegetables are abundant in the UK at this time of year. A friend brought me a huge bag of homegrown vegetables and I have been having great fun turning them into delicious healthy dishes. Here is a recipe for a scrummy soup with courgettes and leeks.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 leeks (sliced in half lengthwise, washed and cut in small pieces)
• 2 courgettes (sliced)
• 1-2 strips wakame sea vegetables (soaked for 5 minutes and cut into pieces)
• A small pinch of fine sea salt
• 1 dessertspoon of white (shiro) miso
• Olive oil (1 tbsp)
• 1 tsp dried basil or 1-2 tbsp fresh basil (chopped)
• 2 cups water
• Fresh basil to garnish

Method

• Heat a saucepan, add some oil, the leeks and a pinch of sea salt and saute the leeks for 5-6 minutes
• Add the rinsed wakame, courgettes and 2 cups of water. If using dried basl, add now. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until soft. If using fresh basil, add now, and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
• Blend to a smooth consistency, adjusting the liquid if necessary. Dilute 2 tsp of white miso in a little water and add to the soup. Taste. If necessary, add some more white miso.
• Serve garnished with some fresh basil.

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