Pea and Rocket Soup GF SCD

There's nothing I like better than a bowl of delicious fresh tasting soup to welcome in the Summer months and it takes only a few minutes to make.

Onion Soup GF SCD

Onions are one of the world's healthiest foods. Richly packed with dietary flavonoids they offer protection against all kinds of disease and it's interesting that the quercetin found in onions doesn't become degraded when simmered to make soup, it just gets absorbed into the liquid. I love onions and last week I must have consumed an average of at least two onions a day, we use them in every dish we cook.

Roasted Red Onion and Coquina Squash Soup GF SCD

Compared to butternut squash, Coquina squash is deeper in colour and much easier to peel. An excellent source of Vitamins A and C and rich in phytonutrients and antioxidant carotenoids, this soup is incredibly nutritious as well as being tasty and warming. However, if you can't get hold of one, use butternut squash in this recipe instead because it's also a nutritional powerhouse. 

Cream of Tomato Soup GF SCD

Growing up we had two kinds of soup, tomato and mushroom and both from a can!  I loved the tomato soup but I haven't had it for years since following a healthier real food diet. So when Sainsbury's sent me a can of chopped tomatoes as part of their support for Organic September, I thought I'd try to create a healthier version of my childhood favourite and I'm so happy with the result!

Vegetable Soup GF SCD

Given the icy conditions that the UK has suffered over the past few weeks, I'm posting a simple but hearty vegetable soup recipe. 

Courgettes or Zucchini - a round-up of recipes

Courgettes or zucchini to my friends across the pond, have only really become popular in the UK over the past ten years.  The first time I discovered them though was about twenty years ago when a French teenager came to stay for a few weeks one Summer, he sliced a couple and fried them in a pan, YUM!!!!

Courgette and Roasted Cherry Tomato Soup GF SCD

This soup is a taste of the sunny Mediterranean, created by combining the intense, concentrated flavour of roasted tomatoes with courgettes and Italian herbs.

Roasted Butternut Squash & Carrot Soup GF SCD

As Autumn approaches I look forward to preparing brightly coloured, nutritious root vegetable soups. While most vegetables are available all year round, for foods which can be considered to be "in season" then I think Autumn is possibly my favourite season of the year. Root vegetables top my favourite vegetable list and they contain all the necessary vitamins and anti-oxidants to give a boost our immune system, protecting us in the cold months ahead.

Garden Minestrone Soup (without the pasta) GF SCD

This is such an easy quick soup to make and to be honest I don't miss the pasta. Full of plant based goodness, a warming bowl of this chunky Minestrone Soup is just what's needed on a rainy day like today.

Cauliflower and Lentil Soup GF SCD

Lentil Soup is amazingly warming on a cool evening! Some nights we just don't feel like cooking a large meal and soup is one of those dishes that is really quick to make and filling.

Thyme - Swede and Apple Soup GF SCD

I used to live near Cottingley in West Yorkshire, a stone's throw away from the garden where Frances Griffiths and Elsie Wright fascinated the world with their beautiful photographs of fairies in 1917. Growing up, I searched for fairies at the bottom of our garden and had I known to wear a sprig of thyme then, who knows, I may have caught a glimpse of them!

Lentil Soup GF SCD

We rarely ever run out of dried lentils, onions and carrots and this soup is one of our favourite soups. Full of flavour with heaps of plant protein, lentil soup is economical and very simple to prepare.

Bean and Vegetable Soup GF SCD

There's nothing more comforting than a wholesome and warming vegetable soup. Economical and very simple to prepare, this soup is packed full of root vegetables, beans and herbs and is a meal in itself. It's a great way to boost your intake of vegetables.

Courgette and Pea Soup GF SCD

This deep green wholesome and very tasty soup can be created in minutes. Since I adore peas, I make sure we buy a pack of frozen peas every week to avoid any calamity that would arise if we actually ran out. We cook them every day, they are a fantastic source of plant protein. This soup recipe is also a perfect way to use up the odd courgettes that have been sadly neglected in the fridge. We tend to over stock courgettes and since I purposefully avoid throwing anything away, this soup has become a firm favourite.

Red Pepper and Carrot Soup GF SCD

We often make soup, not just because it's totally delicious and comforting but also because it's a fantastic way to make sure that we don't waste any of our vegetables. Soups are so quick and easy to make. Just chop and chuck the vegetables in a pan with a bit of stock and a few herbs and spices, cook for a about half an hour, blend and enjoy. This soup is one I made recently, I love its fiery, vibrant colour.

Red Pepper and Carrot Soup GF SCD

600g carrots
2 red bell peppers
1 onions
2 cloves garlic
700ml water or stock
1 tsp paprika
11/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tblsp fresh chopped parsley
extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
ground mace

• Heat a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a deep heavy based pan. Chop the onions roughly. Tip into the pan and fry gently for about 5 to 10 minutes until translucent.
• Heat a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a deep frying pan or wok. slice the peppers and tip into the pan. Fry on a medium to high heat for 5 minutes.
• Peel and slice the carrots and add to the onions with the garlic and paprika. 
• Continue to fry, stirring regularly for another 5 minutes. Add the dried thyme and tip in the peppers. Pour in the water or stock, add a large pinch of mace and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Cover and simmer gently for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Chop the parsley and sprinkle into the soup.
• Blend until smooth, this recipe serves 4 people.