When all else fails, a classic vegetable soup will always save the day! You can load up as many veggie favourites as your heart desires with this dish.

SERVES 6 // COOKING TIME 45 min

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, peeled and cut into thin wedges
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 baby marrows, sliced
2 turnips, peeled and cubed
1 stalk celery
20 g origanum
1 tbsp Italian herbs
1 L vegetable stock
400 g tin chopped tomatoes
Salt and black pepper
2 × 400 g tin cannellini beans
Grated Parmesan, to serve

METHOD
1. Heat olive oil in a pot and fry onions and garlic until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
2. Add carrots, potatoes, baby marrows, turnips, celery and herbs, and fry for 5 minutes.
3. Add stock, tomatoes, salt and pepper and bring to the boil.
4. Simmer for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add the beans and heat through.
5. Serve the soup sprinkled with grated Parmesan.

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

Craving some winter comforts? We love this classic French toast with spicy masala steak option!

The post Make this classic vegetable soup in under an hour appeared first on MyKitchen.

There’s nothing quite as comforting as bright vegetable and chicken soup when you’re under the weather. Use any veggies of your choice for this recipe.

SERVES 4–6 // COOKING TIME 1 hour 10 min

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp butter
1 onion, grated
2 garlic cloves, grated
6 chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized pieces
3 carrots, diced
150 g green beans, topped, tailed and chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 red peppers, chopped
4 cups chicken stock
1½ cups cream

METHOD
1. Heat the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Fry the onion until browned and fragrant. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
2. Add the chicken and fry until it starts to brown.
3. Add the carrots, beans, celery and red pepper. Season well with salt and pepper. Sauté until the veggies are sweating.
4. Add the chicken stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until the chicken is done and the veggies are tender, but not soggy.
5. Strain the chicken and veggies and set aside. Add the liquid back to the pot and simmer until reduced and thickened slightly. Add the chicken and veggies back to the pot.
6. Add the cream to the chicken and vegetable soup and heat through. Season to taste and serve.

Recipe & styling: Elizabeth Mackenzie
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

This home-made chicken noodle soup is another winter favourite filled with vitamins and minerals.

The post Bright vegetable and chicken soup appeared first on MyKitchen.

A light and meat-free soup is the perfect meal to take you from winter to spring! Whip up this yummy roast carrot soup with ginger and lemongrass for something fresh and new.

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 1 hour 20 min

INGREDIENTS
500 g carrots, peeled and chopped
4 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
½ onion, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 stalk lemon grass, sliced into 2 cm pieces
1 tbsp peeled and finely chopped ginger
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cumin
700 ml vegetable stock
200 ml coconut milk
1 lime, juice

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Place carrots on a baking tray. Drizzle with 2 tbsp oil, season with salt and toss to coat. Roast for about 1 hour, until tender.
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and fry onion, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, coriander and cumin for 3–5 minutes, until spices are fragrant and onion is soft.
4. Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10–15 minutes.
5. Pick out lemon grass stalks and add roast carrots. Simmer for another 25–30 minutes, until carrots are very soft.
6. Add coconut milk. Remove soup from the heat and blend.
7. Season with lime juice, salt and pepper. Return to low heat until heated through.

Recipe, styling & photography: Anett Velsberg

The post Roast carrot soup with ginger and lemongrass appeared first on MyKitchen.

Get the most out of winter fruits this season and make this delicious orange and butternut soup with blue-cheese crumble for a citrusy winter warmer!

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 50 min

INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped
750 g butternut, peeled, seeded and diced
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 orange (½ zest + ¼ cup juice)
3 cups vegetable stock
½ cup thick cream + to serve
½ tsp cinnamon
Salt and black pepper
100 g blue cheese

METHOD
1. Melt the butter in a pot and fry the onion until soft.
2. Add the butternut, potatoes, orange zest and juice, and stock. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until veggies are soft, 30 minutes.
3. Transfer to a food processor and blitz until fairly smooth.
4. Return the soup to the pot and add the cream, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and heat through.
5. To serve the soup, crumble the blue cheese over it, add a swirl of cream and garnish with coriander.

Recipe & styling: Diane Heierli
Photography: Christoph Heierli

The post Orange and butternut soup with blue-cheese crumble appeared first on MyKitchen.

Get a hearty fill of this garden vegetable soup and dumplings! It’s a delicious veggie option filled with seasonal summer ingredients, making it a nice light soup option, even when it’s hot out.

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 40 min

INGREDIENTS
For the dumplings
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
Salt and black pepper
100 g cold butter
100 ml water
For the soup
2 tbsp olive oil
3 leeks, chopped
2 onions, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 tbsp peeled, crushed garlic
Salt and black pepper
2 L vegetable stock
2 tomatoes, peeled and diced
200 g spinach, chopped
¼ cup chopped parsley

METHOD
For the dumplings
1. Sift the flour, baking powder and seasoning into a bowl.
2. Grate in the butter. Using your fingertips, rub it in until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. Add water, 1 tbsp at a time, until crumbs come together into a dough.
4. Divide the dough into 24 pieces. Roll each one into a ball.
For the soup
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add leeks, onions, carrots, celery, garlic and a pinch of salt. Fry until the vegetables start to soften, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the stock, increase heat to high and bring to a simmer.
3. Add tomatoes and spinach, and season. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
4. Add the dumplings. Increase the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 10–15 minutes, until the dumplings float to the top.
5. Add parsley and serve.

Recipe: Amerae Vercueil
Styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Andreas Eiselen/HMimages.co.za

The post Garden vegetable soup with dumplings appeared first on MyKitchen.

Do you love comforting soup but the weather is way too hot? Try out our light and creamy summer soup, made with the season’s freshest ingredients.

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 30 min

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
400g baby marrows, chopped
160g asparagus, chopped
1 lemon
2 cups vegetable stock
250 ml double-thick cream
Salt and black pepper
60g blanched almonds, chopped and toasted
1 tsp chopped mint

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 160°C.
2. Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat and fry the onion for 10 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic, baby marrows and asparagus, and fry for 3 minutes, until fragrant.
3. Juice and zest your lemon. Add the stock, cream and lemon juice to the vegetables and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked through. Blend and season.
4. Combine the almonds, mint and lemon zest, and season.
5. Serve the soup warm with the almond crumble sprinkled on top.

The post Summer soup with almond crumble appeared first on MyKitchen.