2 Seriously Good Soups

Liquid gold, to service your toes and your tonsils

Hello Autumn, you sneaky little devil.

I missed you and your earthy smell of sodden soil, of crispy leaves underfoot, your piercing blue skies and that stunning watery sunlight. Welcome back, autumn!

My seawater swims now demand flasks of hot tea and squeals of encouragement. The baby seals are lounging around like wet fluffy socks on the beach - always a sweet sign the summer has ended.

Back home, I have cauldrons of bubbling soups to keep my toes and my nostrils happy.

Given that veggies are mostly water, you'll find that soups are deeply satisfying and filling. Yup. I know what you're thinking - I put the moron into oxymoron. But research shows that when water is incorporated into meals such as soup, stews or smoothies, satiety rapidly increases. And so we can (unwittingly) consume less while we fill up quicker.

I find soups help me to eat really well, while I’m attempting to straddle a demanding schedule. Soups are one of the easiest ways to bump up your daily veggie intake without much effort (basically sauté and purée). If you’ve had porridge for breakkie, and, say, scrambled eggs and toast for lunch, then you’re looking at dinner for your blow-out veggie-magnificence (given that you’ve had no veggies until that point). Soup canters to the rescue - especially if you batch cook it and stock your freezer.

Plus, you can transform just about any soup into a complete meal by topping with protein in the form of a poached egg, grated cheddar n’guac, bluecheese and walnuts, crushed hazelnuts and fried halloumi, or a creamy dollop of hummus. A crisp salad to the side will add a swag of extra nutrients and smugness. Here’s a lovely list of ways to upgrades soups into suppers, from last January’s Substack post …

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But today, first up is a roasted carrot and red lentil. So smooth, creamy and silky with a whisper of heat from chilli flakes and fresh ginger. Because red lentils carry a cargo of resistant starch, this soup feels incredibly rich and filling. Most of the time, I don’t bother roasting the carrots (although I do adore the taste that roasted carrots impart to this soup - sweet and caramelised). You can pop raw carrots in at the same time as the red lentils, for an equally badass result (which also makes it a one pot wonder). Either way, you won’t be disappointed.

Sugar pumpkin - my favourite, dinky pumpkins

The second soup is a one-tray wonder, with minimal wash-up, and suitable for home-freezing or high-fiving. It’s a pumpkin and apple soup.

Try to get your mitts on a super-tritious sugar pumpkin (pictured above). There’s gut-loving fibre for your pipes; rich stores of potassium to help serenade your blood pressure; and a battalion of beta-carotene for your front line defenses. You’ll certainly find them at farmer’s markets, or your nearest organic grocery store.

I’d love to know what combos you are craving in your cauldrons. I’m clearly going for a pot of gold! Let me know in the comment section below.

Love, light and super soups,

Susan Jane

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