It’s soup season, is it not? I’ve been feeling that keenly this week, so I’ve got five recipes for you that fit the mood.
The thing about soup is that it isn’t typically that fast to make. Even if you’re starting with quick-cooking ingredients, the flavours need some time to meld in the pot. But you can absolutely make good soup in less than an hour; the recipes below are proof of that. And you can make especially good soup in that time frame if you have homemade stock on hand.
Here’s the part where I try to persuade you to make your own stock. I use shop-bought broth for soups like purées, which are thick with other ingredients and flavours. But if you want anything brothy – soup in which you really taste that broth – it’s worth it to make and freeze chicken or veggie stock once in a while. It’s just one of those things that are infinitely better than anything you can buy at the supermarket. It’s also hands-off: leave it on the stove for a few hours on a weekend morning, then strain it and freeze it in small servings.
Okay, I know most of you won’t make stock. I get it. Everyone is busy. Try one of the recipes below, which are straightforward to make and really good.
Bright with lemon and herbs, and packed with hearty greens, this highly adaptable soup can be either light and brothy or thick and stewlike, depending on your preference. Smashing some of the beans to release their starch will give you a thicker soup that’s almost worthy of a fork. To keep it on the brothy side, add a little more liquid and leave the beans intact. Either way, it’s a warming, piquant, one-pot meal that’s perfect for winter.
By: Melissa Clark
Serves: 4
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 bunch sturdy greens, such as kale, broccoli raab, mustard greens or collard greens
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¾ teaspoon ground cumin, plus more to taste
This recipe is a promise of warmth on those cool autumn nights
⅛ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
225g turkey mince
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
Save frozen dumplings in the freezer for this warming weeknight meal
