It’s soup season! With the weather starting to turn chilly, the fantastic Anna from @annasfamilykitchen has cooked up some fantastic recipes to give you and the kids a health boost during the colder months. Perfect for a quick family dinner or a tasty lunch, just add crusty fresh bread for a delicious winter warmer.

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1. Chicken Noodle Soup

This soup can be made using shop bought stock, but if you can make your own using a leftover carcass from a whole bird, it’s even better!

Each time I roast a chicken, if I can’t be faffed to deal with it there and then I put the carcass into a bag in the freezer for when I can be faffed! Add the carcass to the pan, add a carrot, onion, any herbs you have, some peppercorns. Maybe a leek or celery stick. Whatever you think will add flavour and goodness. Then cover and simmer (or leave in a low oven) and strain.

INGREDIENTS for the soup:

600g cooked chicken chopped
1.5l good chicken stock
2 garlic cloves crushed
5cm ginger chopped
3 tbsp soy sauce
200g noodles
Vegetables – use whatever you have
5 spring onions sliced
1 chilli sliced

METHOD

1. Add the stock, garlic, ginger, soy and the chicken strips to a large pan. Bring to a simmer. Add the noodles and vegetables and cook for 7 minutes.
2. Serve into bowls.
3. A drizzle of chilli oil takes it to another level.

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2. Moroccan Chickpea and Sweet Potato Soup with Zatar Pitta Crisps

This hearty vegan soup is made in 15 minutes – just long enough to toast some halved shop bought pittas, once they’ve been seasoned and sprinkled with Zatar and olive oil. It’s worth making a batch of the soup so you can have leftovers for lunch during the week or meals for the freezer.

INGREDIENTS for the soup for 4-6:

1 onion
10cm ginger peeled and roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves
Bunch fresh coriander
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cans chopped tomatoes or 800ml passata
2 cans chickpeas drained
500g sweet potatoes peeled and cubed (approx 2cm sq)
1 litre vegetable stock
100g frozen edamame Beans
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Fresh coriander

For the Zatar Pitta Crisps:

6 pitta breads
2 tsp Zatar
1 garlic clove
Olive oil

METHOD

1. Whizz together the onion, garlic, ginger, coriander and olive oil in a blender or bullet and add to a pan on a medium heat.
2. Soften and colour the mix before adding the dried spices.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes, sweet potatoes, lemon, stock and chickpeas. Season and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add the edamame beans for the last 5 minutes.
4. Half the pittas so you that you have 2 thin disks from each pitta. Swipe the garlic clove twice on each piece of bread. Sprinkle with the Zatar and drizzle with olive oil and place on a baking sheet.
5. Put in a hot oven or under the grill for 3-5 minutes keeping a close eye as they’ll burn quickly.
6. Serve the soup with fresh coriander and the pittas.

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3. Spiced Pumpkin Soup

The ultimate autumnal soup! What better way to use the flesh from your hollowed pumpkins than in a hearty soup?

INGREDIENTS for 4-6:

1 large Squash (approx 1.4kg) seeds removed, flesh roughly chopped
2 red onions chopped
2 carrots peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves crushed
5cm fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
½ tsp chilli flakes or one fresh chilli deseeded and chopped
400ml coconut milk
600ml stock
Fresh coriander
Greek Yogurt or Creme Fraîche to serve (optional)

METHOD

1. Soften the onion in a lug of oil for 5 minutes then add the pumpkin, carrot, ginger and garlic.
2. Colour for 10 minutes stirring occasionally before adding the spices followed by the stock.
3. Simmer for 30 minutes, season and blitz. Stir through the coconut milk and serve with the fresh coriander and Greek Yogurt or Creme Fraîche.

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4. Pea and Garlic Soup

This soup originates from an old Nigella recipe but I’ve put a healthier spin on it. Don’t be put off by the quantity of garlic – it won’t make your breath smell when cooked like this!! When roasted in a parcel it caramelises and loses its harshness. Once the garlic is roasted it’s a case of cooking some peas and blitzing everything together.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp olive oil
I onion chopped
1 garlic bulb left whole
400g frozen peas
60g grated Parmesan or Pecorino if you’re veggie
small bunch fresh mint or thyme, leaves picked

800ml veg or chicken stock

METHOD

1. Cut the top off of the garlic bulb so that the cloves and just exposed.
2. Lay out a piece of parchment paper on top of some foil and place the garlic bulb in the middle. Drizzle with the olive oil and loosely wrap up the garlic bulb.
3. Roast in an oven at 200 degrees for 45 minutes.
4. Soften the onion for 5-10 minutes before adding the less and stock. Simmer for 5 minutes then squeeze in the garlic. Stir in the cheese, herbs and season. Blitz using a hand blender or transfer to a bullet or processor.

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5. Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup

Here’s my take on the Chicken & Sweetcorn Soup you get in Chinese restaurants. It’s a great use of leftover chicken and a leftover carcass. Again if you don’t want to make your own stock, just use good quality shop bought stock. And if you have no plans to roast a chicken or don’t have any leftovers, just use cooked chicken breasts & shred the meat.

INGREDIENTS for 4:

1 litre good chicken stock
2 tsp chopped ginger
1 garlic clove crushed
2 tsp Sriracha (or use sweet chilli sauce)
3 tbsp soy sauce
300g cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
100g sweetcorn, either canned, frozen or cut off fresh cobs
2 eggs whisked
5 spring onions chopped

METHOD

1. To make your own stock, cover the cooked chicken carcass with 2 litres of water. Add 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped carrot 1tsp peppercorns & any fresh herbs you have. Bring the boil & simmer for 2 hours. Or better still, put in a low oven for a few hours.
2. To make the soup, pour the stock, half the sweetcorn & chicken into a pan together with the sriracha, soy, garlic & ginger.
3. Bring to a simmer.
4. Blitz.
5. Add the remaining chicken & sweetcorn. Simmer for 5 minutes then add the egg. Stir so it cooks & resembles threads. Finish with the spring onions.

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Follow @annasfamilykitchen for more tasty recipes!