If you’ve been feeling a bit under the weather, this super simple, super quick 5-ingredient vegetable soup is the great way to get your appetite back. Deceptively delicious, with a beautiful soft creamy texture you’ll be surprised at just how much flavour this soup has. And with minimal prep there’s nothing to do but rest while the vegetables work their magic and bubble happily away on the stove.
Recently I was struck with a horrible tummy bug of some sort. It saw me off work for a week and struggling to eat anything more than a piece of plain toast for days. A bug like that can wreak havoc on your digestive system and it can be a real battle to get back to full health. You start to feel better and like you can handle food, but your stomach has other ideas.
This quick, delicious 5-ingredient vegetable soup was (again!) my mother’s suggestion. That woman is some sort of food genius I’m sure. Mum was visiting the kids and I was on about day 6 of feeling very sorry for myself. My body clearly needed some nutrients.
I knew from experience that whatever went in would have to be very gentle. There was little in the house – a wrinkly looking kumara, a sad potato, some carrot ends and a few stalks of celery off-cuts. “Make some soup” Mum instructed. You do not argue with the woman.
It was important to avoid anything that would possibly irritate my insides. For that reason I steered clear of my usual onion and garlic sautéed in butter soup-starter. I simply peeled and chopped the sad collection of vegetables and simmered them gently in chicken stock. I could tell just by my tummy’s reaction to the rich, sumptuous smell of this soup cooking that is was going to be a success. This vegetable soup was like a miracle elixir! Soft, sweet and soothing.
Renewed of my energy by this wonderful brew, I quickly headed to the shops for some fresh vegetables and made a big pot for dinner that night. As it gently bubbled away on the stove, I felt the best I’d been feeling in over a week.
My daughter, who polished off an unheard of three bowls of this vegetable soup, proclaimed “this is so good Mummy, I really love it. It’s the best dinner I’ve ever had”. OK, she’s 4 and prone to exaggeration, but still, praise indeed!
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Serves: 4-6
- 3 carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 2 yellow sweet potato
- 3 medium potatoes
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- Peel the vegetables and cut them into small even sized chunks.
- Add to a large pot with the stock.
- Top up with up to 2 cups of water to ensure the vegetables are covered with liquid by about an inch.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 35-40 minutes until the vegetables are cooked through and tender.
- Use a stick blender to puree the soup until very smooth.
- Serve hot, garnished with cream or sour cream and a sprinkle of sumac or black pepper.
Be sure to use a stick blender with a metallic shaft to puree the soup - a plastic one may not handle the heat. If you don't have a stick blender, you can transfer the soup in batches to a food processor and process until smooth. Be very careful though as it will be incredibly hot!
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