Hearty and wholesome soup dishes to warm you up this winter. 

Pea, broccoli and baby marrow soup
Serves 6

For the crispy rice topping
1 tbsp butter
½ cup cooked brown rice

For the soup
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2 leeks, sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1.25 L water
3 tbsp vegetable stock powder
1 head broccoli, chopped
4 baby marrows, chopped
2 cups peas
½ lemon, juiced and zested

To serve
½ cup sour cream
½ cup peas, cooked
2 baby marrows, sliced in ribbons and chargrilled
¼ cup fresh parsley

For the rice topping
1. Melt the butter in a non-stick pan with a lid over medium heat. Spread the cooked rice evenly over the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat up to medium-high, cover the pan with the lid and cook for 10–12 minutes, shaking occasionally, until the rice is golden brown and crisp.

For the soup
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and fry the onion and leeks for 5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.

2. Add the water and stock powder and bring to the boil. Once the mixture is boiling, add the broccoli and baby marrow. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the broccoli is just tender.

3. Stir in the peas, lemon juice and lemon zest and heat through.

4. Allow to cool slightly before transferring to a blender or food processor and pulsing until smooth. Season to taste.

To serve

1. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and add a dash of sour cream. Top with peas, baby marrows and crispy rice and garnish with fresh parsley.

Red lentil, carrot & turmeric soup
Serves 4

For the soup
1½ tbsp olive oil
1½ onions, sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tbsp curry powder
1½ tsp turmeric
10 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1.5 L water
2 tbsp vegetable stock

For the lentils and garlic chips
1 cup red lentils, soaked in water for 1 hour
2 cups vegetable oil
1 tsp paprika
4 garlic cloves, sliced lengthways

To serve
⅓  cup coriander

For the soup

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and fry the onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder and turmeric and cook for 2 minutes.

2. Add the carrots, water and vegetable stock and simmer for 10 minutes or until the carrots are cooked.

3. Remove the pot from the heat, season to taste and blend until smooth.

For the lentils and garlic chips

1. Drain the lentils and pat dry with a paper towel.

2. Heat the oil in a pot over medium high heat and fry the lentils, ½ cup at a time, until crispy. About 3 minutes per batch.

3. Remove from the oil, drain and toss with paprika.

4. Fry the garlic slices in the same oil until just golden and drain on paper towel.

To serve

1. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and top with the crispy lentils, some garlic chips and garnish with some fresh coriander. Drizzle with a splash of olive oil if desired.

Sweet-potato soup with crispy beans
Serves 4

500 g purple-skin sweet potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
1 large red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 cups vegetable stock
½ cup kidney beans
¼ tsp cumin
¼ tsp paprika
Fresh thyme, to garnish

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.

2. Wash the sweet potatoes, then use a vegetable peeler to peel long strips of skin. Place the skins on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake them for 20–30 minutes, until crispy.

3. Chop sweet potatoes into chunks and coat with olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Place on a baking tray and roast for 30 minutes, until soft, turning them halfway through.

4. Heat a little oil in a pan and fry the onion until translucent. Add the garlic, then remove from the heat.

5. In a large pot, heat the vegetable stock until simmering, then add the sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for 20 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender. Puree the soup with a stick blender.

6. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan over high heat. Add the kidney beans and sprinkle with cumin and paprika. Fry until crispy.

7. Serve with crispy beans and sweet-potato skins, garnished with thyme.

Red lentil, carrot & turmeric soup: Stylist: Kate Turner; Stylist’s assistants: Jezza-Rae Larsen & Dylan Norton; Photography: Samantha Pinto; Sweet-potato soup with crispy beans: Stylists: Amerae Vercueil & Chiara Turili; Photography: Andreas Eiselen; Pea, broccoli and baby marrow soup: Stylist: Kate Turner: Stylist’s assistants: Jezza-Rae Larsen & Dylan Norton; Photography: Samantha Pinto