Warm up your winter mealtimes with delicious soup recipes to tickle every taste bud

BEETROOT AND GINGER SOUP
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
For the soup
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
7 beetroots, peeled
4 tsp ginger, peeled and grated
4 cups vegetable stock
tin coconut cream
Salt and pepper
To serve
tin coconut cream
cup parsley

METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and carrot, and fry until the onions are cooked through.
3. Chop the beetroot into small pieces and add them to the pot along with the ginger. Fry for an additional 5 minutes.
4. Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 35 minutes until the beetroot is tender. Transfer to a food processor and blend until smooth. Slowly pour in the coconut cream and blend again.
5. To make the croutons, coat the bread in olive oil. Place on the baking tray and bake for 10 minutes. Toss halfway through.
6. To serve, spoon soup into bowls, drizzle with remaining coconut cream and top with parsley and croutons.

PEAR AND CAULIFLOWER SOUP
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 leeks, chopped
2 sage leaves, chopped
1 tsp dried origanum
1 cauliflower, chopped
1 potato, peeled and chopped
1 pear, peeled, cored and chopped
4 cups chicken stock
cup sour cream
For the pear chips
1 unripe pear, thinly sliced
To serve
8 sage leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds,
lightly toasted
1 wheel feta
4 slices bread, grilled

METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Fry the onions, garlic and leeks until soft. Add the sage and origanum and fry for another minute.
3. Add the cauliflower, potato and pear and cook, stirring continuously for 8–10 minutes, until the vegetables start to soften. Add the chicken stock and bring the soup to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 20–25 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.
4. Blend the soup in a food processor. Once smooth, stir in the sour cream.
5. For the pear chips, place the pear slices on a lined baking tray and bake for 10–15 minutes until crisp, keeping watch so that they don’t burn.
6. To serve, fry the sage leaves in the olive oil. Dish the soup into bowls and top with pear chips, pumpkin seeds and fried sage leaves. Crumble over feta and serve with thick slices of bread on the side.

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