When the cold winter weather sets in, our meal time thoughts turn to hearty, tummy-warming soups. There are so many soup recipes available, but we recommend these.
Try these delicious homemade soup recipes. They’re guaranteed to have the entire family asking for more.
Find more tummy-warming, hearty soup recipes here, and try this super-easy to make vegetarian soup.
Kate’s bean and tomato soup (serves 4)
Kate Wigley Romano and her husband own Maria’s Greek Restaurant – one of Cape Town’s oldest and most loved restaurants. Situated on charming Dunkley Square in the old part of the city, guests return for lunches, dinners, mezes, baklava, chunky Greek salads and other favourites. This soup is one of Kate’s personal favourites. Serve with a dollop of thick yoghurt or tzatziki, freshly chopped parsley and a swirl of olive oil.
Ingredients
- butter and olive oil
- 2 x red onions 1 (or more)
- chopped red chilli
- 4 x cloves of garlic
- 4 x grated carrots
- 1 x can dried lentils
- 1 x can red kidney beans
- 200g tomato paste
- paprika
- 4 x chopped tomatoes
- roughly chopped parsley
- salt and pepper
- 1 tsp brown sugar
Method:
- Fry the onion in half cooking olive oil and butter. Next add the chilli, garlic and parsley.
- Simmer for about 5 minutes, then add carrots and lentils.
- Once the onion looks cooked and a little crispy, add beans, tomato paste, paprika and tomatoes.
- Add 2 cups of water and let the lentils cook through. Add salt, pepper and sugar.
- If the soup is too dry, add a cup of water and let it simmer until the colour turns into a rich red.
Taffy’s oxtail soup with pearl barley (serves 4)
Winter gives the Pfupajenas a chance to indulge in a favourite pastime without feeling guilty – eating meat. Some soups are quite light and may need to be followed by another meal. But, not so with this hearty soup, says Taffy, which will leave you ready for an afternoon nap. Serve in bowls with fresh parsley and crusty bread.
Ingredients
- 1kg oxtail, rinsed
- 1 x onion, peeled and chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 x dried red chilli (optional)
- 1 litre beef stock
- 500ml water
- 5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 500g mixed soup vegetables (carrot, turnip, cabbage, celery), grated or finely diced
- ½ cup pearl barley, well rinsed
- fresh parsley to serve
Method
- Rinse the oxtail, then place it in a casserole pot with onion, 4 garlic cloves and chilli. Cover with the stock and water.
- Next, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer covered for 2.5 hours or until meat is cooked, constantly removing any foam that rises to the top in order to keep the stock clear.
- Remove pot from the heat and use a slotted spoon to remove the oxtail from the liquid. Cut the meat from the bones and throw away the bones and any fat. Set the meat aside. Strain the liquid and set aside to cool for at least an hour so that the fat rises to the top. Skim off the fat and throw away.
- Return the liquid to a clean casserole pot with the ginger, 2 cloves garlic, vegetables and barley and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are soft and the barley is cooked (about 20–30 minutes). Add the shredded meat and cook until heated through, roughly a further 5–10 minutes.
When the winter bugs bite, try this flu-fighting old-fashioned Jewish Chicken Soup recipe.
Kate Wigley Romano and Taffy Pfupajena
