Thank you for your warm feedback and support following the publication of the autumn sample menu! I’m delighted to have been able to add a splash of colour and variety to everyday cooking during this period of short days, as we look inwards before the arrival of the snow that brings light. Here’s a little more inspiration for the current soup season.
Soup is the perfect meal for the cold season and a lovely way to incorporate healthy vegetables and valuable nutrients into your diet. Making soup is simple and takes very little time.
In Ayurveda, freshly prepared food that is eaten on the same day is considered healthy and nutritious. Soups are an exception, as they can also be eaten the following day – which is great news for busy people who care about healthy eating but are short of time in the kitchen! Even our grandmothers used to say that soup only gets better as it stands.
Below are a few soup recipes with a slightly different twist. I must say straight away that when I cook for my large family, I always make at least double the quantities if I want there to be some left over for the next day.
Pumpkin soup
Pumpkin soup balances all the doshas. It’s perfect as a light evening meal or for cleansing the digestive system – in which case, leave out the coffee cream.
- ½ small pumpkin
- 1 onion
- 1 celery stalk
- 1 sweet potato
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground fenugreek
- ½ tsp ghee or coffee cream
- a pinch of pepper
Wash and peel the vegetables, then cut them into chunks. Place the vegetables in a saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Cover the saucepan with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes. Puree if desired. Serve with ghee, cream or fresh coriander leaves.
Potato and quinoa soup
Balances all doshas, but be careful if your pitta is out of balance – potato and quinoa soup may further upset your pitta.
- 1 leek
- 2 carrots
- 1 turnip or swede
- 2 celery stalks
- 3 potatoes
- 1 tbsp quinoa
- ½ tsp ghee
- salt
Wash and peel the vegetables, then cut them into pieces. Place the vegetables in a saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add salt and the quinoa. Reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Serve with ghee or fresh coriander leaves.
The recipes are taken from my teacher Vaidya Atreya Smith’s book Ayurvedic Nutrition. To find out more about ghee, read the post ‘Seven reasons to love ghee’.