Two warming winter soup recipes to keep the chill away
by Leslie ClarkWhen it’s cold outside, there’s nothing more inviting than a hot bowl of soup. Here are two simple recipes that work for lunch, a light dinner, or a delicious first course at your next party. Either of these soups is great with toasted bread, especially something crusty and hearty like ciabatta or focaccia.
One advantage to serving soup for a crowd is that most recipes can be adapted to be completely vegetarian or vegan, and the same is true for these.
Cannellini Bean and Sun-Dried Tomato Soup
For this recipe, you can use either homemade or store-bought pesto, depending on the time you have.
3 ¾ cups chicken or vegetable stock
two 14-oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 tbsp sun-dried tomato puree
5 tbsp pesto
black pepper (optional)
Parmesan cheese (optional)
1) In a pot, bring the stock and beans to a boil.
2) Reduce heat and stir in the tomato puree and pesto. Simmer gently for 5 minutes.
3) Carefully transfer about half the soup into a blender or food processor, making sure to get plenty of beans. Blend until smooth, and then return to pot.
4) Cook on low heat for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
5) Before serving, top each bowl with freshly ground pepper and a few shavings of good-quality Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Serves 4.
Spinach and Potato Soup
You can also substitute watercress or arugula in this recipe for a different flavour.
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
4 medium-size potatoes, grated
1 cup milk
¾ cup chopped raw spinach
1 ½ tsp salt
¼ cup grated cheddar cheese (optional)
pinch of pepper
1) Bring the broth to a boil. Add grated potato and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2) About 5 minutes before serving, add milk, spinach, salt and pepper.
3) Top with cheese right before serving, if desired.
Serves 4.
