Budget Friendly: Veggie Soups

Bring some sunshine to your day with these vibrant, nourishing soups. As an added bonus, they’re all easily frozen and reheated

recipes SOPHIE GODWIN photographs ROB STREETER

Sweet potato, coconut & lemongrass soup with coriander sambal

SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 30 mins EASY V ❄

2 tbsp groundnut oil

4 spring onions, sliced

2 large garlic cloves, sliced

2 lemongrass stalks, outer leaves removed and stalk finely chopped

finger-sized piece ginger, sliced

900g sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into small pieces

215ml coconut milk

285ml vegetable stock (we used Bouillon)

1 green chilli, deseeded

1 tsp caster sugar

2 limes, juiced

1 small pack coriander

1 Heat the oil in a large pan, then add the spring onions, garlic, lemongrass and three-quarters of the ginger and cook for 2 mins until aromatic, then tip in the sweet potato. Give everything a good mix so the sweet potato is well coated, then add the coconut milk, stock and 500ml water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for around 25 mins until the sweet potato is cooked through.

2 Meanwhile, tip the remaining ginger, the chilli, sugar, threequarters of the lime juice and most of the coriander (reserving a few leaves for a garnish) into a food processor and blitz until smooth. Transfer the sambal to a small jug and set aside.

3 Blitz the soup with a hand blender until smooth, then season to taste with the remaining lime juice and some salt and pepper. Divide the soup between bowls and top with the coriander sambal. Garnish with the reserved coriander leaves.

GOOD TO KNOW healthy • low cal • fibre • vit c • 1 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 324 kcals • fat 11g • saturates 5g • carbs 49g • sugars 14g • fibre 8g • protein 4g • salt 0.3g

Leek, kale & potato soup topped with shoestring fries

SERVES 4-6 PREP 15 mins COOK 30 mins EASY V ❄

4 large potatoes (around 500g), 3 peeled and cubed, 1 left whole with skin on

1 tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil

15g butter 5 leeks (around 500g), washed and sliced into half moons

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1.5 litres vegetable stock (we used Bouillon)

200g kale

2 tbsp half-fat crème fraîche

1 Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7 and line a baking tray with parchment. Cut the whole potato into matchsticks using a julienne peeler, or shave thin slices using a vegetable peeler, then cut into matchsticks. Pat dry using kitchen paper, then toss with the oil and some seasoning. Spread out on the tray and roast for 15-18 mins.

2 Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the leeks, chopped potatoes and a pinch of salt, then cook gently for 10 mins until the leeks have softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 min more, then pour in the stock. Simmer for 10-12 mins until the potatoes are soft, then add the kale and cook for 2-3 mins to wilt.

3 Stir in the crème fraîche, then blitz with a hand blender and season to taste. Divide the soup between bowls and top with the shoestring fries.

GOOD TO KNOW healthy • low fat • low cal • 1 of 5-a-day PER SERVING (6) 159 kcals • fat 7g • saturates 3g • carbs 17g • sugars 3g • fibre 4g • protein 4g • salt 0.3g

Beetroot, cumin & coriander soup with yogurt and hazelnut dukkah

SERVES 4 PREP 10 mins COOK 1 hr 10 mins EASY V ❄

2 tbsp olive oil

2 red onions, cut into wedges

1kg raw beetroot, peeled and cut into wedges

1 tsp chilli flakes

1 tbsp cumin seeds, plus 1 tsp

1 1 /2 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1.2 litres vegetable stock (we used Bouillon) 3

0g hazelnuts

1 tbsp sesame seeds

4 tbsp natural yogurt

1 Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions, beetroot and a pinch of salt and cook for 10 mins, then turn up the heat and add the chilli flakes and 1 tbsp each of the cumin and coriander seeds. Cook until aromatic, then add the vinegar and give everything a good stir. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 45 mins-1 hr until a knife can be easily inserted into a beetroot wedge; uncover the pan halfway through cooking to reduce the soup.

2 Meanwhile, make the dukkah. Put the hazelnuts, sesame seeds and the remaining cumin and coriander into a dry frying pan and gently toast until the hazelnuts are golden. Add a pinch of salt and crush with a pestle and mortar (alternatively, use a knife to roughly chop the nuts).

3 Blitz the soup with a hand blender and season to taste. Divide between four bowls, then top with a swirl of the yogurt and a sprinkling of hazelnut dukkah.

GOOD TO KNOW healthy • low cal • folate • fibre • iron • 2 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 332 kcals • fat 17g • saturates 3g • carbs 28g • sugars 24g • fibre 10g • protein 10g • salt 0.9g