Herbs & Health

Eat Well
Warm up your winter

There’s nothing better than snuggling up in front of the fire and tucking in to a hearty soup on a cold winter’s day. Not only does it provide you with the warming comfort you crave, it’s also a healthy, nourishing meal.

Hearty winter soups are a hit with the whole family and kids often find them a painless way to eat their vegies. Vegetables are an important source of essential vitamins, minerals and fibre, and including plenty of them in your diet has been shown to protect against many diseases in later life. Here are two simple recipes for delicious winter soups that can be served with crusty sourdough or yeast-free bread – enjoy!

‘Winter warm up’ soup

Ingredients
1 medium leek, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 stick celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, diced
2 small zucchini, diced
400g canned Italian tomatoes with herbs
1/4 cup tomato paste*
200g can red kidney beans, drained
4 cups good-quality vegetable or chicken stock*
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup small pasta spirals or shells
1/3 cup pearl barley
Few drops Tabasco sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

* Choose salt-reduced whenever possible

Method
1. In a lightly oiled large saucepan, add leek and garlic and stir over medium heat for a couple of minutes until soft but not browned.
2. Add celery, carrot, zucchini, tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, stock, Worcestershire sauce, pasta, barley and Tabasco. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, then cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes until barley is soft.
3. Serve sprinkled with chopped basil and crusty sourdough bread or yeast-free toast.

Makes four hearty serves.

Roasted pumpkin and garlic soup

Ingredients
1 kg pumpkin, peeled and cut in cubes
6 cloves garlic
1 large brown onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 stick of celery, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
4 cups of good quality chicken stock*
Chopped chives to serve

* Choose salt-reduced whenever possible

Method
1. Roast pumpkin and garlic on a lightly oiled oven tray, for about 30 minutes at 180°C, until pumpkin soft but not brown.
2. While pumpkin and garlic are roasting, fry onion, carrot, celery and cumin until onion is soft.
3. Add chicken stock. Bring to boil and then simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Add pumpkin to the stock and vegetables and remove from heat.
5. Once slightly cooled, add the garlic and puree the soup until smooth.
6. Gently reheat when required and serve sprinkled with chives.

Makes four hearty serves.

Healthy Foods for Winter

Food Benefits
Barley A good source of fibre, selenium, phosphorus, copper and manganese. Adds a robust flavour to soups and stews.
Basil Contains flavonoids and volatile oils that have unique health-protecting properties
Garlic Rich source of sulphur-containing compounds, such as allicin, alliin and ajoene, which may help maintain a healthy immune system. It is also a very good source of manganese, selenium and vitamins B6 and C.
Kidney Beans A very good source of protein, fibre and the trace mineral, molybdenum, which is necessary for normal cell function. They are also virtually fat-free.
Leeks Related to garlic and onions, and contain many of the same beneficial compounds.
Pumpkin A good source of potassium and fibre. Also rich source of anti-oxidants in the form of betacarotene, vitamin C and lutein.
Tomatoes An excellent source of the anti-oxidant lycopene and vitamins A and C. Also a good source of fibre.