Wintertime is soup time
Whether you prefer tried and tested classics or your creations, soups leave both body and soul feeling good. For a long time, soups were considered a poor man's meal. For example, many people know that oat soup is a gentle meal for gastrointestinal upset or that ‘week-in-review’ soup is a way to use leftovers. However, soups have experienced a renaissance. Creative inspiration also comes from faraway places, and soups are known to contain many good nutrients. Vitamins and minerals from vegetables remain in the soup when cooked gently. Although raw food is healthy, gently cooked and pureed food is easier to digest. Soups also have a warming effect, which in turn has a positive impact on digestion.
Oat Soup
Ingredients
- Four heaped tablespoons of organic oats, roughly chopped
- One large shallot
- One medium, fresh celery root or four celery stalks with leaves
- Three large carrots
- Two leeks (omit if you have an upset stomach; replace with additional carrots)
- Five tablespoons of flat-leaf parsley, fresh or dried
- One teaspoon of oregano
- Fresh ginger and one to two teaspoons of peperoncino flakes, as you like
- One to two level tablespoons of fat-free vegetable bouillon powder (Morga)
- Two pinches of coarse sea salt
- One or two bay leaves, as you like
- Two to three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- Two tablespoons of whisky
- One and a half litres of water
- Preparation
- Prepare, wash and dry the carrots, celery, leeks and, if using, the ginger and fresh parsley. Finely chop.
Put the oil and whisky in a pan. Peel, wash and dry the shallot and chop finely. Add to the pan along with the oats and gently fry. Mix the vegetable stock and water in a measuring cup and add to the pan along with the sea salt. Add the chopped vegetables and bring to the boil briefly. Add the oregano, parsley, peperoncini flakes and bay leaves to the soup and simmer gently. If you have an upset stomach, cook until the vegetables are entirely soft; otherwise, cook until al dente. Depending on the consistency and preference, top up with bouillon water and season if necessary. The soup can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated without any problems. It will thicken a little each time it is boiled.
