It's time to start eating for warmth, and what better way to do so than to fill up on nourishing soups and stews? There is something intuitive about eating supple vegetables, cooked in warming broths alongside tender meat. It's primal as it is necessary, especially while we move towards the winter solstice. Soups and stews are, naturally, the most obvious choice for winter eating because they give so much. Generous in both quantities and nutrition, the purity of a good winter soup is hard to match. Below, we round up some of our favourite and absolutely easy (five steps, maximum, we promise) winter soups and stew recipes.
Cock-a-leekie Soup
An easy and tasty soup with a lot of benefits and minimal ingredients. Leeks, a whole chicken, prunes and broth come together to offer a hearty and simple dinner option.
Khoresh Bademjan
This Persian stew of tomatoes and spiced eggplant is typically made with lamb or beef, but it’s faster and just as savoury without meat. Comforting, and extremely filling, Khoresh Bademjan is perfect for those wanting to prepare dinner in bulk.
Simple Khichari
This restorative Ayurvedic stew features a rotating cast of hard and soft vegetables cooked into supple submission. To make it even simply, you can work with whatever vegetables you have on hand, such as carrots, zucchini, broccoli, green beans, or asparagus. No need to make an extra trip to the supermarket.
White Beans and Roasted Fennel
While not technically a stew, if you save a little bean broth, you can easily turn this rich dish into a sort-of-soup. Citrusy, fresh, creamy and aromatic. It's all there.
Stracciatella alla Romana
"Tendrils of quickly cooked eggs, seasoned with cheese, nutmeg and pepper, float in a meaty stock in this traditional Italian soup," says Samin Nosrat, the author of this recipe. Could we put it any better? Probably not. A quick weeknight meal that fills the hole and soul.
Soba Noodle Soup
Soft, toothy noodles sit peacefully in clear, glossy broth. The perfect soup for moments that call for simplicity. It looks impressive, but is actually one of the simpler recipes on the list.
Simple Autumn Soup
Leaving this here with notes on soup from Frederik Bille Brahe, "Life is shrinking a little alongside the second wave of COVID - the evenings are quieter - less noise from the normally busy street below our windows. The days are getting shorter and the nights wetter and colder. Here, in Copenhagen the change of season is distinct - the leaves are getting red and yellow and the air is damp - mornings are dark when I wake up and I’m already missing the light. This change of season calls for healthy and nourishing food like kale, carrots, spices and not least pumpkin to keep us vital."
Softened Greens
Also not a soup or stew, but an honourable mention for the winter greens that often get overlooked. An opportunity to pad out our diets with some essential roughage, these greens are gently sautéed with garlic and plenty of olive oil for optimal eating.
