#soup – Cookin' with Carmel

This is kind of an old school soup, but it still intimidates some people today. Nettles have an enormous amount of benefits to them. One of the qualities is that they’re a major detoxer. So had a long weekend of partying/ traveling through airports/ or just feeling sluggish? Drink a cup, or slurp a bowl of this soup, and you’ll be back on track! Grab your gloves(gloves are pretty crucial!) and head to the fields! You’ll want to pick ‘young leaves’, so not the largest ones you see. You’ll also want to stay clear of ones on the side of the road(cars, dogs and such can cause contamination), once picked, still wearing your gloves, give them a good rinse.

Here’s what you’ll need:

100g butter

2 leeks, chopped

4 cups nettles leaves, roughly chopped (be sure to still have those gloves on!)

350g potatoes (sweet potatoes are also great, if you prefer!)

1 teaspoon tumeric

1 litre vegetable stock

salt and pepper

Get all your ingredients prepped.

Melt the butter until foaming. Add the leeks. Sprinkle on the tumeric. After about a minute, add the nettle leaves. Cook the leeks and leaves, stir in the potatoes. Pour in the stock. Simmer for 30 minutes. Use your food processor or blender to liquidize the soup. Serve with a splash of double cream, or mini wild garlic scones.

Feeling settled WAY MORE settle into work and the new place-it’s been killin’ me Smalls not to be blogging! With the nights getting a lot colder, I’ve been craving warm comfort foods. Although I have a soft spot for pasta on a chilly night, a hearty soup can be just as comforting, yet I feel less guilty!

Butternut squash is one of my favorite soups. It’s hearty, a little bit sweet, and FULL of antioxidants, vitamins, and proteins. My soup is also vegetarian, gluten, dairy, and wheat free.

Roasting the butternut squash and using heaps of herbs really gives the soup depth, so don’t shy away from those herbs!

Here’s what you’ll need (serves approximately 4, depending on size of bowls or cups):

2 tablespoon oil

2 butternut squash

1 large white onion, diced

2 garlic cloves

2 tablespoon sage

2.5 tablespoon thyme

1 tablespoon oregano

2.5 cups hot low sodium vegetable broth (or you can use chicken broth)

Salt and pepper (roughly a teaspoon of each, but add more if need be)

Preheat oven to 200C. Peel and dice the butternut squash. (You want the squash to be diced fairly small, about 1/2 an inch or less, to be kind to your blender blade). Put the squash on a baking tray, lined with foil. Sprinkle on some oil, and all of the herbs, give it a good toss/mix around. Place in oven, and roast for 20 minutes. While the squash is roasting, dice and sweat your onion and garlic until soft(with butter or coconut oil, and add a teaspoon of se salt) in deep saucepan. Then add the roasted squash to the pan, and let cook for about 5 minutes. Add your stock, salt and pepper, and bring to the boil. Puree in the blender. Top with toasted seeds, Greek yogurt, or diced chorizo! Delicious!!

Tag: #soup

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Roasted Butternut Squash Soup