Vegan Soups for a Warm, Healthy and Nutritious Winter

In previous posts we have discussed some recipes for main vegan dishes, but with the cold months ahead, it's time to appreciate and cherish the simple, calming things, just like a hearty bowl of soup. Nothing is better than this comforting dish at adding some cosiness to your days. It is filling, easy to make, and warms you up like a hug. If you too want to enjoy some tasty soups this year, then try these ones: they are all vegan and inspired by traditional Italian soups or “vellutate.” Let’s get your taste buds ready for some plant-based goodness!

MUSHROOM SOUP

Ingredients

400g of your favourite types of mushrooms

300g of floury potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 small yellow onion

1 litre of veggie stock

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

2 Tablespoons of vegan heavy cream

Salt and pepper

A few sprigs of thyme

To garnish:

1 Tablespoon of vegan heavy cream

1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

A few sprigs of thyme

Chop up the onion and sauté it along with a few thyme leaves in a large pot with the olive oil. Once it turns translucent, add the potato chunks and the cleaned mushrooms. Add salt and pepper and pour in the veggie stock, then blend everything together. Put the lid on your pot and cook on low/medium heat for about 20 minutes. Once the potatoes are soft, turn off the heat and taste your soup to see if you want to add more salt or pepper. If it’s to your liking, then it’s time to blend everything up. Pour the soup into a bowl and garnish it with vegan cream, extra virgin olive oil, and the rest of the thyme.

SPICY PUMPKIN SOUP

Ingredients

500g of pumpkin

1 litre of veggie stock

1 small yellow onion

4 Tablespoons of olive oil

2 Tablespoons of vegan heavy cream

1 teaspoon of ground ginger

Salt, pepper and chili flakes

To garnish:

1 Tablespoon of vegan heavy cream

1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

Chili flakes

Chopped sage

Start by cutting your pumpkin into slim half-moons: no need to peel it for now. Season it with salt, pepper, and oil, and then roast it in the oven at 200° for around 30 minutes. In the meantime, chop up the onion and cook it in a large pot along with a bit of oil, chili flakes, and ginger. Once the pumpkin is soft, get it out of the oven and leave it to cool off, then peel the skin off.  Put the cooked pumpkin in the pot with the onion and the spices, and cook everything for a couple of minutes to let the flavours meet and blend. Then add the veggie stock, salt, and pepper. Bring your culinary concoction to a boil and then remove it from the heat. Blend it to your liking and garnish it with the chopped sage leaves, some extra chili flakes, heavy cream, and olive oil. 

ONION POTATO SOUP

Ingredients:

1 golden onion

4 medium-sized floury potatoes

1 litre of veggie stock

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

A few sprigs of rosemary

A dash of beetroot-powder (optional)

To garnish:

1 Tablespoon of vegan heavy cream

1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

A bit of rosemary

Peel and chop your onion and sauté it in oil, along with salt, pepper, and some rosemary. At this point, add in chopped, peeled potatoes and cooked them too for a couple of minutes. Then pour in the veggies stock and bring everything to a boil. As soon as the veggies are soft, blend everything into a lovely cream. If you want, this is the perfect time to add a pinch of beetroot powder, a bit of it will be enough to give the soup a lovely pink colour. To make it even prettier, garnish your “vellutata” with rosemary, vegan cream, and some extra virgin olive oil.