This is my version of an Italian minestrone with beans and lots of veggies – fabulous to make this weekend! The beans are soaked overnight and then precooked before adding the fresh veggies. This way the beans are soft and the veggies don’t overcook, but still have some texture and lots of colour.
Bacon & potato soup
Soup is homely, comfort food and this recipe will quickly become a winter favourite, not just because of the flavour, but also the chunky texture. Bacon and potato always work well together, but make sure you remove any excess bacon fat, otherwise it can settle on top of the soup. Also take care when seasoning, as bacon is salty. Potatoes don’t freeze well as they become glassy. Rather keep leftovers for lunch the next day.
Asian chicken noodle soup
A warming chicken broth with deep Asian-inspired flavours and veggies is ideal as a comforting winter meal. Miso paste is a well-known, nutritious Japanese seasoning made from fermented soy beans. It sounds a little different but is so flavourful. Once you try it, you’ll want to add it to everything.
Roasted tomato soup
I get very excited when I think about this thick and flavourful soup. The roasted tomato flavours are more intense and interesting than an ordinary boiled soup and so easy to make. It’s ideal for a midweek meal or a comforting family weekend meal.
Hearty barley soup with sausages
A soup as a filling meal-in-one to warm you up on a cold winter’s night. The barley thickens the soup and gives it a lovely creaminess. I always get excited when everyday ingredients combine into such a hearty meal. The pork bangers add a delicious taste and a touch of sour cream brings it all together.
Roasted butternut soup with chickpeas
Everyone knows a butternut soup and there are many variations. This is definitely my favourite way to prepare this popular soup. Roasting the butternut with spices before blending it, enhances the natural sweetness of the butternut and adds a nuttiness to the flavour. The chickpeas are a great source of protein and also delicious when seasoned and roasted with spices. This soup is equally good as a family meal or to serve for a special meal.
Oven-roasted mushrooms with crème fraîche
You could almost not get a simpler dish to make if you tried, but the subtle flavours will not be easily forgotten. I have served these mushrooms as a starter or a more luxurious salad. It’s also delicious on toasted Italian bread or skewered on a stick as a canapé with drinks. Use as a ‘sauce’ on a piece of steak or a chicken fillet. Choose a variety of ordinary and wild mushrooms for an interesting taste.
Panzanella – a Tuscan salad
Make this salad for a braai or when entertaining. Panzanella is a traditional Tuscan tomato and bread salad. This AMC version is so refreshing and very moreish. Remember to only use a medium temperature when frying the croutons, to ensure that these little chunks of bread toast to a deliciously light golden-brown – you definitely don’t want to burn them.
Geroosterde wortelsop
Hierdie Geroosterde wortelsop is ’n maklike en vinnige sop met baie geur vir ’n lekker winters-ete. Die natuurlike soet smaak van wortels is ideaal saam met die ander groente.
Cheesy quesadillas with corn
Quesadillas are so much fun to make together! And you can literally add anything as a filling, so get a few ingredients together and get quesadilla-ing.
Koue tamatiesop (Gazpacho)
Dié Spaanse-styl tamatiesop word koud voorgesit en is heerlik verfrissend op ’n warm dag. Dis perfek vir ’n ligte maaltyd of as voorgereg en smaak die volgende dag selfs nog lekkerder. Die sop is ook baie veelsydig, want dit kan soos hier onder, met suurroom of gewone jogurt en basiliekruidblare voorgesit word. Of geur dit met paprika of meer Tabasco vir ’n ekstra byt en sit met koljanderblare voor.
Growwe Italiaanse sop
Hierdie groentesop is propvol Italiaanse geure. Die groente is in growwe stukkies gesny wat dit ’n regte koesterkos-sop maak. Die kombinasie van tamatie, soetrissie, eiervrug, ’n bietjie komyn en die kruie is ’n heerlike wintersete. Sit dit as vleislose ete voor of roer bone, kekerertjies, repies gaar hoender of spekrepies as proteïen by.
Dik boontjiesop
Boontjiesop is pure Suid-Afrikaanse kos. ’n Stomende bakkie sop vir die winter is genoeg om hart en siel (en jou maag) te vul. Dit verg so bietjie beplanning om die boontjies eers te week, maar die geurigheid van die sop is absoluut die moeite werd. Dis ’n eenvoudige kombinasie van bekende bestanddele, ‘n maaltyd op sy eie en regtig vullend.
Blomkool-&-appelsop met eiers & avo
otterskorsiesop is seker een van die bekendste sopresepte. Die manier waarop dit gemaak word, is ook ideaal vir ’n verskeidenheid van ander verpulpte groentesoppe. Blomkool is geen uitsondering nie en met die kombinasie van appels en komyn as geurmiddel, is dit baie interessant. Die sop is baie maklik om te maak en as jy dit dan met ’n geposjeerde eier en avokado voorsit, het jy ’n volledige en voedsame ete.
Beesvleisbredie met kool & appel
Die geurigheid van ’n winterbredie bring vir elkeen sy eie herinneringe en almal het hul gunsteling. Dalk is dit tamatiebredie, waterblommetjiebredie, of ’n bredie met kluitjies bo-op. Soveel groente is lekker in ’n bredie en verskillende snitte stowevleis kan gebruik word, solank dit net lank en stadig gaar word, tot dit sag en geurig is.
Hoender-en-mieliesop vir die winter
Dié hoendersop is vir my gesin ’n genotvolle koesterkos-ete en ek kan dit maar gereeld maak, want almal geniet dit elke keer. Dis ’n uitstekende voorbeeld van ’n maklike gaarmaakmetode wat bydra tot die geurigheid van die sop. Daar word nie aftreksel vir die sop gebruik nie, want die hoenderstukke word in water en geurmiddels geprut om ’n aftrekselbasis vir die sop te vorm. Die res van die bestanddele en geurmiddels is voldoende om ’n baie smaaklike ete te wees.
Brown rice & lentils with lemon
Spring is such an exciting season with all the signs of new life, green leaves and blossoming flowers. The same is true for the range of veggies and herbs that becomes available during these months. I always feel inspired to use them as often as possible. It’s also a time when many of us start to put warm soups and stews on the back burner and rather opt for lighter, fresher meals.
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