Healthy Ragdale soup recipes you can make at home

Many of us are suffering with recipe fatigue at the moment, and adding variation to mealtimes can be challenging. Giving you a helping hand, you can now bring a taste of Ragdale to the dinner table with one of these deliciously comforting healthy soup recipes.

Tomato Soup with Roasted Pepper and Basil 

Serves 4

• 2 red peppers, halved and deseeded
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 celery stick, chopped
• 1 small leek, sliced
• 400g (14oz) ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 300ml (1/2 pint) tomato juice
• 300ml (1/2 pint) water
• Handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped
• Balsamic vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

• Preheat the grill. Place the peppers, skin side up, on the grill rack. Grill for about 5-8 minutes, until the skins blacken and char. Place the peppers in a bowl and cover tightly with cling film -the steamy atmosphere will help to loosen the skins. When cool, peel the skin from the peppers.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the garlic, onion, carrot, celery and leek. Cover over a gentle heat for 8-10 minutes until softened, without browning. Add the tomatoes and peppers, cook for a few minutes. Stir in tomato juice and water and simmer for 15-20 minutes,
• Liquidise the soup in a blender, then pass it through a sieve for an extra smooth texture. Return it to the saucepan and reheat, then add the basil and a dash of balsamic vinegar. Season to taste, and then serve.

Leek, Spinach and Potato Soup

Serves 4

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 leeks, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 900ml (1 1/2 pints) vegetable stock
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 sprig rosemary
• A handful of baby spinach leaves
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the leeks and onion. Cook gently over a low heat without browning, until the vegetables are softened. Reserve a little of this mixture and set to one side. Add the potatoes to the saucepan and stir well.
• Pour in the stock and add the thyme and rosemary sprigs. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the thyme and rosemary sprigs, then add the handful of spinach leaves. Let the soup sand for 3-4 minutes so that the spinach leaves wilt.
• Transfer the soup to a blender and whizz until smooth. Return to the saucepan and re-heat gently. Season to taste. Just before serving, stir in the reserved vegetables for extra texture.

Thai Spiced Sweet Potato Soup

Serves 6-8

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 250g (9oz) sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 leeks, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 fresh lime leaves
• 2 tsp grated fresh root ginger
• 1/2 stalk lemongrass, crushed with a rolling pin
• 1.5 litres (2 1/2 pints) vegetable stock
• 2 birds eye chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
• 250ml (9 fl oz) coconut milk
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

• Heat the olive oi in a large saucepan. Add the sweet potatoes and all the chopped vegetables. and fry gently for a few minutes without browning. Add the garlic, lime leaves, ginger and lemongrass. Cook gently for another few minutes.
• Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer or about 45-minutes until the vegetables are tender.
• Transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth (or use a hand-held blender if you have one) then return to he saucepan and add the chillies, coconut milk and coriander. Re-heat, season and serve piping hot.

CHEFS TIP: Look out for packs of fresh Thai Seasonings from the vegetable section of your local supermarket

Lentil and Tomato Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 150g lentils, washed and drained
• 30g Mirepoix (roughly chopped mix of vegetables onion, celery, leek, carrot)
• 80g tomatoes
• 500ml vegetable stock
• 50ml olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Method

• Fry vegetable mix in oil, until soft but not brown (around 3/4mins)
• Add stock and bring to the boil. Add the lentils and cook for 15-minutes, then add tomatoes and cook for a further 10-minutes or until the lentils are soft.
• Blend the soup mixture, add salt and pepper and serve.