All That I'm Eating

Recipe ideas for budget meals, everyday cooking and a little indulgence. Travel inspiration and restaurant reviews too.

Thai Vegetable Noodle Soup

By 9 Comments

I am still making an effort to have interesting lunches. Soup is perfect at this time of year as it freezes well and just needs heating through for an (almost) instant lunch. This is my Thai Vegetable Noodle Soup and I make it with plenty of chilli. I love the heat of the chilli with the creaminess of the coconut but you can make it as hot as you like.

This is a great recipe for using up any vegetables you have in the house. I like to use a few different colours if I can to brighten up the soup a little. The lime and coriander really lift the flavours and give it a zing and freshness which is just what I want from this soup. read more

Red Lentil and Tomato Soup

By 18 Comments

Perhaps I should rename my blog ‘All That I’m Blending’ I’ve been making so much soup recently. But that’s the joy of soup isn’t it? You can pretty much throw what you’ve got hanging around into the pot and miraculously out comes a steaming hot bowl of marvellous soup. My red lentil and tomato soup is no different. Made using what I had in the cupboards and fridge this felt like a meal concocted out of nothing; and I have extra portions in the freezer for a rainy day. read more

Broccoli Stalk and Sesame Soup

By 14 Comments

Ingredients for broccoli stalk soup

If you’re chopping the florets off the broccoli and throwing away the stalk you’re missing out. The stalk has that delicious broccoli flavour and can be used in so many ways. My broccoli stalk and sesame soup recipe is one of the things I like to use the stalks for but you can also chop them finely and add them to stir fries, pasta dishes and roasted veg.

Ingredients

You will need (for four portions):

  • Oil for frying
  • 1 onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 celery stick, roughly chopped
  • Broccoli, a mix of stalks and florets around 350g
  • 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
  • 400ml hot vegetable stock
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
  • Sesame oil for drizzling

Method

Start by adding a little oil to a large saucepan over a medium heat.

Add the onion and celery to the pan and fry for five minutes until the vegetables are starting to soften. read more

Smoked Bacon and Kale Soup

By 11 Comments

There’s something special about watching the steam rise from a hot bowl of soup after you’ve been working in the garden all morning; you just know it’s going to fill you up. My smoked bacon and kale soup came about simply to use up some ingredients in the kitchen. I cooked up enough for six portions so there’s plenty in the freezer for a wet and windy day. We have rather busy weekends and when lunchtime comes it’s nice to stop, take some time and eat something nourishing. read more

Carrot, Chickpea and Harissa Soup

By 10 Comments

chickpea and harissa soup close up

I meal plan. Only the dinners mind you. I’d like to think I was organised enough to plan fantastic breakfasts and fabulous lunches but I’d much rather have longer in bed each morning than fuss around with an avocado and quickly grab something easy for lunch in the week. However, there are consequences to this nonchalant attitude of mine. What if disaster strikes? What if, as I enjoy my chicken sandwich for lunch I realise that chicken is on the meal plan for that night? It doesn’t bear thinking about. So I don’t; I have a very simple way round this predicament instead. Make lunches vegan, and if not vegan, vegetarian. Hello Carrot, Chickpea and Harissa Soup.

Ingredients

You will need (for four big bowls):

  • 2 onions, peeled and sliced
  • 3 carrots, peeled and chopped into large chunks
  • 2 tbsp harissa paste
  • 1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 250ml vegetable stock
  • 8 apricots, roughly chopped
  • 700ml tomato passata
  • Oil for cooking
  • Salt and pepper

Method

Add a little oil to a saucepan and add the onion and carrot. Fry, stirring from time to time for at least 10 minutes until the onions are soft and starting to brown at the edges.

Stir in all the remaining ingredients and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Divide the mixture into bowls and serve straight away, or divide into portions and freeze.

This recipe also makes a delicious cheat’s tagine if you continue cooking it slowly to thicken it. Simply serve it with some tabbouleh.

The sweetness from the carrots and apricots is delicious with the acidic tomatoes and spicy harissa. The chickpeas add a real substance to the soup and with all those different veggies in there it’s all goodness. I like to keep mine in portions in the freezer and take a pitta bread to work to have alongside.

I am getting involved with Centrepoint’s ‘The Big Broth’ with this soup. The Big Broth is Centrepoint’s latest fundraiser for homeless young people in the UK and they are asking people to submit their favourite soup recipe with the chance of having it produced by Yorkshire Provender. Then, each pot sold by Yorkshire Provender will mean 20p goes to Centrepoint. If you’d like to submit a soup recipe you can do so here.

Smoked Pea and Potato Soup

By 16 Comments

smoked pea soup with cheese sandwiches

There’s been a spate of soup recipes appearing on my blog recently. I’ll tell you for why: because there’s nothing more comforting I would like to have for lunch during the week. Sure, a steaming bowl of cauliflower cheese would be a fantastic winter luncheon but that’s more effort than I am willing to put in for what is effectively the most rushed meal of the week. So instead I take a bit of time at the weekend and batch cook some soup, freeze it and reap the rewards in the weeks to come. This Smoked Pea and Potato Soup is probably one of my favourite soups of all; all the salty, smoky tang as if it had bacon or ham in but it’s vegan.

Ingredients

You will need (for four portions):

  • 1 onion, diced
  • Oil for cooking
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 600ml vegetable stock
  • 350g frozen peas
  • Sprig fresh mint
  • 1/2 tbsp smoked salt
  • Black pepper

Method

Add a little oil to a saucepan and add the onion, potato and garlic. Fry for 5-10 minutes until the onion is softened, you’ll need to stir it regularly to stop the potato from sticking.

Add the vegetable stock, bring to the boil and then simmer for 15 minutes. Tip in the peas, smoked salt, a good bit of black pepper and the mint. Bring the pan back to a simmer and continue simmering for 5 minutes.

Remove the soup from the heat and the blend the soup. Leave the mint in if you like it extra minty or take it out before blending if you don’t.

If you want to eat it straight away return the soup to a low heat to ensure it’s warm and check the seasoning before serving. If you are freezing in then leave it to cool before diving between pots and popping in the freezer.

I’m not sure you can go wrong with peas and mint together, it’s such a classic. The smoked salt really adds an extra something to this soup; I love ham or bacon with pea soup but wanted to avoid using meat in this recipe. The potato not only thickens the soup but makes it more filling too. Vibrant in colour and flavour you can’t fail to be cheered up just looking at it. I’ve been particularly enjoying this smoked pea and potato soup with cheese and pickle sandwiches! What are your favourite freezer soups?

Tomato, Butterbean and Spinach Pesto Soup

By 11 Comments

spinach pesto

Sometimes I make something like a veggie stew or pasta sauce and realise that it could become a delicious soup with just a little extra water. That’s exactly how this Tomato, Butterbean and Spinach Pesto Soup came about. I had made it as a sauce for baking with gnocchi, similar to this recipe, and I thought it would make a great soup; something a bit different from a normal tomato soup. And I was right. Full of flavour, colour and easy to make from a few ingredients you probably already have in the cupboards.

Ingredients

You will need (for four hearty bowls):

  • 2 tbsp pine nuts
  • 4 nuggets frozen chopped spinach (or half a bag of fresh)
  • 1 small garlic clove, crushed
  • 15g Parmesan cheese, grated
  • Salt and pepper

 

  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • Olive oil for cooking
  • 700ml tomato passata
  • 1 tin butterbeans, rinsed and drained
  • 200ml vegetable stock
  • Salt and pepper

Method

Start by making the spinach pesto. Add the pine nuts to a blender, or pestle and mortar, and blend until finely chopped.

Add the frozen spinach to a small frying pan and cook until defrosted and any excess water has evaporated. If you’re using fresh you’ll need to wilt it down and then chop it.

In a small bowl mix together the pine nuts, spinach, garlic, Parmesan and salt and pepper. Put to one side.

Add a little olive oil to a saucepan and add the onion, fry for 10 minutes until softened.

Pour in the passata and vegetable stock, bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid partially off.

Stir in the butterbeans and continue to simmer for 10 more minutes.

Serve the soup in bowls and dollop the pesto on top. Serve with some warm, crusty olive studded bread if you like.

The tomato soup is comforting and familiar with the added butterbeans giving a lovely bit of substance. A good vegetable stock is essential for good soup. I liked scooping up the pesto and soup with crusty bread; getting different proportions of soup to pesto each time. This tomato and butterbean soup freezes well, I stirred the remaining pesto through before freezing it and it’s been delicious for warming winter lunches.

Roasted Superfood Salad with Baxters Super Good Soups

By 13 Comments

ingredients for superfood salad

Comforting, nourishing and wholesome; there’s nothing quite like a bowl of soup. It’s my lunch of choice, especially during the week when I want something quick and easy. I like to vary what I have with my soup and more often than not I don’t have it with bread, preferring to have a salad or some leftovers on the side. This recipe for roasted superfood salad works particularly well with Baxters new Super Good Chicken Noodle Soup because the turmeric, chillies and carrots in the soup mirror the flavours of the salad. The Baxters Super Good range is made to help you eat well and feel great; full of flavour and health-boosting ingredients.

Ingredients

You will need (for one):

  • 2 carrots, cut into batons
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp each turmeric and paprika
  • ½ tsp dried chilli
  • Salt and pepper
  • ½ small broccoli, cut into florets
  • 1 small mug frozen peas
  • Juice 1 lemon
  • Small bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped
  • 1 can Baxters Super Good Soup (I used their Super Good Chicken Noodle Soup)

Method

Preheat an oven to 180C.

Mix together the carrots, oil, spices and seasoning and tip onto a baking tray. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes.

Add the broccoli to the carrots and roast for a further 10 minutes. I like to cook the broccoli from raw as it has a lovely toasted flavour but you could steam it quickly before adding it to the carrots if you prefer.

Get a small pan of water on to boil and then add the peas. Boil for 2-3 minutes then drain and put to one side.

Pop the soup into a saucepan or microwave to warm up until just simmering.

Remove the vegetables from the oven and add the peas, lemon juice and coriander.

Serve the vegetable salad alongside the soup and enjoy.

The sweetness from the carrots and peas works so well alongside the earthy turmeric and punchy paprika. The little heat from the dried chillies combined with the fresh coriander and lemon means this roasted superfood salad is so full of flavour. This is exactly what I am after at lunchtime; something filling and healthy to give me plenty of fuel for the afternoon. Top tip: make a double batch of roasted veg as it keeps really well in the fridge meaning you can just grab the salad and soup and off you go!

This is a featured post and I was reimbursed by Baxters for my time and ingredients. All opinions and words are (as always) my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support me.

Chipotle and Bean Soup

By 11 Comments

mixed bean, sweetcorn and chipotle chilli soup

I really struggle to know what to have for lunch sometimes. Usually I am scrambling round in the cupboards trying to find some sort of suitable sandwich filling but I do get terribly bored of sandwiches. If I’m lucky I’ll have some keptovers to warm up and I do pay a visit to a local independent café from time to time too. Well enough is enough. I have decided to batch cook and freeze a range of healthy, filling, vegan soups; one of which is this Chipotle and Bean Soup. So that I can grab whichever soup I fancy and not have to think about what’s on the meal plan for dinner I am making them vegan, stuffed full of veg and flavour packed. I hate to have the same thing for lunch and dinner you see!

Ingredients

You will need (for six portions):

  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • ½ chipotle chilli, chopped
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 700ml passata
  • 1 tsp vegetable stock powder
  • 1 tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tin black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 mug frozen sweetcorn
  • Juice 1 lime
  • Oil for cooking
  • Salt and pepper

Method

Start by heating a little oil in a large saucepan and adding the onion and pepper. Fry on a medium heat for 10-15 minutes until softened. Add the spices and chipotle chilli and cook for two minutes more.

Pour in the passata then refill the jar to half full with water, rinse the jar then add the water to the pan with the vegetable stock and beans.

Simmer for 15 minutes then add the sweetcorn, bring back to a simmer and cook for five more minutes.

Squeeze in the lime juice then add a little seasoning.

Leave to cool and divide between freezable containers then leave to cool completely before freezing.

Currently I have two soups on the go in the freezer, this one and my Autumn Vegetable Minestrone. The problem is that I don’t have enough Tupperware left to make any more soup at the moment; I shall need to rectify that and get some more ASAP! Another soup that I will be making a big batch of to add to the soup drawer is my Split Pea Dahl. I’m also planning some sort of chickpea harissa soup and maybe a nice pea, potato and mint too. Five in total, one for each day of the week. And yes, before you ask, I do label each of my soups up and stack them neatly in the freezer; the satisfaction and uniformity brings me much joy.

Autumn Vegetable Minestrone

By 14 Comments

stirring the vegetable minestrone

The weather has certainly changed, although I do consider November to technically be in autumn things have started to get much wintrier. With ice in the mornings, digging scarves and hats out of the drawers and the fire blazing it’s definitely the time of year for soup. The more filling and comforting the soup the better and my autumn vegetable minestrone is exactly that; a restorative bowl of loveliness. Filled with six different vegetables including beans to bulk it all out it’s simple, speedy, cheap and delicious.

Ingredients

You will need (for four hearty bowls):

  • 1 large leek, ends removed, sliced £0.25
  • 3 carrots, peeled and sliced or diced £0.25
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced £0.05
  • 2 tbsp olive oil £0.10
  • 1 large handful kale, shredded £0.30
  • 1 mug frozen peas £0.15
  • 2 nuggets frozen chopped spinach £0.15
  • 1 litre hot vegetable stock £0.20
  • 100g orzo (or other small) pasta £0.20
  • 1 tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed £0.55
  • Salt and pepper £0.02

Total £2.22

Method

Start by getting a large lidded saucepan on a low heat. Add the leek, carrots and garlic along with the oil to the pan and cook on a low-medium heat. Cook with the lid on, stirring from time to time, for 10 minutes.

Increase the heat of the pan slightly and add the kale, frozen peas and spinach. Leave for a minute or two to bring the pan back up to temperature before pouring in the hot stock.

Bring the pan to the boil then add the orzo. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for six minutes.

Add the beans to the pan along with some salt and pepper and cook for four minutes more.

Check the seasoning before serving.

I love that this minestrone is so full of veg and is really substantial and hearty too. The pasta and cannellini beans really fill you up and because it’s not blended each of the vegetables retains its own texture and flavour. This recipe is a great way of using up all those autumn vegetables in the fridge; you could add diced tomato or pepper for a beautiful hit of red too. It freezes really well so it’s ideal for a bit of batch cooking and when it comes to summer, there’s a delicious summer version to try too!

P.S. If you haven’t discovered frozen chopped spinach yet it’s a great freezer staple. I chuck a couple of the nuggets in all sorts of food for extra veg; so convenient!


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