Soups for the soul - beef pho, carrot soup, mulligatawny soup

Beef pho. Photo / Babiche Martens

There’s little else that hits the spot quite like a bowl of nourishing, comforting soup on a cold day - these three all have substantial starches for maximum satiety.

Beef pho

Serves 4

A good pho is all about a delicious stock infused with Asian flavours. As with any soup, if you have time to make your own stock it will only enhance the flavour. If not, a good-quality store-bought stock is fine. Rich and aromatic, this is perfect to serve as a lighter dinner.

1 litre good-quality beef stock

4cm-piece ginger, sliced

1 cinnamon stick

2 star anise

1 Tbsp each soy sauce and fish sauce

1 red chilli, sliced thinly

200g rice noodles

400g sirloin steak, sliced thinly

2 cups bean sprouts

1 bunch coriander

TO SERVE

½ cup chopped roasted peanuts

2 limes, halved

1. Into a large pot place the stock. Add the ginger, cinnamon, star anise, soy sauce, fish sauce and half the chilli. Bring to a simmer for 20 minutes to infuse all the flavours. It can be refrigerated until needed at this stage.

2. Cook the rice noodles.

3. To serve, into four bowls arrange the rice noodles, place in the sliced steak and bean sprouts. Bring the broth to the boil and remove any inedible cinnamon sticks or star anise, then pour over the steak and sprouts, which will cook them.

4. Garnish with extra chilli, peanuts and coriander. Squeeze in the juice of half a lime per bowl.

Carrot soup with cheese dumplings. Photo / Babiche Martens

Carrot soup with cheese dumplings

Serves 4

There’s no need for a side of bread with this tasty soup; the addition of dumplings turns it into a hearty winter warmer. For the dough, a little blitz to combine will suffice, or make the dumplings by hand — try not to overmix. If you make them ahead of time, reheat them on a covered plate in the microwave and dip back into simmering water.

20g butter or 2 Tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tsp finely grated ginger

800g chopped carrots, skin on

4 cups vegetable stock

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 Tbsp chopped chives to garnish

DUMPLINGS

1 cup self-raising flour

¼ tsp salt

40g butter

1 Tbsp chopped chives

½ cup grated tasty cheese

¼ cup milk

1. Melt the butter in a large pot. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 4 minutes. Stir through the ginger and carrots. Put the lid on and allow to sweat for 5 minutes. Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer for 20 minutes or until the carrots are completely soft. Cool for 10 minutes before blending until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
2. To make the dumplings, place the flour, salt and butter in a food processor, blitzing until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the chives, cheese and milk, mixing again to combine into a dough.
3. To cook the dumplings, bring a pot of salted water to a simmer. Drop dessert spoons of dough into the water a few at a time, cooking for 4 or 5 minutes until puffed and cooked through.
4. Heat the soup before serving, pile on some hot dumplings and a sprinkle of chives.

Mulligatawny soup. Photo / Babiche Martens

Mulligatawny soup

Serves 4

Heartwarming and full of goodness, this soup is a comforting meal in one bowl. Leaving the bones on the chicken thighs adds to the flavour. Add some chopped vegetables of your choice to change it up or make it go a little further.

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 carrots, chopped

1 Tbsp curry powder

3 cups chicken stock

4 chicken thighs, bones in

1 cup basmati rice

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup chopped Italian parsley

Pita pockets, warmed

1. Warm the oil in a large pot. Add the onion, garlic and carrots, cooking for 10 minutes to lightly brown and soften. Stir through the curry powder for 1 minute, then add the stock and chicken thighs, bringing to a simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Stir through the rice, simmering for a further 12 minutes until cooked through. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir through the parsley and serve hot with warmed pita pockets.

All recipes / Angela Casley