Beat the sniffles with these easy (and family-friendly) soups designed to boost your immunity.
As the cooler months settle in, a steaming bowl of soup is the perfect way to warm the body and nourish the soul.
This timeless comfort food is not only easy to prepare and incredibly versatile, it is also packed with wholesome ingredients that support your health and well-being.
Soup is especially good for boosting immunity during winter, offering essential hydration, vitamins, and minerals in every spoonful.
Here are three flavoursome soup recipes, designed to keep you and your family healthy and satisfied throughout the cooler months. Best of all, they’re the ideal solution whether you need a quick weekday meal or something to batch-cook and freeze for busy days.
If you plan to freeze the soup, follow the make-ahead advice for best results. That said, I’ve always made the soup according to the recipe, frozen it and defrosted it as is without noticing any issues. But I’m pretty relaxed like that.
Chicken noodle soup
This classic chicken noodle soup is a comforting, family-friendly meal featuring wholesome vegetables and made-from-scratch bone broth to bolster immune health. It’s a wonderful winter warmer that feeds the whole family and is ideal for batch cooking and freezing for busy nights.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large leek, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 large carrots, cut into thin rounds
- 4 celery sticks, diced
- 1 large zucchini, diced
- 1.3kg whole raw chicken
- 250g spaghetti, strands broken in half
- 60g (1 cup) parsley leaves, chopped
- 2 cups baby spinach
- freshly ground pepper to serve
- crusty bread to serve
METHOD
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leek and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes until fragrant and softened.
- Add the carrots, celery, and zucchini, cooking for 5-6 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Place the whole chicken in the pot and add enough water to just cover it. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for about 30 minutes, allowing the broth to develop a rich flavour.
- Carefully remove the chicken from the pot and set aside to cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, shred the meat from the bones, discarding the skin and bones.
- Bring the broth back to a boil, add the broken spaghetti, and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until the pasta is tender.
- Turn off the heat, then stir in the shredded chicken, chopped parsley and baby spinach, allowing the greens to wilt gently in the hot soup.
- Scoop the soup into bowls, add a little freshly ground pepper, and serve hot with crusty bread.
Serves 4-6
Make-ahead note: If you plan to freeze the soup, remove the pot from the stovetop at step 4, add the shredded chicken, allow the soup to cool completely, then pour into labelled and dated airtight containers in single or family-sized portions. Leave about 2cm of headspace at the top of the container, as liquids expand when frozen. To serve, thaw the soup (ideally overnight in the fridge), then resume from step 5, adding the broken spaghetti, chopped parsley and baby spinach and reheating.
Spiced vegetable and chickpea soup
Packed with immune-boosting turmeric, garlic, and a vibrant array of vegetables – all known for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant power –this hearty, mildly spiced soup is a breeze to prepare. It’s also vegetarian-friendly and freezes beautifully.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 leek, finely sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 3 celery sticks, finely chopped
- 2 large carrots, finely chopped
- 1 zucchini, finely chopped
- 1 small sweet potato, finely chopped
- 400g can diced tomatoes
- 1 litre (4 cups) vegetable stock
- 1 cup pearl barley
- 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 30g (½ cup) parsley leaves, finely chopped
- sea salt and cracked black pepper
To serve
METHOD
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add the leek, garlic, turmeric, coriander and cumin, stir and cook until the leek begins to soften and it becomes fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Then add the celery, carrot, zucchini and sweet potato and cook, stirring, for 5-6 minutes.
- Next, add the canned tomatoes, vegetable stock and pearl barley. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes.
- Before serving, turn off the heat and stir in the chickpeas, spinach and parsley. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Serve with shaved parmesan and sourdough toast. Add a dollop of pesto, if desired.
Serves 4-6
Make-ahead note: If you’re making this soup to freeze, consider slightly undercooking the vegetables and pearl barley as they will continue to soften slightly during the freezing and reheating process. Let the soup cool completely before freezing in labelled and dated airtight, freezer-safe containers.
Classic pumpkin soup
A nourishing winter staple, this creamy, warming pumpkin soup is loaded with immune-supporting beta-carotene and antioxidants. It’s simple to prepare, feeds the whole family, and freezes like a dream for easy meal prep and quick reheats.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 800g pumpkin, peeled and chopped into cubes
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 1 litre (4 cups) vegetable stock
- 250ml (1 cup) light coconut milk (or dairy cream)
- salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
- fresh parsley or chives, chopped, to serve
- sourdough toast, to serve
METHOD
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Stir in the ground cumin and cinnamon, cooking for another minute to release their aromas.
- Add the pumpkin and carrots, stirring to coat in the oil and spices. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for 25-30 minutes, or until the pumpkin and carrots are tender.
- Remove the pot from the stovetop, allow the soup to cool a little, then use a stick blender to puree the soup until smooth.
- Stir the coconut milk (or dairy cream) into the soup and season to taste with salt and cracked black pepper. Heat the soup gently for another 2-3 minutes until warmed through.
- Top the soup with fresh parsley or chives and serve with slices of toasted sourdough.
Serves 4-6
Make-ahead note: The fat in coconut milk (or dairy cream) tends to separate from the liquid during freezing and thawing, which can make the soup appear grainy or curdled. If you’re making this soup to freeze, stop at step 5, allowing the soup to cool completely before freezing in labelled and dated airtight, freezer-safe containers. To serve, allow the soup to thaw (ideally overnight in the fridge), then reheat on the stovetop. Once it’s simmering, stir in the coconut milk or cream and continue stirring until it’s heated through and creamy.
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Sarah Pound is a nutritionist, author of the cookbook ‘Wholesome by Sarah’, and a recipe columnist for Good Food.
