Warm yourselves up these wintry evenings with one of these tasty soup recipes

Recipes by Christine Bailey, Charlotte Watts, Gemini Adams and Nicola Graimes

Four healthy foodies have joined together to create one massive compendium of family recipes that has become a must-have for every busy parent. TV chef and health consultant Christine Bailey, award-winning nutritionist Charlotte Watts, healthy living author Gemini Adams and vegetarian cookery author Nicola Graimes have put together 500 quick, easy family recipes that are very practical and can be made in bulk. Here are just four budget-friendly soup recipes that are perfect for winter.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

55g fine egg noodles

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1 carrot, diced

1 bay leaf

200g skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

5 cups chicken stock

2 tbsp reduced-fat crème fraîche

1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cook the noodles following the package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water.
Put the oil in a large pan and add the onion. Half-cover the pan and sauté the onion for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the celery, carrot and bay leaf and sauté for another 3 minutes.
Add the chicken and sauté for 3-4 minutes, turning occasionally, until the chicken is golden all over.
Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Stir in the crème fraîche and cooked noodles and warm through. Season and add the parsley, if using.

Chunky Italian Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tbsp sunflower oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

4 carrots, thinly sliced

140g split red lentils

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tbsp mild curry powder

5 cups gluten-free vegetable stock

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion over a medium-low heat for 7 minutes half-covered, until softened. Add the celery and carrots and cook for another 3 minutes. Rinse the lentils.
Stir in the spices and lentils and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then pour in the stock. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer, half-covered, for 35 minutes until the lentils are very soft and mushy. Occasionally skim off any foam created by the lentils during cooking.
Purée in a blender or using a hand-held blender. Season to taste.

Spicy Beetroot Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tbsp grapeseed oil

2 tsp ground cumin

1 cinnamon stick

1 tsp ground cloves

2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

500g raw beetroot, diced

500g tomatoes, diced

4 ¼ cups vegetable stock or water

Sea salt to taste

Scant ½ cup crème fraîche or coconut cream

Directions

Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the spices and stir for 10 seconds. Add the beetroot, stir for a further 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes. Stir-fry for 1 minute before adding the stock or water. Bring to the boil and summer for 15 minutes, then season.
Take off the heat, remove the cinnamon stick, blend in a blender and add the crème fraîche or coconut cream. Serve with croutons or toast.

Sweet Chestnut Soup

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

600g sweet chestnuts, peeled

8 ½ cups water or stock

2 shallots, finely chopped

2 slices of celeriac, diced

4 tbsp olive oil

4 tbsp vegetable margarine or butter, diced

sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Boil the sweet chestnuts in a saucepan with the water or stock for 5-10 minutes until they begin to disintegrate.
Meanwhile, gently sauté the shallot and the celeriac with the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat until they begin to brown. Add the shallots and the celeriac to the pan with the chestnuts and cook for a further 10 minutes. Blend and season (adding a little more water or stock if necessary). Stir in the margarine or butter, check the seasoning and serve hot.

The Big Book of Quick Easy Family Recipes

By Christine Bailey, Charlotte Watts, Gemini Watts and Nicola Graimes

£16.99; watkinspublishing.com