Chef Sanjeev Kapoor's warm and comforting veg soups for winter months

When it comes to winter months, soups are no less than a warm hug of nutrition. They are rich in all essential nutrients which are treated rightly which makes them easily digestible and at the same time are super easy to make. And it is a smart way of making kids eat all the leafy greens and other seasonal items, which they otherwise deny to consume. As per celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, winters and soup go together like best friends on a cozy evening. They are warm, nourishing, and just a little indulgent. Keeping the same thought in mind, he recently shared a range of vegetarian soup recipes on his website, which are easy to make and highly nutritious too. Take a look.

Ingredients: 3 cups shredded spinach leaves, ¼ cup chopped almonds, 1 tbsp butter, 1 bay leaf, 4-5 garlic cloves, 1 large onion, 8-10 black peppercorns, 2 cups vegetable stock, salt to taste, fresh cream and almonds for garnish
Method: To begin with, heat butter in a non-stick pan and add bay leaf, garlic cloves, onion and black peppercorns and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Next, add almonds and mix well. Also add vegetable stock and salt and mix well. Cover and cook till the mixture comes to a boil. Next, add the washed spinach leaves, mix and cook for a minute. Remove the bay leaf and let the mixture cool down. Blend into a puree and pour the soup into serving bowls, and garnish with some cream and almonds.

Ingredients: 3 cups thin coconut milk, ¾ cup soaked whole green gram, 1 tbsp ghee, 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic, 1/2 tbsp finely chopped ginger, 1 medium onion, 1 medium carrot, ¼ cup sweetcorn kernels, 1 bay leaf, ½ inch cinnamon stick, salt to taste, black pepper to taste, 1 fresh red chilli, 2 tbsps chopped spring onions greens, and some coriander leaves.
Method: To make this interesting soup, begin with heating ghee in a nonstick deep pan, add garlic, ginger and onion and sauté until translucent. Next, add bay leaf and cinnamon and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Now, add carrot, sweetcorn kernels and salt, mix and cook for 1 minute. After this, add the soaked green gram and mix well. To this add coconut milk and 1 cup water and mix well to combine all the ingredients. Add crushed black peppercorns and red chilli and bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10-12 minutes. Add some spring onion and transfer the soup in a serving bowl. Serve with a garnish of coriander leaves.

Ingredients: 1 medium broccoli, 10-15 almonds, 2 tbsps olive oil, 1 tbsp chopped garlic, 2 medium white onions, salt to taste, black pepper, 2 cups vegetable stock, and and fresh cream.
Method: First of all, heat olive oil in a pan and saute garlic for 30 seconds. Next, add white onions and sauté for another minute. Add almonds and saute for 3-5 minutes. Now, add broccoli, salt and crushed black peppercorns and sauté for 2-3 minutes. To this, add vegetable stock, cover and cook for 6-8 minutes. Once done, transfer to a bowl and let it cool down. Blend into a smooth puree and strain through a fine strainer in the same pan. Bring it to a boil, drizzle fresh cream, sprinkle black pepper and serve hot.

Ingredients: 1½ cups boiled American corn, 1 medium onion, 1 inch ginger piece, 5-6 garlic cloves, 2 tsps oil, 2 tbsps butter, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 2 one-inch cinnamon sticks, 2 black cardamoms, 1 tbsp crushed black peppercorns, 1½ tbsps refined flour, 8-10 coriander stems, ¼ tsp turmeric powder, salt to taste, 10-12 spinach leaves, and 1 lemon
Method: To make this soup, first of all crush the corn, onion, ginger and garlic cloves. Next, heat oil and butter in a deep non-stick pan. Add cumin seeds, cinnamon, black cardamoms and crushed black peppercorns and sauté for 1 minute. Also, add crushed onion-ginger-garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add refined flour and mix well and sauté for 1 minute. Next, add corn, 3 cups water, roughly chopped fresh coriander stems, turmeric powder and salt and mix well. Once the mixture comes to a boil, cover the pan and let it cook for 5-7 minutes on medium heat. In the meantime, keep the spinach leaves one top of the other, roll them and slice into thin strips. Strain the soup through a thick sieve into a glass bowl. Add lemon juice and then place spinach strips in a soup bowl, pour the soup around the spinach and serve hot.

Ingredients: 4-6 French beans, ½ medium carrot, 2 fresh button mushrooms, ¼ small cabbage, ½ medium green capsicum, 1 tbsp oil, 1 small onion, 2 inch celery, 1 inch ginger, 3 cups vegetable stock, salt to taste, 2 tbsps dark soy sauce, 2 tbsps green chilli sauce, fresh crushed black peppercorns, 2 tbsps cornstarch, 1 tbsp white vinegar, 3-4 garlic cloves, ½ tsp sugar, and 1 stalk spring onion greens.
Method: For this soup, begin with heating oil in a deep non-stick pan. Add onion, French beans, carrot, celery, mushrooms, cabbage, ginger, green capsicum and vegetable stock and cook. Add salt, dark soy sauce, green chilli sauce and mix. Add crushed peppercorns and mix and let the mixture come to a boil. Mix cornstarch in ½ cup water till smooth and add to the soup. Add ½ tbsp white vinegar and mix. Add garlic, sugar and remaining vinegar and mix well. Lastly, add spring onion greens and serve hot.

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