Cream of Sweet Potato Soup

2 large sweet potatoes, diced
2 litres of stock (I used reconstituted massell chicken stock cubes)
1 carrot, diced
1 stick of celery, diced
1/4 cup of dry sherry
1 small tub of light cream
2 tablespoons of dried chives


1. Sautee the carrot and celery in a pan until soft and a little brown at the edges.
2. Deglaze the pan with sherry being sure to get all the brown bits up.
3. Add the stock and potatoes. Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer.
4. Simmer uncovered until potatoes have begun to fall apart.
5. Add the cream and chives. Blend. Season to taste.

Pea and Bacon Soup

2 cups of split peas
2 litres of stock (I use reconstituted massel cubes)
2 potatoes
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stick, diced
1/4 cup of dry sherry
2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons of dried chives

6 rashers of bacon, diced

1. Sautee the carrot and celery in a pan until soft and a little brown at the edges.
2. Deglaze the pan with sherry being sure to get all the brown bits up.
3. Add carrot and celery mix, stock, potatoes, lentils and bay leaves to a slow cooker. Cook on whichever setting you prefer until lentils are soft.
4. Remove the bay leaves. Add the chives. Blend.
5. Fry off bacon until crispy. Add to soup or, for vegetarian option, serve on the side.

Pumpkin Soup

• 4 cups of pumpkin, peeled and diced
• 1 large potato, peeled and diced 
• 1 carrot finely chopped
• 2 sticks of celery finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic
• 500ml beef stock (check for onion/dehydrated vegetables - massell does a good FF one which is also vegetarian)
• 500ml water
• 1 cup of milk/cream
• 2 tbsp diced chives
• 1 tbsp olive oil

1. Sautee the carrot, celery and garlic in the olive oil. Sweat until soft and going golden.
2. Add pumpkin, stock and water. Bring to boil and let to simmer for 1 hour.
3. Blend with a stick blender and add milk/cream, chives and seasoning to taste.
4. Serve garnished with parsley and, if you like, sour cream/yogurt/cream.

Alternatives: you can use half pumpkin/half sweet potato if you like. Also, I have had a nice version which used some curry powder and coriander.

Potato, Chickpea, Spinach and Lemon Soup

Serves ~ 4

• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/2 tsp lemon infused olive oil
• 1L chicken stock
• 2 tbsp sweet sherry
• 2 potatoes, diced
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups of fresh spinach
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 1 tsp red peppercorns
• 1 tsp black peppercorns

1. Heat oil. Sautee garlic.
2. Add stock, potatoes, bay leaves, pepper and chickpeas. Bring to boil then reduce to simmer. Add sherry.
3. When potatoes are soft add remaining ingredients and season to taste.

Vietnamese Style Soup

This is a bit of a hit and miss recipe so be sure to taste as you go along.
Serves 2

• 1 small clove garlic, finely sliced
• 1 inch ginger/galangal, finely sliced
• 2 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 red chilli, finely sliced (sambal oelek can be used instead)
• 1 bruised lemongrass stalk
• 1 tbsp of chives, finely sliced
• 1/4 coriander leaves and root, roughly chopped
• 1-2 limes, juiced
• 500ml chicken stock
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• rice noodles (already softened in boiling water), meat, vegetables as available 

1. Sautee garlic and half of the ginger in a little vegetable oil. Add stock, lemongrass, lime leaves, fish sauce (to taste), chilli and vegetables/meat. Bring to boil and simmer until vegetables/meat cooked.
2. Add noodles, lime juice (to taste), herbs and remaining ginger

Suggestions: Smoked chicken

Minestrone Soup

Serves 6-8


Cooking Time: 45 minutes

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 cup pumpkin, diced
• 100g smoked bacon, finely diced (omit for vegetarian version)
• 1 bunch basil, stalks finely chopped, leaves torn
• 1/2 cup red wine 
• 400g can of chopped tomatoes
• 2 small courgettes, diced
• 400g can of borlotti beans
• 1 medium bunch, silverbeet, stalks diced, leaves chopped roughly
• 1 cup of GF pasta (I used Orgran Animal Shapes)
• 750ml FF chicken or vegetable stock
• Parmesan cheese/basil pesto to serve

1. Heat oil in large saucepan. Add celery, carrot, pumpkin, basil stalks and bacon. Reduce heat, cover pan with lid just ajar and sweat vegetables for 10-15 minutes or until just soft.
2. Add courgettes, tomatoes and wine. Simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add silverbeet, beans, stock and pasta. Simmer until pasta is cooked (10 minutes). If at any point the soup is too thick for your liking, add a little water.
4. Serve with fresh basil leaves on top and some grated parmesan or a tablespoon of basil pesto.

(Modified version of recipe in Jamie Oliver, Jamie's Italy, Penguin, 2010)

This recipe is suitable for freezing but beware the gluten free pasta will not hold up well to this. It may be worth omitting it and adding it when reheating. I usually blend the soup for freezing anyway as the veggies loose a bit of their texture in freezing.