The list of winter favourites runs long, but at the very top sits soup. There’s no greater sign that the cold season has arrived than when you begin craving a big bowl of hot and delicious soup to keep yourself warm.
Since soups are usually made with nutrient-dense veggies or meat broth, a bowlful often ensures that the usual symptoms of winter—decreased metabolism, low immunity and dip in energy levels—are kept at bay. Moreover, loaded with sodium, especially if it is broth-based, soups help retain the water in our body, making sure that we remain hydrated through a season when we tend to drink less water.
Here are six flavourful recipes from some of the best eateries in India to get your winter started on a warm, healthy and delicious note.
This hearty creation features seafood, shellfish, olive oil, tomatoes, and saffron. While being truly sublime, it is rich in vital omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D—winter essentials fortifying immunity and uplifting your mood.
Ingredients
For Fish Stock
• 50 gm onion
• 25 gm carrot
• 20 gm celery
• 20 gm leeks
• 5 gm thyme
• Finely chopped garlic
• 20 gm tomato paste
• 200 gm red mullet
• 300 gm red snapper fish
• 200 gm pink perch
• 1 sand lobster
• 1 scallop
• 50 gm squid
• 1 tiger prawn
• 40 gm mussels
• 40 gm clams
• 40 gm potatoes
• 40 gm fennel bulb
• 5 gm Madras curry powder
• 50 ml coconut milk
• Few strands of saffron
• Salt and pepper to taste
Curry Leaves Rouille
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Few strands of saffron
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika powder
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Salt, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon curry leaves powder
For Fish Stock
Sauté onions, carrots, celery, leeks, thyme and garlic. Add tomato paste and fish bones and sauté for five minutes. Add water and simmer for 20 minutes. Add fish to the stock and simmer for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool. Remove the bones and reserve meat for plating. Then, strain the stock and season to taste.
For Bouillabaisse
Heat a pan and add olive oil. Sauté squid, prawns, mussels, clams, potatoes, and fennel bulb. Add Madras curry powder. Sauté for a few minutes. Add the stock, coconut milk, saffron and season to taste.
For Curry Leaves Rouille
Blend all the ingredients in a food processor. Apply on a piece of toasted baguette.
Recipe courtesy: Chef Franklin Fernandez, The Promenade, Puducherry
With tomatoes and lentils as the primary ingredients, this protein and Vitamin-C-rich soup ensures that the seasonal flu doesn’t knock on your door. Moreover, it keeps you feeling full for longer while feeling light on the stomach.
Ingredients
• 300 gm black lentils
• 600 ml water
• 50 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 3-5 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
• 3–5 fresh peppers, chopped
• 250 gm peeled plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
In a pan, add the black lentils and 600 ml of water, and cook till the lentils soften. Once done, keep it aside. In a saucepan, heat olive oil. Add chopped garlic, parsley, and fresh peppers and sauté for a few minutes. Add peeled plum tomatoes. Add the lentils with stock, salt, and pepper. Add the water if required and allow to cook for 20–25 minutes on low heat until the soup has thickened. Serve hot with garlic bread.
Recipe courtesy: Chef Vivek Tamhane, BLVD Club, Bengaluru
If you are in the mood for a hearty stew, look no further. Packed with vitamins A and C, fibre and calcium from the drumsticks and plant-based protein from the wadi, this redolent creation doesn't just energise you but strengthens your immunity and gut health.
Ingredients
• 10 gm oil
• 20 gm sliced onions
• 5 gm sliced garlic
• 5 gm chopped ginger
• 50 gm drumsticks
• 3 gm salt
• 2 gm green chillies
• 5 gm cumin powder
• 2 gm garam masala powder
• 50 gm Amritsari wadi
(dried dumplings made with mixed pulses)
Method
Heat the oil in a pan and add sliced onions, chopped garlic, and ginger. Sauté the mixture until it turns light brown. Now, add the drumsticks that have been cleaned and washed. Sauté them for a while, then add salt, slit green chillies, and water. Allow the mixture to simmer for 30 minutes. Then, puree the mixture, strain it, and finish it off by adding cumin powder and garam masala powder. Garnish with fried Amritsari wadi dumplings and serve hot.
Recipe courtesy: Chef Kaushik Mishra, Loya, Taj West End, Bengaluru
This fusion of finely sliced kohlrabi (turnip cabbage), sautéed prawns, and aromatic spices into a velvety soup is warm and indulgent all at once. And yet, it doesn’t fall short on nutritional value at all. While prawns are a great source of protein, kohlrabi is replete with immunity-boosting vitamins B6 and C and fibre.
Ingredients
• 500 gm kohlrabi
• 1/2 bunch of parsley
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 500 ml of vegetable stock
• 1 tsp paprika powder
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• Salt and pepper
• 100 ml of fresh cream
• 125 gm prawns cut into small pieces
Method
Peel the kohlrabi and cut it into very fine pieces. Next, chop parsley into small pieces. Heat olive oil and sauté paprika, nutmeg, and the prawns in a saucepan for two minutes. Then, take it out of the saucepan and sauté the kohlrabi. Add the vegetable stock and bring the soup to a boil or until the kohlrabi cooks well. After eight to ten minutes, puree with a hand blender. Add the shrimp to the soup, season to taste, and cook for some time. Stir in the cream when it's done and serve hot.
Recipe courtesy: Chef Vivek Tamhane, BLVD Club, Bengaluru
Made with drumsticks and lamb, the soup doesn't just fuel you up with loads of essential nutrients like protein, fibre, and vitamins A, C and K but also brings a kick of spice that will surely keep you warm.
Ingredients
• 100 gm shallots
• 30 gm ginger
• 30 gm garlic
• 20 gm green chilli
• 50 gm tomato
• 20 ml groundnut oil
• 0.2 gm cumin seeds
• 10 gm coriander seeds
• 0.2 gm cloves
• 10 gm curry powder
• 5 gm turmeric powder
• 10 gm coriander powder
• 2 sprigs of curry leaves
• 500 gm lamb chunks
• 20 gm cajun spice powders
• 200 gm drumstick
• 50 gm coriander leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Chop the shallots, garlic, ginger, green chilli, and tomato. Heat groundnut oil and sauté the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, and spices. Next, sauté the chopped shallots, curry leaves, ginger, and garlic. Add turmeric powder, cajun spice powders, and curry powder. Then, add the chopped tomatoes and cook for two minutes. Next, add lamb chunks and sear them briefly. Pour water, season with salt, and then add drumsticks. Leave it to simmer until the lamb is tender. Once done, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.
Recipe courtesy: Chef Suresh V, LeDupleix, Puducherry
