Ever been torn between wanting a quick, tasty meal and not wanting to compromise on health? We’ve all been there!
That’s where I always turn to a cosy bowl of soup.
However, store-bought soups sometimes miss the mark, and spending hours cooking homemade soup isn’t always an option.
So, here’s my quick fix: a go-to vegan soup recipe that combines fresh ingredients with some dry soup mix.
It’s not just quick and varied (as you can use whatever veggies you have); it’s also healthy and hearty, perfect for warming up on a chilly day.
Before we jump into the recipe and spill the beans on its secrets, let’s take a quick look at what dry soup mix is about – if you have never heard of it.
You’ll also uncover the surprising reasons why store-bought soups may not be as healthy as you thought.
What’s Inside a Dry Soup Mix
Ever spotted those supermarket soup kits promising a quick homemade soup?
They come loaded with pre-chopped veggies like carrots, potatoes, onions, and parsley—just add stock, cook, and blend.
But here’s the catch: those fresh ingredients have an expiration date. That’s where dry soup mixes step in.
With an extended shelf life at room temperature, they’re the superhero your pantry needs.
What’s in a bag of dry soup mix? Think dried pulses and beans—lentils, pearl barley, split peas, etc.
Packed with proteins and fibres, these mixes form a good base for your soups, enhancing both thickness and nutrition. Toss in veggies, add stock, and you’ve got a hearty, nutritious soup to enjoy.
Here’s more good news: these mixes can work wonders in some stew recipes, too!
Why Homemade Soup is Better For You
In our fast-paced lives, our meals often take a hit, especially when it comes to nutrition.
The quick fix? Grabbing a tin of soup, popping it in the microwave, and convincing ourselves that it’s a shortcut to our daily vegetable quota – at least for the day.
However, let’s peel back the lid on store-bought soups:
- High sodium and sugar: Tin soups, often our go-to in a time crunch, can be surprisingly loaded with sodium and sugar, with a single bowl sometimes exceeding your entire day’s salt intake.
- Fresh-pot/chilled soups are not so fresh: They may have lower salt levels than their tin counterparts but still pack more sodium than homemade alternatives. Some even sneak in less-than-ideal ingredients like rapeseed oil and preservatives.
- Questionable ingredients: Many store-bought soups use corn flour to thicken the broth instead of deriving thickness from natural ingredients. Additionally, the processing involved often strips away valuable fibres.
Common tin soup ingredients: Maize Starch, rapeseed oil, flavouring – Not the healthiest choices
So, the verdict is in – homemade soups grant you the power to choose your cooking oils, control the ingredients, and ultimately craft a much healthier option for you and your loved ones.
How to Enhance the Health of Store-Bought Soups
In the hustle and bustle of life, sometimes cooking soup from scratch can seem overwhelming.
But no worries, there are simple ways to give your store-bought soup a healthy makeover.
- Load up on veggies: If time is tight, toss in some fresh or frozen veggies for a fibre boost. Cucumbers, spinach, celery, peas, and spring onions are quick additions that don’t require extensive cooking.
- Spice it up: Elevate both flavour and nutrition by adding cumin powder, turmeric powder, or even curry powder. These not only tantalize your taste buds but also bring in a dose of antioxidants.
- Hydrate and infuse: Dilute your soup a bit before heating, and then introduce fresh or dried herbs for an extra flavour punch.
- Mind the butter: Be cautious with butter, especially when pairing soup with bread, especially for those store-bought soups labelled ‘creamy’. They can be calorie-dense, so resist the urge to consume extra fats.
Follow these simple tips, and transform your soup-and-bread combo into a healthier, flavourful meal.
Do You Need Special Tools to Make Soup
You might stumble upon articles suggesting that crafting the perfect soup requires fancy tools like high-speed blenders or soup makers.
However, in my experience, you only need a sturdy pot and a blender, preferably with a glass jar, to achieve your desired soup texture.
I prioritise the flavour of the soup, and I find that roasting the veggies before blending and adding spices brings that extra kick to the taste.
For those who prefer a soup texture perfectly tailored to their liking, a hand-held blender could be a handy addition to your kitchen tools.
These handheld blenders often offer more options for blending speed compared to traditional jar blenders.
Remember, it’s the quality of ingredients that truly elevates your homemade soup, rather than relying on specialized gadgets.
Right Soup Texture: To Blend or Not to Blend
Achieving the perfect soup texture boils down to whether you prefer more fibre and crunchiness or a smoother blend.
Here are some ideas to help you find your ideal soup consistency:
- No Blend, more crunch: If you fancy more fibre or love the crunchiness of veggies, skip the blending step. This adds a delightful texture to your soup.
- Disguise veggies with blending: Wanna sneak in some veggies for the kids? Blend the soup to disguise those nutritious ingredients seamlessly.
- Blend and combine: For a dynamic texture, try blending half of the soup and reintroducing it to the unblended half. This creates a satisfying combination of smoothness and hearty chunks.
A crucial tip: exercise caution when adding stock during cooking. Resist the temptation to go overboard with stock at once.
It’s easier to adjust for thickness later by adding more, but removing excess liquid can be tricky, leaving your soup thinner than desired. Experiment to find the right balance for your taste!
Now, let’s dive into the heart of our one-pot vegan mushroom onion soup with a dry soup mix. Here are the simple ingredients you’ll need to create this satisfying yet healthy dish:
Mushroom, Onion with Soup Mix Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Pressure cooker (or a slow cooker if you prefer)
Ingredients
- 100 grams dry soup mix (I'm using Holland & Barrett Quick Soup Mix for this recipe)
- 80 grams button mushroom (substitute with chestnut mushrooms if you prefer, roughly chopped)
- 1.5 medium sized onions (yellow or red onion, finely chopped)
- 1 stalk celery (diced into small chunks)
- 1 medium carrot (diced into small chunks)
- 4 garlic cloves (soak the garlic in cold water for a few minutes, so its skin is easier to be peeled off)
- 1 thumb of fresh ginger (or substitute with 2 tsp ginger powder if fresh ginger is unavailable)
- 1 vegetable stock cube (dissolve it in 700 ml hot water)
- 2-3 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tsp mushroom seasoning powder (optional)
- 1-2 tsp dried sage (optional)
Instructions
- If using a pressure cooker, you can skip this step. But if you have time, you can still soak your dry soup mix for around 2 hours. For a slow cooker or saucepan, rinse the dry soup mix, cover with cold water, and soak for 8-12 hours or overnight.
- Or, just check out what your dry soup mix pack says about soaking. They usually have the best tips for making it tasty!
- Finely chop the onion and grate the garlic and ginger.
- Roughly chop the mushrooms.
- Dice the celery and carrots into small chunks.
- Dissolve the vegetable stock cube in 700 ml of hot water.
- With all your ingredients ready, ensure to drain the water from the soaked dry soup mix before cooking, especially if you opted to soak it.
- You might notice the dry soup mix expands during the soaking process.
- Now, let's kick off the cooking process. Pour cooking oil into the pressure cooker, and once it's heated, toss in the chopped onions. Cook them for 1 – 2 minutes.
- Add the diced carrots to the pressure cooker and cook for another minute.
- If the pot seems a bit dry, add a splash of stock to keep things moist.
- Toss in the diced celery and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the grated ginger and garlic to the mix in the pressure cooker, letting the flavours mingle for about 30 seconds.
- Optional: Stir in 1 tsp mushroom seasoning powder for added flavour.
- Add mushrooms and mix well with other ingredients.
- Add the drained soup mix and mix it thoroughly with all the ingredients in the pot.
- Pour in enough stock to cover all the ingredients in the pot.
- Optional: Add in 1 – 2 tsp dried sage.
- Season with salt and pepper according to your taste, then give it a good stir.
- Secure the lid and let the pressure cooker work its magic!
- After cooking, you can blend the soup to your preference—fully, partially, or not at all. I recommend not blending for a delightful crunchy texture, which is my personal preference
- Enjoy the soup paired with your favourite bread or side dishes, or savour it on its own. The soup mix provides a satisfying and filling experience, making it a wholesome meal.
