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Blog - Latest News

Get-well-soon soup

19 May 25/in Free Online, Health and Food

By Philippa Jamieson 

Any time I feel remotely unwell, I whip up a batch of this super flavourful and nourishing soup. Serves 4–6.

This is a versatile soup. You can play around with quantities depending on your taste, and use whatever veges are in season: potatoes, pumpkin, parsnip, kūmara, Jerusalem artichoke, yams, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, kale, shredded cabbage.

Red lentils are quick to cook in this soup, but you could instead add cooked brown lentils, or cooked beans such as pinto or adzuki. 

For an even more Asian flavour, add some chopped Vietnamese mint while cooking, or garnish with freshly chopped coriander.

Recipe first published in Organic NZ, June/July 2018

We hope you enjoy this free article from OrganicNZ.  Join us to access more, exclusive member-only content

Ingredients 

  • 1                 large onion, finely chopped
  • 2–3             garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 T              ginger, grated
  • 1 T              soy sauce
  • 1 T              vinegar (balsamic or apple cider)
  • ¼ t              chilli (or more, to taste)
  • salt to taste
  • 1 T              coconut or olive oil
  • ½ cup         red lentils
  • 1 litre          stock or water
  • 2–3 stalks   celery
  • 1                 large carrot, sliced
  • 2 cups        kūmara, cubed
  • 2 cups        broccoli or cauliflower florets
  • 2 cups        chopped leafy greens such as kale, cabbage, spinach, silverbeet, puha or nettle
  • 1 T              miso, dissolved in ½ cup hot water
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 2–3 T          karengo seaweed, dried
Fresh root ginger is warming and soothes the throat
This soup is a great way of using winter veges – or any veges depending on the season

Method

  1. Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, then add the first 7 ingredients.
  2. Put the lid on, reduce heat, and let the base ingredients ‘sweat’ for 5-10 minutes.
  3. Add lentils and stock or water, and bring to a simmer.
  4. After 10 minutes, add celery and carrots.
  5. After another 5 minutes, add kūmara.
  6. Once root veges and lentils are becoming soft, add broccoli and cook a further 5 minutes.
  7. Add leafy greens and cook 5 more minutes.
  8. Turn off heat, add lemon juice and miso, and stir through.
  9. Put some karengo to each person’s bowl, then ladle in the soup.
Philippa Jamieson was editor of Organic NZ magazine (2008-2021) and is now the editor of the monthly e-news and website content.

Tags: food, Free to read online, organic food, recipe, seasonal, vegetables, whole food, winter
https://organicnz.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/IMG_9295-scaled.jpg 1920 2560 membership https://organicnz.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/OrganicNZ-2024-Masthead.png membership2025-05-19 20:45:452025-05-27 00:32:15Get-well-soon soup
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