With the colder weather well and truly here, it’s only natural that we want to reach for hearty, warming foods.

Winter is the perfect season for soup and a great way to incorporate wholesome and healthy ingredients into your meal planning.

To keep you warm throughout the cooler months, we’ve rustled up three hearty soups for you cook and enjoy.

And the best part? They are all vegetarian, giving you mealtime inspiration for those meat-free Mondays or if you simply want to sneak more vegetables into your diet.

Pair the soup with a slice of crusty bread and a dollop of cream, and you’ve got a meal that will add colour and flavour to those dull winter days.

Carrot soup

Ingredients

1 medium onion

1kg carrots

4 tablespoons butter

1 litre vegetable stock

Juice of one orange

Salt and pepper

Sour cream, to serve

Method

Finely dice the onions and thinly slice the carrots. To make this process faster and to retain consistency in the thickness of the carrots, you can do this in a food processor.

Melt the butter in a large pot and add the onion and carrots. Cook on a medium to low heat, without browning, for 8 minutes or until the onions are translucent.

Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil, then simmer until the carrots are soft.

Allow the soup to cool and then use a stick blender to puree the soup until the consistency is smooth.

Return the soup to the heat and add the orange juice and salt and pepper to season. Stir through until well combined.

Remove the soup from the heat and serve with a dollop of sour cream and swirl through.

Spicy sweet potato soup

Ingredients

1kg sweet potato

1 red onion

280ml tin of coconut milk

1 litre vegetable stock

1 tablespoon yellow curry paste

1 tablespoon peanut oil

Extra coconut milk, to serve

Fresh coriander, to serve

Method

Prepare the vegetables by dicing the onion and peeling and chopping the sweet potatoes into small cubes.

Add the oil to a large pot and place on a medium heat.

Add the onion to the pot and cook until softened. Then, add the curry paste and cook for a minute or two until aromatic.

Pour the vegetable stock into the pot and increase the heat to bring the stock to the boil. Once the stock is boiling, add the sweet potatoes, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the potato has softened.

Remove the soup from the heat. Using a stick blender, puree the soup until smooth. Add the coconut milk and continue blending until well incorporated.

Serve the soup with a splash of coconut milk on top and sprinkle with fresh coriander leaves.

Classic vegetable soup

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium brown onion

2 large carrots

1 cup of celery

2 cloves garlic

1.5 litres vegetable stock

2 cans crushed tomatoes

3 large potatoes

⅓ cup chopped parsley

2 bay leaves

½ teaspoon thyme

½ teaspoon oregano

1 ½ cups green beans

Salt and pepper to season

Method

Prepare the vegetables by dicing the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and potatoes. Also chop the green beans into about 2cm lengths.

Add olive oil to a large pot and place on medium heat. Add the onions, carrot, garlic and celery and sauté.

Add the vegetable stock and canned tomatoes to the pot and bring to the boil.

Once boiling, reduce the heat and add potatoes and herbs. Simmer for 10 minutes and then add the green beans.

Simmer for a further 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Remove from the heat and serve the soup with crusty bread.