Healthy Soup and Smoothie Recipes for the Family

January is actually a really tough time of year to focus on “wellness” as many of us may be feeling sluggish after the holidays, struggle to get back into work mode and feel demotivated by how cold it is! However, as February steps up and things start to become more “spring like” I always think this is a great time to get a bit more motivated. I’m not one for “new year, new me”, but I do like to find easy ways to pack in some healthy and nourishing options at mealtimes. Therefore I thought I’d create some super simple but healthy soup and smoothie recipes for the family that you can simply bundle into a blender and make for the whole family (or just yourself) &/or store in the freezer for a rainy day!

I always talk about packing nutrients into the meals I make – a handful of this, a dollop of that and a few sprinkles just to finish it off, for example. But soups and smoothies are a great way to get plenty of nutrients in too – all in one meal!

These kinds of meals are such a perfect option, especially if you add plenty of veggies, make them balanced and flavour them in a way that you enjoy too? Chilli, nutmeg, fennel, lemon, nut butters? – it’s so easy to vary the flavours used in soups & smoothies and personalise them for you!

So here are four recipes from me to get you through until spring and beyond – 2 veg packed smoothies and 2 warming, wholesome soups!

Veg-Packed Soup

Makes 4 portions with a little leftover

Ingredients:

• 300g potatoes, chopped
• 300g large beef tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 2 medium red onions, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 100g yellow pepper, roughly chopped
• 100g courgette, roughly chopped
• 100g carrot, roughly chopped
• 100g parsnip, roughly chopped
• 2 large pinches of ginger
• ½ tsp parsley dried
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 700mls water
• 1 low salt stock cube, crumbled in (can leave out if serving to young babies)

Method:

1. Add ALL the ingredients to a pan and bring to boil.
2. Turn down the heat to a simmer and leave to cook for 20 minutes
3. Blend in your Nutri-Ninja once cooked and served with some milled seeds sprinkled on top.

Smooth, Simple Soup

Makes – 2 portions

Ingredients:

• ½ butternut squash peeled and chopped into small bits
• 1 red pepper, chopped roughly
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 1 inch finely chopped root ginger

Method:

1. Add all ingredients to a roasting tin and drizzle with a little olive oil.
2. Mix them around to coat the ingredients.
3. Roast for around 25-30 minutes or until they are all soft.
4. Add to a pan and top with boiling water (or stock) or add to a soup maker and add water.
5. Boil for 10 minutes and then (once cooled slightly) add to your Nutri-Ninja and blitz until smooth.
6. Serve with some delicious crusty bread.

Family Breakfast Smoothie

Makes – 2 large portions

Ingredients:

• 2 handfuls (120g) of frozen fruits (I used blackberries and mango)
• 60g frozen spinach
• 1 handful of peas or beans
• 2 tbsp yogurt
• 3-4 large splashes of milk
• 1 handful of rolled oats
• 1 tbsp peanut butter

Method:

1. Add all ingredients to your Nutri-Ninja and blend together.
2. Add extra milk if you need to loosen it up a little
3. Serve in a bowl with some milled seeds and chopped fruits to decorate.

Super Green Smoothie

Makes – 1 bowl

Ingredients:

• 1 large handful of spinach (around 40g)
• 5g parsley or watercress, loosely torn
• 1 medium pear, chopped roughly
• ½ an avocado
• Juice of ½ a lime
• 3-4 large splashes or water or 3-4 chunks of ice

Method:

1. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend on the “blend” function on the Nutri-Ninja.
2. Serve in a bowl and top with granola and milled seeds

I hope you enjoy these Healthy Soup and Smoothie Recipes for the Family. I’ve made a batch of the soups and saved them in my freezer for a family meal soon! For any of the other recipes, just double or triple the ingredients if you’re making them for your family. Thanks to Very for sponsoring this post, I loved creating these recipes and testing them out with my family!