Monsoons are here and when the rains are pouring down from the skies, all you want to do is stay at home, wrapped inside a warm blanket and watching your favourite TV shows. And in this time, if you also had a bowl of piping hot soup or deliciously filling stew, there could be seriously nothing better.
For most people, the idea of soups or stews goes beyond just what comes in a bowl and tastes good – many a soups and stews are meant to nourish you from inside and when prepared well can be truly delectable. Moreover, during seasons like monsoons, such foods are considered good for you because they have ingredients which can offer you a certain amount of immunity and can of course, giving you that warming sensation from within.
4 healthy hearty soups that will warm your soul!
Whether you are looking for soups that are healthy and tasty or something that is easy to make and delicious to devour, we at Waangoo have ingredients for literally every recipe. As one of the leading destinations for online grocery shopping in Singapore, we have made shopping easy and convenient for you. And in case you are looking for interesting recipes that you can try out this monsoon season, here are some ideas:
- Chicken noodle soup – Whether you are feeling slightly under the weather or you just want something to warm you after getting soaked in the rains, the chicken noodle soup has to be right up there! You can use fresh chicken or even leftover from the previous night’s roast dinner. Simply sauté onion, garlic, carrots, and celery until soft and then add chicken broth to it and allow it to come to a boil. Then let it simmer away for some time and in about 20 minutes your soup is almost ready. Add the chicken and some pre-cooked egg noodles to the simmering broth and slurp away!
- Lentil soup – Go to any southern Indian household and they will tell you how the traditional rasam is the one-stop solution to almost anything ailing the body. Whether you have a cold or indigestion there is a rasam recipe to soothe your body and soul. If one were to consider rasam in English terms, it would probably be called a lentil soup. Cooked yellow lentils or tur dal is combined with tomatoes, a host of Indian spices, including tamarind, garlic, pepper, turmeric and coriander. Chopped tomatoes add to the tangy goodness and the final flourish of chopped coriander will give the soup a fresh flavour.
- Tom kha gai – When looking for easy and tasty rainy day soups, tom kha gai has to feature in the list! A flavour bomb, this soup needs basic ingredients of south east Asian cooking such as onion, garlic, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, chilies, mushrooms, red curry paste, coconut milk and fish sauce. These are all ingredients that you can find very easily at Waangoo and the recipe requires a quick cooking of these ingredients. What makes this soup wonderful is that you can make it vegetarian or add meats of your choice – chicken, prawns, fish – and the creamy texture provided by the coconut milk or even coconut cream makes this soup a winner!
- French onion soup – This is a recipe that you need to take some time with, but is totally worth the effort. Cooking down the onions till they are caramelized and golden brown could take some time and then once you pour the broth in, you need to simmer for as long as possible. A minimum of 30 minutes will give you a delicious soup, but let it sit on a low stove for 2 hours and you will savour decadence! When served with toasted bread and melting cheese on top, this soup is soothing and luxurious at the same time!
3 rainy day stew recipes to make your tummy happy!
In case you want something heartier and more filling, then you might want to look at stews, which are not only wonderful to soothe the stomach, but also great as one pot meals. A well-cooked stew would have plenty of veggies and meats, but also spices and condiments that will tantalise your tongue and satiate the soul. If you are looking for a warm stew for a rainy day, here are our 3 suggestions:
- Beef stew – There is something so comforting about a bowl of well-made beef stew – it can be prepared in large quantities and stored in the fridge to be reheated and enjoyed as and when needed. what makes this recipe so wonderful is that not only is this a one-pot recipe, it needs very basic ingredients. Moreover, being a low and slow recipe, you can actually leave it on the stovetop for hours, without really having to bother much about it. A combination of onion, carrots, and celery meshes effortlessly with browned beef and a bath prepared with beef broth, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper, to give you a bowl of warm goodness!
- Chili – What makes chili such a popular dish is because of its versatility – whether you relish it on its own or you choose to use it as a topping on hot dogs or perhaps to make some sloppy joes for a kiddy party, it works so well for everything. Another one pot dish, ground beef is browned off and then cooked on a slow heat with onion, garlic, green bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. However, the stew comes together only when it combines with the crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, pinto beans, and beef broth and then sits simmering away for 2 to 3 hours, culminating in a bowl of explosive flavours!
- Irish stew – This is a stew that you will want to keep returning to, because it is that easy and that delicious! Once you get your lamb delivered home via Waangoo, all you need to do is cook it with the basics - onion, carrots, and celery and the lamb that has been browned off. Cover with some beef broth and the star ingredient, Irish Guinness and then let it sit on the stove on a low flame for at least 2 hours before you sit down to enjoy it!
As you can see, most of the recipes we have shared are easy hearty soups and stews that need very few ingredients and minimal preparation, but a bowl of any of these on a cold rainy day is just what you will need!
