Despite the warm weather which has descended on Manchester in recent days, I think experience has taught us all that sun does not linger long in this city. Soon enough, we will be back to parkas and mittens, and so, to continue our soup series, here is a warming bowl which also takes inspiration from the flavours of summer.
This recipe is completely vegan and packs in 11 of your 30 weekly plant points (when served with the seeds and pickled beetroot) so it not only tastes good but is healthy as well. It only takes 15 minutes to make. I served four lunches with this, making it perfect for batch cooking. So, whether you are trying to keep the feeling of sunshine going for a few more days, or build a nutritious and filling meal, this is absolutely the recipe for you.
Ingredients
- 1 Large can sweetcorn
- 4 Garlic cloves
- 1 White onion
- 1 tsp Onion powder
- 15g Nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp Smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp Oregano and parsley (or 1 tsp mixed herbs)
- 1/2 tsp White pepper
- 1 Tbsp Vegetable stock powder in 400ml water
- 200ml Plant-based milk (I used soy)
Method
- Char the corn in a pan, on a high heat, with a small drizzle of olive oil.
- While that is charring, dice the onion and garlic, and then add this into the pan with the corn when it starts to blacken.
- Turn down to a low heat and allow to soften for 5 minutes, before adding the dried spices and nutritional yeast.
- Allow to cook gently for a further 2-3 minutes until aromatic.
- Add the plant based milk and stock, combine, and then either leave to cool before placing in a blender, or use an immersion blender in the pan and blend until a smooth consistency is reached.
- Serve with crispy chickpeas, toasted seeds, chilli oil, fresh herbs or pickled vegetables and bread.
Recommendations
- If you enjoy a spicier flavour, char the corn with a drizzle of chilli oil instead. I use chilli oil from Taste the Orient which can be found next to Whitworth Park.
- The nutritional yeast can be omitted, but it gives the soup a slightly nutty and cheesy taste, as well as upping the protein content and providing you with vitamin B12. It can be found in most larger supermarkets (like the Sainsbury’s in Fallowfield) and health food or vegan speciality shops (like Holland and Barrett or 8th Day on Oxford Road).
- I would really recommend the onion powder from Worldwide Foods, which is located at the top of the Curry Mile near Lidl. It has a sweeter and deeper flavour than others I have tried and will give your soup a far more complex flavour.
- You may top the soup with pickled beetroot, which can easily be made by adding red wine vinegar and a small amount of sugar and water to cooked beetroot and leaving it in a clean glass jar in the fridge for at least 24 hours. The acidity of the pickle contrasts really nicely with the smoky sweetness of the soup and brings out that charred flavour which makes this soup so special.
