Winter Soups: Five Simple Soups with Seasonal Vegetables

On cold days a warm bowl of soup is one of the easiest ways to bring seasonal vegetables to the table. The five recipes below use vegetables found at winter markets. In the measurements, one cup (su bardağı) is about 200 ml.

How to make tarhana soup

• 4 tablespoons tarhana
• 1 cup cold water (to dissolve the tarhana)
• 1 tablespoon butter or 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 dessert spoon tomato or pepper paste
• 5 cups hot water or vegetable stock
• 1 dessert spoon dried mint
• Salt, depending on how salty the tarhana is

Mix the tarhana with the cold water in a bowl and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes so it dissolves without lumps. Heat half the fat in a pan, fry the paste for a minute and add the hot water. When it starts to boil, pour in the tarhana while stirring and cook on low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring now and then. Warm the mint in the remaining fat for a few seconds and drizzle it over the soup. Tarhana can be salty, so add salt at the end after tasting. The soup thickens as it stands; add a little water when reheating.

Whole wheat tarhana in the Şifa Köyü shop (in Turkish) →

Black Sea kale soup

• 1 bunch kale (karalahana, about 500 grams)
• 1 onion
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup cooked white or borlotti beans
• 3 tablespoons cornmeal
• 6 cups water
• Salt, chilli flakes

Wash the kale, remove the thick stalks and finely chop the leaves. Soften the onion in the olive oil, add the kale and stir for a few minutes. Add the water and cooked beans and cook covered on medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes. Mix the cornmeal with half a cup of cold water and stir it into the soup; cook for 5 more minutes. Season with salt and chilli flakes. This is a simple soup common in Black Sea cooking; a handful of rice can be used instead of cornmeal.

Kale in the Şifa Köyü shop (in Turkish) →

Leek and potato soup

• 2 medium leeks (about 400 grams)
• 2 medium potatoes
• 1 onion
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 cups water or vegetable stock
• Salt, black pepper; lemon or yoghurt to serve

Trim the root and tough green tops of the leeks, split them lengthways, rinse out the soil between the layers under running water and slice into rings. Fry the onion in the olive oil, add the leeks and stir for 5 minutes. Add the diced potatoes and water and cook for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Blend until smooth, or leave it chunky. Serve with lemon or a spoon of yoghurt.

Leeks in the Şifa Köyü shop (in Turkish) →

Pumpkin soup

• 600 grams pumpkin (peeled and seeded)
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cups water or vegetable stock
• Salt, black pepper; a pinch of ginger or thyme if you like

Fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil. Add the diced pumpkin, stir for a few minutes and add the water. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes until the pumpkin is soft, then blend. If it is too thick, add a little hot water. When blending hot soup, leave the lid slightly open to let steam out. You can sprinkle toasted pumpkin seeds on top.

Pumpkin in the Şifa Köyü shop (in Turkish) →

Broccoli soup

• 1 medium broccoli (about 500 grams)
• 1 medium potato
• 1 onion
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 cups water or vegetable stock
• Salt, black pepper; yoghurt to serve

Break the broccoli into small florets, peel and chop the stalk; the stalk goes into the soup too. Fry the onion in the olive oil, add the diced potato and broccoli stalk, pour in the water and cook for 10 minutes. Add the florets and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes; broccoli loses its colour if cooked too long. Blend and serve with yoghurt.

Broccoli in the Şifa Köyü shop (in Turkish) →

Salt and storing soup

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends less than 5 grams of salt a day for adults and advises using less of salty products such as stock cubes. Making soup with water or home made vegetable stock and adding salt at the end makes the amount easier to control. For children or anyone on a special diet, ask a doctor or dietitian about salt and ingredients.

• Do not leave cooked soup at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
• Put cooled soup in a closed container in the fridge; the WHO recommends keeping the fridge below 5 °C.
• When reheating, bring the soup to the boil so it is hot all the way through.
• Reheat only what you will eat; do not reheat the same soup again and again.

The post about how the vegetables in these soups grow in the field in Şile:

A Truly Organic Winter Field: Chemical-Free, from Heirloom Seed →

Our post about the table set in the garden at Şifa Köyü, and the Healing Meal and Conversation, where a group meets to talk over a meal:

Healing Food: A Table in the Garden at Şifa Köyü →

Healing Meal and Conversation →

Frequently asked questions

Why does tarhana soup go lumpy?

Tarhana can form lumps if it is poured straight into boiling water. Mixing it first with cold water in a bowl, leaving it for 10 to 15 minutes and stirring it into the pan helps it dissolve smoothly.

What goes into Black Sea kale soup?

Black Sea style kale soup uses kale, onion, cooked white or borlotti beans and cornmeal. A handful of rice can be used instead of cornmeal.

How should winter soups be stored in the fridge?

Cooked soup should not stand at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Once cool it goes into a closed container in the fridge and is eaten within a few days, and it is brought to the boil when reheated.

How much salt should go into soup?

The World Health Organization recommends less than 5 grams of salt a day in total for adults. Because tarhana and stock cubes can contain salt, it is best to salt soup at the end, after tasting.

Which squash is used for pumpkin soup?

Pumpkin soup uses sweet, orange fleshed winter squash such as pumpkin or butternut squash. The skin and seeds are removed and the flesh is diced.

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