Our website is best
viewed in portrait

Many of us want to eat more during the winter because our bodies need extra energy to keep us warm. In a way, our bodies are like fires that need coal or wood to keep burning. The problem is that we tend to choose the wrong foods, such as refined carbohydrates and fats, which don’t actually satisfy us for very long and make us gain that unwanted winter weight.

We asked Bronwen Stokes, a registered dietitian at Pure Health and Bestmed Tempo wellness dietitian, for guilt-free winter warmer recipes. Here are two of her delicious, nutritious soups in which you can indulge without worrying about the bulge. We can’t wait to try them ourselves!

Roasted tomato soup

Ingredients:

• 1kg tomatoes
• 1kg onions, sliced
• 1 punnet fresh thyme
• 1 punnet fresh basil
• ½ cup xylitol/Sugalite
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 3 cans tomato soup
• Juice and rind of 1 orange
• Ground black pepper
• Salt
• 250ml low-fat milk (optional)

Method:

1. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water and then remove their skin.
2. Cut the skinless tomatoes into quarters and add them to the onion, basil and thyme.
3. Sprinkle xylitol/Sugalite over the mixture and add the canola oil. Mix well to coat the ingredients.
4. Roast in a preheated oven (180º C) for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove from the oven and place the roasted ingredients in a large saucepan.
6. Add 3 cans of tomato soup, and the juice and rind of 1 orange.
7. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to boil for 5 minutes.
8. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
9. Blend until smooth. You could use a hand blender to do this.
10. Add the low-fat milk if you would like a creamier consistency.

Basil pea soup

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of frozen peas
• 1 leek/3 spring onions (diced)
• Juice from one small lemon
• ½ bottle of basil pesto
• Ground black pepper
• Salt
• 1 packet lean bacon

Method:

1. Fill a large saucepan with frozen peas and the diced leek/spring onions. Add water until it just covers the peas.
2. Boil until cooked and add the lemon juice.
3. Blend until smooth. You could use a hand blender to do this.
4. Add the basil pesto, black pepper and salt.
5. Pan fry the bacon. Do not add any fat. Cut into pieces and add to the soup.

There you go! Two dietitian-approved, guilt-free soups that should warm you right up this winter. Enjoy!