4 delicious Christmas soup recipes
by Ezra •7 minutes read
Last updated: 15 Dec, 2022
During the winter months, there is no better comfort food than a hearty soup. Although unconventional, soup is the perfect addition to a Christmas day lunch!
We’ve put together 4 delicious winter soup recipes for you to make this festive season, including the flavours of mushroom, lobster, French onion, sweet potato, and butternut squash.
Mushroom soup
Ingredients
4 tbsp butter
1 tbsp oil
2 onions
4 cloves garlic
750g fresh brown mushrooms
4 teaspoons chopped thyme
½ cup dry red or white wine
6 tbsp all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth or stock
Salt and black pepper, to taste
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 cup heavy cream
Fresh parsley and thyme, to serve
Method
To begin, over a medium-high heat, place the butter and oil into a large pot.
Dice the onion and add to the pan, sauteing for 2 to 3 minutes.
Mince the garlic and cook until fragrant, for around 1 minute.
Next, slice the mushrooms and add to the pot. Chop the thyme and add half of it at this stage, cooking for 5 minutes.
Add the wine to the soup and cook for around 3 minutes.
Sprinkle flour over the mushrooms, mixing well, and cooking for a further 2 minutes.
Add the stock, mixing again, and bring the soup to a boil.
Reduce the heat to a low-medium heat, crumbling and adding the bouillon cubes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cover the pot and allow the soup to simmer for around 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has thickened.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir in the cream. Chop the parsley and mix in the remaining fresh herbs.
Lobster bisque
Ingredients
Bisque
5 cups of water
4 lobster tails
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
2 carrots
2 stalks celery
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon fresh tarragon, plus more to serve
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp plain flour
1 ¼ cup dry white wine
¾ - 1 cup heavy cream
Garlic butter lobster meat
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic
Salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper, to taste
Method
To begin, pour the water into a large pot. Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil.
Add the lobster tails, covering with lid and boiling for 5 minutes.
Remove the tails from the pot and keep the stock. Once the tails have cooled down slightly, remove the meat from the shells. Reserve the meat alongside any liquid that comes out of the shells.
Return the lobster shells back to the pot and bring back to a boil, reducing the heat to medium-low and letting it simmer for a further 15 minutes.
While the stock is simmering, chop the meat into bite-sized pieces and place into the fridge.
Finely chop the onion, carrots, celery and fresh herbs, placing them in a pot over medium heat alongside the butter and oil. Cook until soft, or around 5 minutes.
Mince the garlic, adding it to the pot alongside the bouillon powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Cook for a further minute.
Next, add the tomato paste and let it rest for one minute.
Sprinkle the flour into the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.
Pour in the wine, simmer, letting it reduce to half.
Add the leftover lobster stock, reducing the heat to a simmer. Leave for 30 minutes.
Once the liquid has thickened slightly, take the pot off the heat and transfer the mixture to a blender. Blend until smooth.
Return the pot to the stove, over a medium-low heat, and stir in the cream.
In a separate pan, melt butter over a medium heat to prepare the lobster meat.
Mince the garlic and add to the pan for 30 seconds, then add the chopped lobster meat. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper, to taste.
Lightly saute the meat for 1 minute, stirring occasionally, until the lobster meat has just warmed through.
Finally, add ¾ of the lobster meat into the bisque and mix well.
To serve, pour the bisque into individual serving bowls and top each bowl with any remaining lobster meat and extra tarragon.
French onion soup
Ingredients
6 large onions
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp sugar
2 cloves garlic
8 cups beef stock
½ cup dry white wine
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
Salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp brandy (optional)
French bread of choice
1 ½ cups grated Gruyere cheese
Handful of parmesan cheese
Method
To begin, peel and slice the onions. Place them into a pan over a low heat.
Caramelise the onions with half of the oil and butter, stirring until softened, for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium-high, adding the remaining butter and almost all of the oil. Keep stirring until the onions have begun to brown, which should take between 20 to 40 minutes.
Mince the garlic, sprinkling it over the onions with the sugar. Cook for one minute more.
Deglaze the pot with wine, and add the stock, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cover the pot. Cook for around 30 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper, removing the bay leaves, and adding brandy if using.
Place parchment paper over a baking tray and preheat the oven to 230°C.
Brush both sides of your bread of choice lightly with olive oil, placing into the oven for around 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned.
Remove the bread from the oven, turning it over and sprinkling with the cheeses. Just before serving, place the bread back into the oven and bake until the cheese has melted.
Serve the soup whilst still warm alongside the bread.
Sweet potato and butternut squash soup
Ingredients
500g sweet potatoes
1 butternut squash
2 tbsp clear honey
1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions
3 garlic cloves
1l vegetable broth or chicken stock
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp grated nutmeg
100ml double cream
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Method
To begin, preheat the oven to 220°C.
Peel and dice the sweet potato and butternut squash, making sure to deseed the squash, before placing them onto a baking tray.
Add the honey and half the oil on top of the vegetables, placing into the oven to roast for 40-45 minutes. Stir occasionally to ensure all the potato and squash become soft and caramelised at the edges.
Meanwhile, roughly chop and fry the onions in the remaining oil until soft.
Mince the garlic and add it to the pan alongside the stock, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Bring the soup to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove the potatoes and squash from the oven and add to the pan. Blend everything together gently, until smooth, using a stick blender.
Stir in the cream and bring the soup to a gentle simmer again.
Season the dish with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Cream of mushroom soup / Cafe Delites - https://cafedelites.com/creamy-mushroom-soup/
- Easy lobster bisque / Cafe Delites - https://cafedelites.com/lobster-bisque/
- French Onion Soup / Simply Recipes - https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/french_onion_soup/
- Butternut squash and sweet potato soup / BBC Good Food - https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/sweet-potato-butternut-squash-soup-lemon-garlic-toast
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