Beat the Winter Blues with a Restorative Bowl of Soup

It’s dark and cold and the holiday season has given way to the January Blues.  Some say the 19th January is the most depressing day of the year.  I say let’s find a culinary cure, a revitalising embrace to restore body and spirit.

There’s something uniquely comforting about a bowl of homemade soup.  Whether it’s a light broth or a hearty stew, it’s the ultimate soul-soothing meal, offering warmth and sustenance by the spoonful.

Here are three of my favourite homemade soup recipes to beat the winter blues:

1. Hearty Roasted Chicken & Toasted Barley Broth

The Magic of Bone Broth – at the heart of many great soups lies the humble yet mighty bone broth.  This ancient elixir is more than just a flavourful base; it’s a powerhouse of nutrients.  Slowly simmering bones and connective tissues for extended periods extracts collagen, amino acids, and essential minerals that are incredibly beneficial for our health.

Bone broth is often lauded for its restorative properties.  It’s a natural source of gelatin, which supports gut health and digestion, and its rich amino acid profile can help reduce inflammation and boost the immune system.

If you’re feeling under the weather or simply need a gentle pick-me-up, have a go at this Chicken & Barley Broth:

Ingredients – for the Stock:

• 1 whole chicken (1.5–2 kg), or the leftovers from a roast
• 2 large carrots (roughly chopped)
• 2 celery stalks (roughly chopped)
• 1 large onion (roughly chopped)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• A pinch of salt
• 2l of water

Ingredients – for the Soup:

• 150g pearl barley (toasted)
• 2 leeks (finely sliced)
• 2 carrots (diced)
• Shredded cooked chicken meat and skin (from the roasted chicken)
• A wee bit of butter or oil for sautéing
• A squeeze of lemon (optional)
• Handful of freshly chopped parsley

Ingredients – for the Garnish:

• 100g baby carrots
• 100g baby leeks
• Pea shoots (optional)
• Herb oil (optional)

Instructions:

1. The Double-Roast: Roast the whole chicken at 200°C (180°C fan) until cooked.  When cool enough, pick the meat and skin from the carcass and set aside.  Place the carcass back in the oven for 20–30 minutes until deeply browned.
2. Prepare Stock: Gently simmer (do not boil) the roasted bones, roast chicken skin, roughly chopped veg (carrots, celery, onion), aromatics (bay leaves, peppercorns), and a pinch of salt in 2 litres of water for 2–3 hours.  Strain the liquid through a fine sieve and season to taste.
3. Toast Barley: Toast the pearl barley in a dry pan for 5-7 minutes until nutty and golden.
4. Assemble: In a pan big enough for your soup, sauté the finely sliced leeks and diced carrots in butter or oil.  Add the toasted barley, then the strained stock, and simmer for 30 minutes.  Check the texture of the barley, continuing to simmer if you prefer it softer.
5. Finish the Vegetables: Cut the baby carrots and leeks into inch-long pieces.  Add the baby carrots in the last 10 minutes of simmering for a vibrant crunch.  Add the baby leeks with 2 minutes to go.
6. Serve: Stir in the reserved shredded chicken.  If the flavour tastes flat, add a squeeze of lemon and some freshly chopped parsley.

2. Sweet Potato, Red Pepper & Coconut Soup

While bone broth offers animal-based restoration, this vibrant soup provides a plant-powered equivalent.  Packed with vitamin-rich vegetables, it is designed to revitalize your system.  Puree to smooth perfection and get creative with the garnish, using texture and colour to amp up the visual appeal and bolster your immune system at the same time.

Ingredients – for the Soup:

• 3 sweet potatoes, weighing around 750g, peeled and diced
• 1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 jar roast red peppers, approx 150g
• 1tbsp smoked paprika
• Knob of butter/veg oil
• 500 ml chicken stock (or vegetable stock for a vegetarian option)
• 400 ml coconut milk (1 tin)
• 50ml double cream (optional)
• Salt and Pepper (approx 15g of salt for seasoning)

Ingredients – for the Garnish:

• Greek yoghurt
• Feta cheese
• Spring onions
• Crispy shallots (optional)
• Crispy chickpeas and dukah (optional)
• Oil for drizzling

Instructions:

1. The Base: Heat the oil/butter in the pot.  Add the onions and garlic and sweat them down until soft but not coloured, keeping the heat low.
2. Aromatics: Add the paprika and cook it out for a minute.
3. Sweet Potato: Add the sweet potato and incorporate it with the onion and garlic mix.  Season with approximately 15 grams of salt, pepper, and mix well.
4. The Simmer: Pour in the chicken stock and the tin of coconut milk.  Bring to a simmer and cook for a good 25 minutes, or until the sweet potato is very, very soft.  This is key to achieving a velvety texture.
5. The Finish: When the sweet potato is fully cooked, add in the roast red peppers.  Use an immersion blender (stick blender) to puree the soup until super smooth.  Stir in the double cream if using.
6. To Serve: Add a generous dollop of Greek yoghurt to the bottom of the bowl.  Spoon the soup on top. Crumble the feta into the middle of the bowl and sprinkle over any other desired garnishes like, chickpeas, pomegranate, or dukah, then drizzle with oil.

3. Traditional Scottish Cullen Skink

A decadent, smoky classic from the northeast of Scotland, this is a hearty, sustaining meal in a bowl.  This rich chowder, made with smoked haddock, potatoes, and leeks, is incredibly comforting and warming.  The fish is gently poached in milk or cream, which forms the soup’s luxurious, velvety base, offering a dose of protein and calcium.  The smoky flavour of the haddock permeates the entire dish.  Often served with crusty bread for dipping, Cullen Skink is a beloved culinary treasure that provides nourishing sustenance and a true taste of home.

Ingredients:

• 2 fillets of pale smoked haddock
• 1 whole leek, clean (separated into white stem and green end)
• 2 banana shallots / 4 – 6 small shallots
• 300ml full milk
• 300ml stock (fish, chicken, or veg are all fine)
• 300g peeled and cubed potato (Maris Piper or white potato is fine)
• 150g peeled and cubed celeriac (optional)
• 100ml double cream (optional)
• 50g butter
• Bay leaf (optional, for milk infusion)
• Fresh parsley (for finishing)
• Crusty bread and butter (for serving)

Instructions:

1. Prepare Haddock and Infusion (Optional): If you have the chance, remove the middles (line of the spine) of the haddock fillets and add them to the cold milk with a bay leaf.  The key is to bring the milk and ingredients to the verge of a boil and then turn off.  You can leave this to infuse for an hour, or overnight in the fridge is preferred.  If skipping this step, just cut the haddock fillets into bite-sized pieces.
2. Prepare Vegetables: Dice the white part of the leek and the shallot as finely as you can.  (If making a milk infusion, add the root end of the leek and the root and skin of the shallot to the milk with the haddock middles.)
3. Sweat Vegetables: Gently sweat the shallot and leek in the butter until softened, ensuring there is no browning at all to retain the pure white appearance of the final broth.  Keep the heat low and be patient.
4. Add Potato: Now add the cubed potatoes (and celeriac, if using).  Fold them into the leek and shallot mix, ensuring the potato is coated in the buttery vegetables.  Cook out for a few more minutes, again making sure not to brown any of the vegetables.
5. Simmer Broth: Add your milk (or milk infusion) and the stock.  Bring the heat up to a simmer but do not allow it to boil; be gentle.  Allow to cook for 15 – 20 minutes until the vegetables are just cooked.  You want them to retain texture, not turn to mush.
6. Thicken (The Secret): Lightly mash some of the potatoes against the side of the pan into the liquid to create a natural thickness.
7. Add Fish and Cream: When you are happy with your vegetables, add the chopped green leeks, the flaked haddock (or bite-sized pieces), and the double cream (optional).  Stir through to combine all ingredients.
8. Poach and Rest: Cover the pan with a lid or foil and remove from the heat.  The residual heat in the broth will perfectly poach the fish and bring the vegetables to the desired temperature.
9. Serve: When ready to serve, reheat to a simmer, ensuring the veg/fish is not catching on the bottom of the pan.  Serve with lovely fresh sourdough and butter topped with good quality flaked sea salt (like Maldon).  You can add a pea shoot or two if you feel fancy, but there’s really no need.  The soup will keep for 3 days in a fridge once cooled completely (uncovered).

Scott’s final thoughts

I really hope you enjoy these warm and hearty homemade soups as much as I do.  Let me know how you get on with the recipes.