A lovely bowl of soup is the perfect antidote to the cold, grey days of winter – but it’s not always the most satisfying option on the table.
Luckily, well-known TV chef Nigella Lawson has shared a soup recipe she promises is satiating.
Calling the dish “happiness soup”, Nigella claimed: “This is a soup of such sunny, mood-enhancing yellowness that it overcomes even the most pervasively innate cynicism. To eat this is to feel cheered; even cooking it gives me a lift.
“It’s incredibly easy to make. This golden broth, rice-thickened and studded with a confetti dice of yellow courgettes and sprightly with lemon is pure joy. You only have to see it to believe it.”
Not only is this soup easy to cook and delicious, but it only takes around 25 minutes for it to all come together.
This soup only contains six main ingredients and the recipe has just four steps.
Ingredients
500 grams yellow courgette
Zest and juice of one lemon
Three tablespoons olive oil
One teaspoon turmeric
One litre vegetable stock (or chicken stock for non-vegetarians)
100g basmati rice
Maldon salt
Pepper
Method
The first step is to prepare the main ingredient – courgettes. Wash them, but don’t bother peeling them.
Cut the courgettes into 5mm rings, and then finely dice them. Put them into a pan with the lemon zest and oil, stir to coat, then cook on a gentle heat for about five minutes, stirring occasionally, until they’ve slightly softened.
Once the courgettes have softened, stir in the turmeric and pour in the stock and lemon juice and then drop in the rice.
Nigella noted that for the stock, she usually makes up some bouillon concentrate with water – a stock made by brewing meat.
The chef said: “You could use vegetable stock if you prefer, but I love the mellow goldenness you get from chicken.”
After, leave the soup cooking uncovered for 10 to 20 minutes, or just until the courgettes and rice are “tender”. Then just add seasoning to taste.
Leave to cool slightly before serving so that you eat the soup warm rather than hot.
The soup should be covered and stored in the fridge for up to three days. Cool and refrigerate within two hours of making.
For those wanting to keep the soup past three days, it can be frozen in airtight containers for up to three months.
Defrost the soup overnight in the fridge then put it in a saucepan over a low heat and reheat, stirring occasionally, until piping hot. Once defrosted, the soup should be used within 24 hours and should only be reheated once.
