Hot stuff for chilly times

Its all a bit chilly at the moment, with the cold weather we tend to choose stodgy comfort foods making it difficult to meet the recommended 5-a-day of fruits and vegetables. Homemade soups on these cold days are an ideal opportunity to add extra helpings of vegetables to your daily intakes, and also to pack extra nutrients into your meals.  

Using vegetables in season and that grow plentiful in Ireland can mean cheaper and tastier food too. Soups are also a great way of filling you up with without filling you out, and at this time of year this will be helpful for you to keep your New Year’s Resolution to watch your waistline.

Some of the winter vegetables which are readily available in Ireland during this time of year are: brussel sprouts, celery, green or red cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, curly kale, garlic, leeks, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, swede and turnip and also beans, peas and lentils.

Not only are these winter vegetables at their best for this season but also grown in great quantities in this country, so including these foods more this time of the year is kind to your purse and is good news for the Irish economy!  

Winter Vegetables have many benefits, such as;

Low in calories and Fat – this means they can help you to watch your weight and therefore your waistline;
Good source of fibre, which is important for helping to contribute to a health gut by keeping you regular, helping to control blood glucose levels, lower cholesterol levels and keep you fuller for longer;
Help you get your 5-a-day!– it is recommended to consume 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day as this has been shown to help reduce your risk of heart disease, certain types of cancer and stroke; and
Kind to your purse – buying vegetables which are in season can help you to save euros on your weekly shopping bill.

Why not give it a go! …..
Homemade vegetable soup (Serves four)
Ingredients
2 onions - chopped
1 leek - sliced
2 medium sized carrots or 1 large carrot – chopped
2 sticks of celery - chopped
1 small turnip or ½ large one – diced into cubes
1 clove garlic - chopped
Fresh parsley and thyme
Olive Oil
knob butter
1 ½ pints vegetable stock
Method
1) Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a small knob of butter in a large saucepan.
2) Sauté all the vegetables in the oil for 10-15 minutes over a low heat, stirring occasionally. 
3) Then add the garlic, 1 tablespoon of herbs and 1 ½ pints of vegetable stock. Vegetable soup can also be made with chicken stock for extra flavour. 
4) Bring the soup to the boil and simmer for about 40 minutes.
5) You can eat the soup as it is or cook it for another 20 minutes and liquidise it to make a smooth soup. Add some chopped fresh parsley and serve.

Taken from Safefood website: www.safefood.eu/en/Consumer/Recipes  

For more information on diet and nutrition see www.indi.ie or contact Maria at: The Community Nutrition and Dietetic Service, HSE Dublin-Mid Leinster: (044) 9395518 or email community.dietitians@hse.ie