As the chilly mornings bite, and the sun sets earlier, it's undeniable that winter is nearly upon us! We can't help but feel drawn to hearty meals that warm our bellies and keep us sustained. Vegetables such as carrots, cabbages, potatoes, onions, celery, broccoli, and silverbeet thrive during winter and are perfect additions to your shopping list. Not only are they more affordable, but they also offer a nutrient-packed boost to your meals.
Add One More Vegetable and discover the perfect recipe to feed your family and keep you cosy from the inside out!
Thai vegetable soup
Soups are the perfect winter warmer, but take a regular pumpkin soup onto an exotic flavour journey with these delicious Thai flavours. Serves 4.
Ingredients
- ½ Tbsp canola oil
- 1 Tbsp Thai green curry paste
- 1½ cups diced peeled pumpkin
- 4 yams, diced
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 2 Tbsp lite soy sauce
- ½ tsp brown sugar
- ½ cup lite coconut milk
- 4 coriander sprigs.
Method
- Place oil in a heavy-based saucepan and heat. Add Thai green curry paste and stir fry for 1 minute.
- Add pumpkin, yams, carrot and onion and stir fry for 2–3 minutes.
- Add stock, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are just cooked.
- Stir in soy sauce, sugar and coconut milk. Purée in food processor.
- Return to the saucepan and heat until steaming hot.
- Serve garnished with coriander.
Winter vegetable stir fry
Take a typical stir fry and make the most of the winter vegetables that can be the perfect side to any protein you love! Serves 4.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp canola oil
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 4 yellow yams, sliced into quarters lengthwise
- 1 swede, sliced
- 1 orange kūmara, sliced into sticks
- 1 carrot, sliced into sticks, optional
- 2-3 small bok choy, sliced, stalks and leaves separated
- 1 red capsicum, deseeded and sliced
- 1 yellow capsicum, deseeded and sliced.
Method
- Heat both oils in a wok. Add yams, swede, kūmara, carrots and bok choy stalks and stir fry for 3-4 minutes.
- Add capsicums and stir fry for 1-2 minutes.
- Add bok choy leaves and stir fry until hot. Serve.
Kūmara and pumpkin bake
These veggies are plentiful in winter - and this bake can be the perfect crowd-pleaser at your next winter pot luck! Serves 8
Ingredients
- 1kg kūmara, peeled and grated
- 1kg pumpkin, peeled and grated
- 6 silverbeet leaves, thinly sliced and chopped
- ½ cup peanuts, dry roasted and chopped
- 1 cup lite coconut milk.
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Line a baking dish with aluminium foil, leaving enough to fold over the top.
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
- Place mixture into the prepared baking dish and fold over foil to make a parcel.
- Place in preheated oven and bake for about 1 hour or until cooked. If desired, open foil for the last 15 minutes to allow top to brown. Season with freshly ground black pepper and salt.
Silverbeet and chicken noodle soup
They say chicken soup is perfect for the soul. If you've got family members suffering from winter blues, give this nutritious version a go! Serves 4. For the full instructions on poaching chicken, check out this recipe here.
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken stock (from poaching chicken)
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp white vinegar
- 1 Tbsp chopped ginger
- 125g vermicelli noodles
- 2½ cups shredded, cooked chicken
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- 4 cups sliced silverbeet
Method
- In a large saucepan place chicken stock, soy sauce, vinegar and ginger. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- In another saucepan bring 2-3 litres of water to the boil. Add noodles and cook according to packet instructions.
- Drain noodles and set aside.
- Add chicken, spring onions and silverbeet to the chicken stock. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Divide noodles between 4 large bowls.
- Ladle soup over the noodles and serve.
Optional substitutions:
- Use dried egg noodles instead of vermicelli.
- Use 4 cups of sliced bok choy, kale, cabbage or spinach in place of silverbeet.
Winter vegetable mash
Not enough potatoes for a standard potato mash? Bulk it out with this winter vegetable array for a mash that can complement any dish. Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 kūmara, peeled, sliced into small chunks
- 2 carrots, peeled, sliced into coins
- 2 parsnips or 2 small swedes, peeled, sliced into small chunks
- 2 mashing potatoes, peeled, sliced into small chunks
- 1 Tbsp butter
- a pinch of salt
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- fresh herbs for sprigs for garnish (optional)
Method
- Place vegetables in a saucepan and add sufficient lightly salted cold water to just cover.
- Place a lid on the saucepan and bring to the boil as quickly as possible, reduce heat and simmer gently.
- Cook until tender when tested with a skewer or tip of a knife.
- Drain and roughly mash. Add butter and season to taste.
- Place in a serving dish and serve garnished with herbs.
Suggested boiling times: depending on the size of the vegetable pieces, they may take less time:
- 18-20 minutes for starchy vegetables, e.g. kūmara, potatoes, swedes
- 12-15 minutes for harder vegetables, e.g. carrots, parsnips, pumpkin, turnips, yams.
Note: Always simmer vegetables as vigorous boiling will cause some vegetables to break up.
Kūmara and ginger cake
Try something different to a carrot cake with this warming kūmara and ginger cake for your next dinner party. Use a 24cm round cake pan.
Ingredients
- 1 cup canola oil
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups soft brown sugar
- 4 cm fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
- 1½ tsp nutmeg
- 3 cups peeled and grated kūmara
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp grated orange rind
- icing sugar for dusting
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Line a 24 cm round cake pan with baking paper.
- Place oil, eggs and sugar in a large bowl and beat for 2 minutes.
- Stir in ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and kūmara.
- Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda together.
- Add dry ingredients and orange rind to kūmara mixture and mix until combined.
- Spoon into the prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Cool on a rack before dusting with icing sugar to serve.
This article is sponsored by Add One More Vegetable - encouraging Kiwis to Add One More Vegetable to every meal. Check out their website for more recipe inspiration.
