SOUPER RECIPES

BRRRR – that can only mean one thing in the Cape: we are officially in winter!

The icy mornings, short days, and long nights are here.

And let’s not forget the full winter uniform: beanie, pyjamas, gown, socks, slippers… and of course, a hot water bottle.

With all the cold and wet weather, nothing slaps harder than ’n koppie sop. 

Soup is warm, comforting, affordable – and let’s be honest, it just hits differently in winter.

It keeps you hydrated, nourished, and even helps fight off colds and the flu.

But seriously – is it just me, or does winter make you hungry all the time? The constant fridge visits, the midnight cravings.

Urg! Who’s thinking about a summer body when all I want is soup, tuisgebakte brood, a blanket, and my heater.

Yah, I know – it’s the last stretch before payday and the cupboards are leeg.

But no stress – Imbo is the girl she thinks she is with lekker, budget-friendly ingredients that’ll warm your belly without breaking the bank.

You might’ve noticed the recipe column took a bit of a break, but we’re back in action, ready to bring you feel-good meals that hit home.

I am Olwethu Bhozo, the new Cooksister.

I know food is more than just food – it’s love, memory, and survival. Each week, I’ll be sharing recipes that are simple, delicious, and rooted in home.

So grab that pot, dust off your ladle, and let’s get cooking again.

Five super soup rules to live by:

1 Start with cold water or stock.

2 Cut your veggies evenly – not too big, not too small.

3 Add a protein if you want: chicken, beef, pork, or fish. Or skip the meat if you’re keeping it vegetarian.

4 Don’t forget seasoning – salt, pepper, herbs.

5 Simmer gently. Don’t boil!

Five common soup mistakes:

1 Boiling too hard – go slow for the best flavour.

2 Forgetting to taste as you go!

3 Ignoring the water – If the soup gets too thick, add a bit of hot water or stock.

4 Overcooked, mushy veggies? No thanks.

5 Skipping garnish – a sprinkle of fresh herbs, a dash of cream, or even some grated cheese takes your soup from basic to kwaai.

Red Speckled Bean & Chakalaka Style Soup

Ingredients:

450g mixed red, green and yellow peppers

6 tomatoes

30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves

2 chillies, sliced

2 carrots, grated

1 celery stick, finely chopped

400g (2 cups) cooked IMBO or Crossbow Red Speckled Beans

100g tomato puree

Pinch of sugar

250ml (1 cup) vegetable stock

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

First prepare the chakalaka.

Heat the oven to grill and roast the peppers and tomatoes until blackened and blistered.

Remove and set aside in a cling-wrapped bowl for 10 minutes. When cool, peel off the charred skins and remove the seeds and stems from the peppers. Chop up the peppers and tomatoes.

In a large pot on the stove, or in a potjie over the coals, heat the oil and fry the onions until soft.

Add the peppers and tomatoes, garlic, chilli, carrots, celery and cooked red speckled beans.

Add the tomato puree, sugar, vegetable stock, salt and pepper.  Bring to the boil then turn down the heat and simmer for half an hour. Check the seasoning and serve.

TIP: For a quick fix if you are running low on time, substitute 1 x 410 g can chakalaka instead of making your own.

TIP: It is easy to cook IMBO red Speckled Beans.

Quick-soak the beans instead of soaking overnight. Add a cup of dry beans to a saucepan with three cups of water. Bring to the boil and cook for five minutes.

Remove from the heat and leave to soak for an hour. Drain and rinse, before boiling again in fresh water for another 45 minutes to 1 hour until the beans are tender.

Cook a whole pack of beans at a time.

Cover with water and put in the fridge or longer in the deep-freeze to use when needed.

IMBO Split Pea and Beef Soup

(Recipe by Farzana Kumandan)

Ingredients

1 ½ cups IMBO Soup Mix

1 cup IMBO Split Peas

2 Tbsp oil

500g -1kg beef pieces with bone in

3 large carrots

2 large garlic cloves

¼ red pepper

2 green chillies

1 onion

1 tomato

1 potato

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup parsley

1 spring onion

4 allspice berries

2 cloves

1 Tbsp coarse black pepper

1 Tbsp barbeque spice

Salt to taste

Method

Rinse and then soak the IMBO Soup Mix and IMBO split peas in boiling water overnight, or for at least an hour.

In a pot, heat the oil and brown the beef in batches. Set aside. 

Liquidise, chop, grate or pulse the carrots, pepper, onion, tomato, potato, celery, spring onion and parsley. Pulse until fine and pulpy.

Mix the browned beef with the pulped vegetables into a large soup pot. Add the garlic, chillies, pepper and barbeque spice. 

Bring to a boil, cover, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 1½ - 2 hours, stirring occasionally and top up water if needed.

Lastly, add salt to taste to your cooked soup and enjoy with a slice of fresh crusty.

Cauliflower, Lentil and Spinach Dhal

Serves 4 people

Ingredients

500g cauliflower florets

4 Tbsp oil

1 tsp garam masala

1 onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 Tbsp curry paste

1 tsp cumin seeds

Sprig of fresh curry leaves

400ml can coconut milk

3 cups light chicken or vegetable stock

½ cup IMBO Red Lentils

150g spinach, shredded

Juice of 1 lemon, to taste

To serve

Buttery garlic naan

Butter-charred curry leaves

Method

Toss the cauliflower florets in half the oil and garam masala, season well and roast in the oven for 20 minutes.

Heat the remaining oil in a pot over a low heat and sauté the onion for 8 minutes until soft and caramelised. Add the garlic, curry paste, cumin seeds and curry leaves and sauté for 2 minutes.

Pour in the coconut milk, stock and lentils and simmer for 20 minutes or until the lentils are soft. Toss in the roasted cauliflower and spinach and heat through.

Season with the lemon juice to taste.

Serve with buttery garlic naan and top with curry leaves if you want.

Amerae Vercueil’s Spicy Mexican Bean and Chicken Soup

Serves 4-6 people

Ingredients

1 cup IMBO Red Speckled Beans

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 red and 1 yellow pepper, chopped

2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes

2 cups corn kernels

4 chicken breasts

2 Tbsp Cajun seasoning

2 tsp oregano

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp chilli flakes

2 Tbsp sugar

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

5 cups chicken stock

To serve

Sour cream

Coriander

Jalapenos

Method

Follow the packaging instructions to quick-soak the beans.

Set the pressure cooker to the sauté function and add a splash of oil to the pot. 

Add the diced vegetables to the pot and allow to sauté for a few minutes until slightly caramelised.

Add the chicken breasts and allow to sauté for a further 3-5 minutes.

Once the vegetables are soft and fragrant, add the soaked beans, tomatoes, corn, and seasoning.

Add chicken stock and set the pressure cooker to pressure cook for 30 minutes. After the soup has cooked, quickly release the pressure.

Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning as necessary. If the soup is too runny for your preference, allow it to reduce on the sauté function for a few minutes.

Serve the soup topped with sour cream, jalapeños and coriander.

If you are using a conventional stove top, the cooking time will be longer, but follow the same steps.