Soulfood for cold days

For Carine Buhmann, cookery book author and nutritionist, soups are simply soul food. She immediately goes into raptures and says she is a real "soup lover". And indeed, when you ask her for recipe ideas, she immediately lists her favourite recipes: Wild garlic and asparagus soup in spring, cold gazpacho or courgette soup in summer, delicious pumpkin soup in autumn or a filling vegetable soup made from root vegetables such as carrots, celeriac or parsnips on cold winter days. "I like soups, whatever the season," she says.

For the cookery book author, soups are not only a simple, quick meal to prepare, they are also ideal for using up leftovers. "True to the motto 'no food waste', I use all kinds of leftover vegetables and, if necessary, a potato to make it thicker. Bring everything to a gentle simmer in a pan and then blend finely in the Novis ProBlender - and the delicious soup is ready!"

"Soups are by no means boring, but can be prepared in a variety of ways and spiced up with different toppings such as roasted seeds, chopped nuts, croutons and micro-greens."

In conversation with the food intolerance expert, we learn that not all vegetables are equally well tolerated. "Vegetables are healthy, but people with irritable bowel syndrome can't tolerate certain types of vegetables, or at least not too much of them. This often also applies to onions and garlic."

According to Carine Buhmann, this is due to certain short-chain, easily fermentable sugar components - FODMAPs - which occur naturally in various foods. "So if you regularly experience bloating and intestinal discomfort after eating certain vegetables, you should look out for ingredients that are intestine-friendly or low in FODMAPs." That's why she has prepared a parsnip and carrot soup today. This recipe is not only a treat for the palate, but also a blessing for the tummy. She has deliberately avoided onions and garlic and does not use vegetable stock, which often contains these ingredients. This soup still tastes great and is easy on the stomach.

"Vegetable soups are quick to prepare. I love these healthy, simple meals, they give you a good gut feeling and warm the soul."

Carine Buhmann, cookery book author and nutrition expert for FODMAP and coeliac disease

Recipe - Parsnip and carrot soup with parmesan tuiles

Parsnip and carrot soup with parmesan tuiles

Dates:

Preparation: 30 minutes
Baking time tuiles: 6-8 minutes
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

400 g parsnips, finely diced
250 g carrots, finely diced
150 g floury potatoes, finely diced
2 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp sweet paprika powder
600 ml water 1 bay leaf
1 level tsp salt Pepper from the mill
a few sprigs of Italian parsley
100 ml (lactose-free) cream or coconut milk

Parmesan tuiles (for 4 pieces):

50 g grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp very finely chopped rosemary
¼ tsp sweet paprika powder
a few turns of black pepper from the mill

PREPARATION:

Sauté the parsnip, carrot and potato cubes in olive oil in a pan. Add the paprika and bay leaf and fill up with water. Add the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil briefly and simmer over a medium heat for about 20 minutes.
In the meantime, line a large baking tray with baking paper for the tuiles. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Mix the Parmesan with the finely chopped rosemary, paprika and pepper. Spoon a heaped tablespoon of cheese onto the paper and flatten with the back of a spoon. Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for about 6 to 8 minutes until golden brown. Remove and pull the baking paper onto a wire rack to prevent the tuiles from browning on the underside. Leave to cool.
As soon as the vegetables are just soft, remove the bay leaf and puree very finely in the blender jug of the Novis ProBlender. Finely chop the parsley and stir in together with the cream (or coconut milk). Flavour again as required.
Serve the soup in small bowls, sprinkle with a little chopped parsley and serve with the cheese tuiles.

Tip for Parmesan tuiles

Carefully place the freshly baked and hot Parmesan tuiles over a rolling pin and leave to cool. This shapes them like a roof tile - "tuile" in French.