#MotivationMonday: Delicious winter soup recipes to endure on cold Monday nights

Winter is fast approaching, and the days seem to be getting colder. It’s becoming more difficult to wake up in the mornings and to stay productive throughout the day.

What better way to beat the chilly Monday blue’s than a delicious, hot dinner, served in the comfort of your own home?

Below is a list of our Top 2 tried, tested and approved budget friendly winter soup recipes, to help you relax and warm up on a cold, wintery Monday evening.

Sweet potato and butternut squash soup:

Ingredients:

• 500g sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded and diced
• 1 tbsp clear honey
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1  litre vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp grated nutmeg
• 100ml double cream

Method:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Put the sweet potato and butternut squash on a baking tray and add the honey and a drizzle of olive oil. Roast for 40-45 mins until soft and starting to caramelise at the edges, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, fry the onions in 1 tbsp olive oil until soft, then add the garlic, chicken stock, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring to the boil, and simmer for 5 mins
• Remove the sweet potatoes and butternut squash from the oven and add to the pan with the stock. Blend everything until smooth using a stick blender. Stir in most of the cream and bring back to a gentle simmer, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Make the lemon & garlic toasts, gently warm the olive oil and garlic in a pan over a low heat for a few mins; the garlic should be softened but not browned. Remove from the heat and mix in the butter and lemon zest until smooth. Leave to cool, then stir in the chives and thyme.

Serve and enjoy!

Chef John’s ham and potato soup

Ingredients
* 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
* 1 medium onion, diced
* 1 medium carrot, diced
* 1 rib celery, diced
* 8 ounces smoked ham, diced
* 3 cloves garlic, sliced
* 3 tablespoons butter
* 1/4 cup flour 4 cups chicken broth
* 2 cups water
* 1/2 cup heavy cream salt and pepper to taste cayenne pepper (optional)
* chopped fresh chives for garnish (optional)

Method
* Melt butter in a stockpot over medium heat until golden brown. Stir in carrot, celery, onion, ham, and garlic; cook and stir for 5-6 minutes, until the vegetables soften and the onions are translucent.
* Stir in flour; cook for about 3 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, 1 cup at a time. Add water and stir to combine. Turn the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Simmer on medium-low for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
* Taste the soup for salt and add more if necessary. Stir in potatoes; cook for 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Skim fat if desired.
With a potato masher, mash the soup a few times, leaving plenty of whole chunks of potato. Season with salt and pepper to taste, add cayenne if desired, and add cream. Stir to combine and heat through. Garnish with fresh chives.

Also read: #MotivationMonday: Kick-start your Monday with these motivational quotes