This is one of my favourite winter soups because it’s incredibly forgiving. You don’t need to follow it perfectly. Think of it as a guide rather than a rule.
Every family has slightly different tastes, and that’s exactly how home cooking should be. Add a little more pumpkin if you love pumpkin. Extra celery if that’s what you have growing in the garden. More herbs if you enjoy stronger flavours.
The secret isn’t perfection.
It’s making a nourishing pot of soup you’ll actually cook again next week.
Serves
Approximately 8–10 generous serves
Perfect for freezing.
Preparation Time
25–30 minutes
Cooking Time
Slow cooker: 8–10 hours on Low
OR
Large stockpot: 3½–4 hours on a gentle simmer
Ingredients
Protein (Choose One)
My favourite
1.2 kg grass-fed osso buco
(Trim any large pieces of excess fat before cooking, but don’t remove all of it, as some fat contributes flavour during slow cooking.)
OR
- 2 kg beef chuck steak
- 2 kg gravy beef
- 1 kg lamb shanks
- 1 kg diced lamb
- 1 kg organic chicken thighs
- 1 kg turkey thigh
Plant-based option
- 2½ cups cooked brown lentils
- OR 2 x 400 g cans lentils (well rinsed)
- OR 2 x 400 g cans chickpeas
If using lentils for the first time, cook them separately and stir through individual bowls until you know how well your digestion tolerates them.
Vegetables
2 medium brown onions, roughly diced
(or substitute 2 leeks if onions don’t suit you)
4 large carrots
washed well
leave skins on
cut into 2 cm chunks
3 celery stalks
washed
leave the outer fibres if tender
slice into 1 cm pieces
2 medium parsnips
washed well
leave skins on
cut into chunks
1 medium fennel bulb
sliced
(or replace with extra celery or one leek)
2 zucchini
cut into thick half moons
500 g pumpkin
large chunks
2 handfuls baby spinach
or
silverbeet chopped
1 bunch bok choy
roughly chopped
Optional
1 cup broccoli florets added during the final 10 minutes
Herbs & Seasoning
This is where the magic happens.
Instead of commercial stock powders, I prefer creating flavour naturally.
2 teaspoons celery salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic
(optional)
Liquid
2 litres good quality organic bone broth
OR
2 litres organic stock
OR
2 litres filtered water
If using water alone, simply increase the herbs slightly.
Taste towards the end of cooking and adjust seasoning.
Method
Step 1
Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a large heavy-based pot.
Brown the meat on all sides.
This isn’t essential, but it develops a richer flavour.
Transfer to your slow cooker or stockpot.
Step 2
Prepare the vegetables.
Don’t worry about perfect knife skills.
Rustic soup should look rustic.
Aim for chunky pieces approximately 2 cm across.
This allows the vegetables to hold their shape during slow cooking.
Step 3
Add all vegetables except the leafy greens.
Pour over your broth.
Add herbs and seasonings.
The liquid should just cover the vegetables.
If needed, top up with another cup or two of water.
Step 4
Cook slowly.
Low and slow always develops the best flavour.
Avoid boiling vigorously.
Gentle simmering allows the connective tissue to soften beautifully.
Step 5
When the meat easily falls from the bone, remove it.
Discard the bones.
Using two forks, gently shred the meat into bite-sized pieces.
Remove any remaining large pieces of fat or gristle.
Return the meat to the soup.
Step 6
Now decide how you’d like your soup.
Option One
Leave it chunky.
(My favourite.)
Option Two
Remove about half the vegetables.
Blend until smooth.
Return to the pot.
This creates a beautiful thick, creamy soup while still leaving plenty of chunky vegetables.
Option Three
Blend the entire soup before returning the shredded meat.
Perfect for children or anyone who prefers a smoother texture.
Step 7
Five minutes before serving add:
Spinach
Silverbeet
Bok choy
Fresh herbs
Allow them to wilt naturally.
To Finish
Serve each bowl with
Fresh parsley
Fresh coriander
Fresh chives
Toasted pumpkin seeds
Toasted sesame seeds
Hemp seeds
Optional
A drizzle of tahini
or
nutritional yeast if tolerated.
Serve With
My favourite crispy rosemary potato skins.
(You’ll find that recipe here on Sepals.)
Storage
Refrigerate
Up to three days.
Freeze
Individual serves in freezer-safe glass containers.
Leave about 2 cm at the top for expansion.
Label with the date.
Histamine Friendly Adaptation
If you’re sensitive to histamine,
freeze portions as soon as they’ve cooled,
only thaw what you need,
and avoid repeatedly reheating the same batch.
Charmaine’s Tip
Don’t stress if every pot tastes a little different.
Some weeks your parsley will be growing beautifully.
Another week you’ll have extra celery from the garden.
The best soups evolve with the seasons.
That’s exactly how home cooking should be.
Happy cooking,
Charmaine D
Naturopath | Educator
The Healing Kitchen