Low Calorie Carrot, Celery & Apple Soup Recipe

I'm a big fan of soups - they make the perfect lunch as well as healthy starter.. which is why I wanted to blog this recipe now - as this soup would be perfect for an alternative 'light' Christmas dinner starter! Like I said in my tops tips video for how to keep well over winter, soups are a great way of eating lots of vegetables in a tasty way. Soups are also filling and satisfying. This soup though isn't too heavy which is why it would be the perfect starter to Christmas (or any!) dinner.

Carrot, Celery & Apple Soup Recipe.. :)

This soup works out at just 30-38p per serving and provides ~160 calories. Serving wise it serves 5 x starter portions and 4 x lunch portions.. So, if you'd like to make this delicious soup recipe then here is what you will need... !

900g carrots, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 celery sticks, diced
1 litre of vegetable stock
3 medium eating apples (1 for serving)
2 tablespoons of tomato puree
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoon of sugar (I used brown sugar) - it's only a small amount!
1/4 of a lemon
salt & pepper
To garnish: Shredded celery leaves

And here is what to do.. !

1) Place the carrots, onion and celery in a large pan and add the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat.. cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

2) Peel, core and dice 2 of the apples and add to the pan along with the tomato puree, bay leaf and sugar.. bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to simmer for 20 minutes (partially cover).

3) Pour the soup mixture into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth (I did this bit in batches).. then return the soup to the pan to reheat... season with salt and pepper.

4) While the soup is reheating, wash and core the remaining apple and cut into small thin slices, without peeling.. place into a small pan and squeeze over the lemon juice. Heat for 1-2 minutes until the apples pieces have softened slightly.. then drain.

5) Serve the soup topped with apple and shredded celery leaves.. then enjoy!!

Optional: I found this soup a little light for lunch and so added 1/2 a can of cannellini beans per serving.. (making the total soup serving ~50p / portion x 4)

This 'lunch' soup provides more protein (9g per serving x 4) and is still low in calories (only 270 kcal) .. enjoy with bread rolls as a starter or with Ryvita crackers (my fave!) for lunch.