Creamy Winter Soup with Kale & Roasted Brussels Sprouts

There’s something special about cooking with seasonal vegetables. They taste better, are usually more affordable, and your body seems to crave them naturally. During the colder months, everything — from your energy levels to your mood — needs a little extra care. And honestly, a warm bowl of soup is one of the easiest and coziest ways to give yourself exactly that.

This winter soup with kale and Brussels sprouts is a perfect example: hearty, nourishing and surprisingly smooth in flavor. Ideal for feeding and caring for your body when it needs it most.

Ingredients (serves ± 4)

• 1 large bowl kale, roughly chopped

• 400 g Brussels sprouts

• 2 shallots, roughly chopped

• 1 bulb garlic, sliced in half horizontally

• 2–3 tbsp miso paste (white or light)

• 2 stock cubes (chicken, vegetable or whatever you prefer)

• Olive oil (don’t hold back)

• Salt & pepper

• Water
  

Optional but delicious:

• a splash of cream or oat cream

• pinch of nutmeg or chili flakes

• topping ideas: toasted seeds, croutons, crispy chickpeas or a spoon of yogurt

How to make it

1. Roast the Brussels sprouts Preheat the oven to 185°C / 365°F.Clean and halve the Brussels sprouts. Place them on a baking tray with the shallots and the halved garlic bulb. Drizzle generously with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes, giving everything a good shake halfway through.

2. Sauté the kale While the veggies roast, slice the kale into thin strips.Heat a large pot with a good splash of olive oil and sauté the kale until wilted and slightly glossy. Add water until the kale is just submerged.

Stir in the miso paste, season with salt and pepper and add 1 stock cube.

Let this simmer gently for about 5 minutes.

3. Bring everything together Remove the Brussels sprouts from the oven and add them to the pot with the kale.Keep the garlic aside and return it to the oven with a little extra olive oil for another 10 minutes — this makes it sweet, soft and mellow.

Add extra water to the pot until everything is just covered.Crumble in the second stock cube and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.Let the soup simmer gently for another 5–10 minutes.

4. Blend Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and add them to the soup.Blend everything until smooth using a blender or immersion blender. Add a final drizzle of olive oil (and cream if using) to make the soup extra silky.

5. Taste & serve Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.Serve piping hot, topped with something crunchy or simply with a good slice of bread. Pure comfort food — nourishing, warming and perfectly in season.