
Which foods work well in ‘kettle soups’? Basically anything that doesn’t require much heat to cook it. Perfect for work lunches or when you’re travelling and feel like making a healthy meal in your hotel room rather than eating out or having room service again. Great for using up little leftovers in the fridge.

‘kettle’ soup
Ingredients
- 120 g bulky ingredient
- handful veg 1 chopped
- handful veg 2 chopped
- 1/2– 1 teaspoon flavour for the liquid
- small handful flavour highlight
Instructions
- Boil the kettle.
- Place bulky ingredient, vegetables, and flavour for the liquid in a heatproof container, preferably with a lid.
- Fill your containers with boiling water. Top with the lids and stand for 2 minutes, or longer if you prefer your veg less crunchy.
- Scatter over flavour highlight. Taste & adjust seasoning if necessary.
Variations
‘bulky’ ingredient – cooked quinoa, cooked or canned lentils, beans or chickpeas, cooked rice, cooked pasta, instant noodles, cooked noodles, steamed or cooked starchy veg such as sweet potato, potato, pumpkin. Couscous (use half the amount since it is dry and will absorb lots of moisture). Chopped tofu.
veg 1 and 2 – any veg that are will cook in the hot water or that you’re happy to eat raw. Baby spinach, red capsicum (bell peppers), broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, snow peas, sugar snap peas, frozen peas (defrosted first), cherry tomatoes, roast pumpkin, roast sweet potato, sun dried tomatoes, asparagus, shaved brussels sprouts.
flavour for the liquid – soy sauce, vegetable or chicken stock cubes or bullion powder, instant dashi, ground cumin, ground coriander, curry powder.
flavour highlight – cheese esp parmesan or goats cheese, nuts, pesto, mayonnaise, natural yoghurt, seeds, hummus, cooked meat, or fish ,salami, smoked salmon.
Leftover Potential
Will keep in the fridge for a week or so. Warm up in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove top.
Problem Solving Guide
too watery – next time use a smaller container. For now, you could top up the flavourings with a little more of the ‘flavour for the liquid’.
too bland – season with a little more salt or soy sauce.
not filling enough – increase the amount of ‘bulky’ ingredient.
not warm enough – reheat in a microwave. Next time ‘prewarm’ the container by filling with boiling water and emptying before proceeding as per the recipe.
Serving Suggestions
Great as a super quick lunch or dinner on its own.
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Add to my Old Favourite Recipes
I love the idea of these, and the beauty of the bright cooked veggies! Plan to try making one this week. Thanks Jules!
Welcome Mary!
I’m taking a 10 day road trip with my husband and his mom in a few weeks; she is British and loves tea so there will undoubtedly be a kettle along with us. This recipe will be a lifesaver for me as I can only handle eating out so many days in a row before it all starts to taste the same…
Yay for travelling with tea and a kettle Katrina!
My irishman and I take tea with us whenever we go away.. even for a weekend in Sydney.
And yes I know that feeling of just wanting something ‘home cooked’!
Have a lovely trip 🙂
J