soup Archives - Sugar et al

Roasted Red Pepper And Strawberry Soup

16|02|2016

The weather in Sydney has little to do with soup at the moment. It certainly has a lot to do with strawberries.They are in abundance and I thought it was time I get a little creative with them. I have to admit, I am a bit tired of eating them raw or with breakfast, dessert and drinks. I’ve made enough frozen treats. Cold soups have never been my thing. So why not savory..a warm strawberry soup, I told myself! I had a jar of roasted red peppers at home and the combo paired well in my mind. Something new! Something delicious! And you really can’t go too wrong with them.

Taste wise, this is similar to a tomato soup which is acidic and sweet at the same time. There are bags of flavour in this soup that I did not want to dilute by adding cream or milk. If you like a creamy soup, by all means go ahead and add coconut milk or fresh cream. A hint of balsamic vinegar gives it depth and honey completes the balance. What stands out is that you can taste or smell or feel the presence of the strawberries but they are not overpowering at all. Finally, it’s a delicious soup, looks dainty but impressive enough to hold your guests attention and curiosity.

Notes: I used store bought roasted red peppers that come in a jar. You can roast the peppers at home if you like. an easy way to do this is by roasting them in a 200 degrees C oven. Quarter and de-seed the peppers and place them skin side up in a baking tray. Bake for around 30 minutes or until they soften. Remove the skins.

Roasted Red Pepper and Strawberry Soup
Serves 3

1 tbsp olive oil
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
350 g roasted red capsicum (approx 11/2 cups)
200 g strawberries, washed, hulled, roughly chopped
1 cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock or water)
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp mixed herbs (dried or fresh)
1 tsp honey
salt and pepper, to season
extra strawberries, to serve
toasted hazelnuts or pumpkin seeds, to serve
extra virgin olive oil, to serve (I used garlic infused)
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the bay leaf, garlic and onions and fry till onions turn light brown.

Add the tomatoes and stir for a minute. Add the red peppers, strawberries and cook till strawberries turn soft and mushy. Remove from heat and cool slightly (about 10-15 minutes). Using a hand blender (you could do it in the food processor as well), blend the mixture until smooth. If the mixture is too thick to blend, add in a little stock or water.

Place back on the heat. Add the stock, balsamic vinegar, paprika, mixed herbs honey, salt and pepper and stir to mix.
Serve warm with fresh strawberries, toasted nuts/seeds, fresh herbs, a dash of extra virgin olive oil and cracked pepper.

Creamy Mushroom Soup With A Cheese Crust

31|10|2014

This week has been one filled with many ‘firsts’. The most exciting one among them was that we were called to try out and pick up school uniforms for my soon-to turn schoolgoer boys. It is hard to express what I was feeling at the sight of them in their fresh, slightly over-sized school uniforms. Bittersweet is probably the closest word I can think of. Stepping out during the day, I also realised how warm the weather is gradually turning. So that means it’s time to take a break from soups and move onto sorbets and ice creams. But before I do so I thought I’d share this delicious bowl of what is called the ‘ultimate comfort food’.

The soup is one that I would like to eat over and over again as it is full of textures. I don’t process the soup to a fine consistency..I like to bite into tiny bits and chunks of mushrooms while savoring it’s creamy base. Also, a thicker consistency holds the cheese on top and prevents it from getting mixed into the soup. The cheese takes it to another level. Slightly browned on the top, the cheese forms a nice little crust to break into with your spoon. Fresh thyme makes it aromatic and packs in flavour. Thyme is one of my favourite herbs, so I do add generous quantities for myself.

Since, it is thick and filling, it makes for a quick weeknight meal with warm buttered toast or garlic bread. I also like to add a dash of garlic infused extra virgin olive oil on top.
Mushrooms, cheese, garlic…we can’t go wrong, can we?

Creamy Mushroom Soup With A Cheese Crust
Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium brown onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic
1 medium leek, trimmed, halved, washed, thinly sliced
500 g cup mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 cups chicken/vegetable stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup cheddar/gruyere cheese, coarsely grated
Fresh thyme, to serve
Cracked Pepper, to serve

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and leek. Cook, stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes or until softened. Add mushroom. Cook, stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes or until mushroom has softened.

Add stock. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 10 minutes or until mushroom is soft and liquid has reduced slightly. Blend soup, in batches, to your desired consistency.
Return soup to pan. Season with salt and pepper. Add cream. Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until warmed through. Ladle into bowls. .

Preheat oven to 220 degrees C. Divide cheese between the serving bowls (sprinkle on top). Place bowls in a roasting pan, pour in enough water to come halfway up the sides of bowls and bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and golden. Sprinkle with thyme and cracked pepper. Serve immediately.

Split Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup

18|10|2014

Split red lentils mean pure and simple comfort to me. They are the reminder to me of how a simple meal of dal and rice can appease my hunger instantly, even though I have eaten them all my life. They also stands for convenience when fresh vegetables are not available at hand and a quick meal is what I want to put together in the middle of the week. I’ve probably eaten them in dal/dahl form since the time I started on solids as a baby, a good few decades ago.. Only recently I discovered that using it in a soup is not uncommon. As you know, unlike many of you I have not been a big fan of pumpkin but I’ve started enjoying it lately when I pair it with my favourite ingredients.

This is one soup I have not just enjoyed but totally loved and made several times in the past one month.Since it is quick and easy to make and nutritionally wholesome, it ticked all the right boxes for me. The creamy texture and mild sweet flavour from the pumpkin appealed to my kids so it was a win-win all throughout. Admittedly, it is really the dal we eat with pumpkin added to it which is blended in the end to give it a soup like texture. Onion, garlic and ginger always makes it for me. They are power ingredients that if used in the right measures can pack so much flavour into your soup base. I’ve used ground cumin to spice up the soup, even curry powder would work. To include a bit of heat, you could garnish with finely chopped chillies.

The temperatures on our side have been so fluctuating followed by heavy downpour that we are unable to put away our wollies yet. It leaves me impatient to see a change in the fresh produce at the markets. I cannot wait to get hold of plums and peaches and of course heaps of raspberries. Hope you all have a great weekend.

Split Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup
Serves 4

I tbsp olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 inch ginger, finely grated
1/4 cup finely diced tomatoes (I used canned tomatoes)
1 tsp powdered cumin
500 g butternut pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, chopped into cubes
1/2 cup split red lentils, rinsed
3 cups vegetable stock
salt, to season
Greek yoghurt or sour cream, to serve
fresh coriander, to garnish

Heat oil a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook till softened (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a minute till aromatic. Add the cumin and tomatoes and cook for a further minute
Add in the pumpkin, lentils, and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the pumpkin and lentils are soft. Set aside to cool.

With a stick blender or in a food processor (in batches), blend the mixture until smooth .Season with salt and pepper.
To serve, warm up the soup and ladle into serving bowls. Top with the yoghurt or sour cream and garnish with coriander.

Asian Kale Coconut Soup

6|09|2014

If I had pick and choose one thing that I enjoy doing the most on the blog, it has to be, pairing flavours. Combining the best of different culinary worlds. I like to call it ‘intuitive cooking’. The best thing about food is that there are no hard and fast rules. When your taste buds are exposed to a multitude of cuisines and flavours from years of cooking or eating, they become like feelers. That respond instinctively to taste, smell and textures. The food blogging community are an amazing lot who do this on a frequent basis. A creative network that take a fresh and fun approach to all things food. Who make dinners exciting and cooking inspiring. Who supply Google and other search engines with the most amazing database of recipes every day. A community that I am proud to be a part of.

Apparently the cold weather has decided not to leave us. Nor the rain or the strong winds. Together, they are a bad combination. It is Spring with little or no Spring-like changes yet. So soups are still part of our menu and my creative ventures. Actually, I don’t mind that. I could eat soup even on a hot, sunny day. Especially if it has a touch of Asian . Infusions that form the base for sweet, spicy, tangy flavours that are unique to Thai cuisine. I chose Kale because it is healthy and takes on flavours well.

The soup is mildly spicy, slightly sweet with a curry like kick from the green curry paste. Coconut milk gives it body and a creamy texture. I love kale chips and they hardly require any effort so I served it with kale chips and lightly sautéed mushrooms.

Asian Kale Coconut Soup
Serves 4

1 bunch curly kale, stems removed and leaves roughly chopped into 1 inch pieces
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp Thai Green curry paste
1/2 cup vegetable stock/chicken stock
1 can coconut milk (400 ml)
salt, to season
1 tbsp grated palm sugar/ brown sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup button mushrooms, roughly chopped and lightly sautéed and seasoned, to serve

Preheat oven to 150 degrees C.

In a bowl, toss half of the kale with 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil and season with salt. Place on a baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and roast, stirring once halfway through, until the kale is crispy, 26 to 28 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and onions and fry for a minute over medium heat. Add the green curry paste and fry till aromatic (about 1 minute). Stir in the remaining kale and sauté for a minute. Add the vegetable stock and coconut milk. Increase the heat to medium high and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the leaves soften. Remove from heat.
Working in batches, puree the soup in a processor until smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan and add salt, palm sugar/brown sugar and lemon juice and reheat over low heat. Ladle the warm soup into individual bowls. Top with crispy kale chips and sautéed mushrooms.