Fish Soup

 I was so lucky to get some chicken stock at Crop Swap last Saturday. I used it tonight, in a fish soup. It was so gelatinous that it didn't move from the jar until it was well tilted towards the pan. This soup is seriously fabulous; made with my favourite flavours of saffron, turmeric, fennel seeds etc combined with local fish, split mung, a dash of white wine, bottle tomatoes, veg freshly picked from my garden..... including leeks, nettles....

Nettle Soup

 Adapted from River Cottage

A good few handsful of nettles. Add some kale if you don't have enough.

Oil and butter

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 litre vegetable or chicken stock, or even light fish stock. I used Japanese dashi and some dried, wakame seaweed, reconstituted

1 large potato, unpeeled, cut into cubes

1 large carrot, chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper/ Tas pepperberry

(A few drops of Tabasco)

______________________________________________

Wearing rubber gloves, sort through the nettles, discarding anything you don't like the look of and any thick stalks. Wash the nettles and drain in a colander.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the oil and onion and cook gently for 5-7 minutes until softened.

Add the stock, nettles, potato and carrot. Bring to a simmer and cook gently until the potato is soft, about 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Using an electric hand-held stick blender, purée the soup and then season with salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle into warmed bowls. Add a dash of Tabasco if wanted.

Simple Carrot and Ginger Soup

This recipe is a very simple carrot and ginger soup from the great vegetarian cook Kurma Dasa.  It has a fresh, cleansing taste, and I love to make it if I feel a cold coming on.
Yellow acefoetida powder is available from asian grocers - it's a great, simple substitute for onions and garlic in many dishes - but very much has its own flavour.  Fantastic in dahl.

Ingredients:
2 tabsp. butter
1/2 teasp. yellow asafoetida powder
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
700g topped, scraped and sliced carrots, about 4 1/2 cups
1 cup potatoes, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
at least 4 cups light vegetable stock or water
chopped continental parsley leaves for garnish

1. Melt the butter in a 3 litre saucepan over moderate heat.  Sprinkle in the yellow acefoetida power and ginger, stirring briefly.  Add the sliced carrots, potatoes, salt and pepper and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the stock or water, and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the vegetables, covered, for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender
2. Remove the pan from the heat, transfer the contents to a blender or food processor and process to a smooth puree
3. Rinse the saucepan, return the soup to the pan, and gently reheat over moderate heat.  For a thinner soup, add extra stock at this stage.  Serve the soup hot with a sprinkle of freshly chopped continental parsley leaves.

SOUPE A L'AIL

 

Ail - environ 1 tête par personne
Pommes de terre - 1 moyenne par personne
Farine    
Thym 1 petit  bouquet
Sel  et poivre
150ml Crème fraîche  ou yoghurt   

Eplucher l’ail, le couper en tranches fines et faire revenir doucement dans huile ou graisse de canard, il ne faut pas qu’il roussisse.
Eplucher et couper les pommes de terre en lamelle ou morceaux pas trop gros. Les ajouter à l’ail.
Saupoudrer de farine.
Ajouter la branche de thym
Saler et poivrer
Mettre environ  1 litre d’eau pour 4 personnes
Laisser cuire 25 / 30 mn
Mixer, ajouter la crème fraîche et servez très chaud dans une soupière où vous aurez préalablement mis des croûtons frottés à l’ail.

Bon appétit.

SEAFOOD LAKSA

I made this version the other night and it was fabulous.

serves 4

500g mixed seafood
1Tbl (or less) Thai red curry paste (original recipe said laksa paste)
1 cup vegetable stock
1 cup water
200ml coconut milk / cream
2 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
150g organic Jap buckwheat noodles
2 bok choy, roughly chopped
2 large spring onions, thinly sliced
3 or 4 sprigs laksa herb
1 bunch coriander, roots chopped and leaves chopped


Cook the curry paste briefly in a hot pan then add seafood, stock, water, coriander roots, lime leaves and coconut. Bring to the boil. Simmer, uncovered a few minutes, until seafood is just cooked.
Meanwhile cook noodles according to packet instructions.
Stir into seafood : bokchoy, laksa herb, spring onion and coriander leaves and cook, uncovered until bok choy is just wilted.
Divide noodles between bowls and top with laksa mixture.

THAI STYLE PUMPKIN SOUP

I cooked this beautiful soup after reading the recipe on Mas du Diable. It is a much needed alternative to regular pumpkin soup for those of us who have lots of pumpkins to eat!

500g pumpkin, peeled and cubed
oil
1 - 1.5 Tbl Thai Red Curry Paste (I used 1 tsp so it wasn't so hot)
1 large onion, sliced
500ml chicken stock
300ml cocnut milk
I also added :
2 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
3 sprigs Laksa herb(Vietnamese mint), chopped

Heat some oil in a large pan, add curry paste and onion and fry for a few minutes until the onion is translucent and the paste is giving off its aroma. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to the boil.
Lower heat, cover and simmer until pumpkin is soft.
Puree until smooth and add a little fish sauce, chili oil or lime juice

Farmgirl's Use It Or Lose It Lentil & Escarole Soup

from the blog: Farmgirl



Makes About 8 to 10 cups


Few Tablespoons good olive oil
12 ounces onions, chopped (about 2 medium)
12 ounces carrots, chopped (about 3 to 4 medium)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-1/2 cups lentils, any kind
12 ounces fresh tomatoes, chopped (or 1 can tomatoes, any size, any kind; I love Muir Glen brand)
7 cups homemade chicken stock (or good quality storebought)
4 to 8 ounces (or more) escarole,(or other leafy green veg) coarsley chopped


Heat olive oil in a large pot on medium. Add onion and carrots and cook about 5 minutes, stirring so the oil coats the vegetables. Make a space in the bottom of the pan, add the garlic, and cook for another two minutes, stirring constantly, until the garlic is cooked but not brown.Add the lentils, tomatoes, and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer, with the lid cracked, for about 45 minutes. Stir every now and again.Add the chopped escarole and cook another 5 minutes. Carefully puree about half of the soup in a blender on low speed until still slightly chunky, then return to the pot. Or use an immersion hand blender (you know I am crazy about my KitchenAid) to puree the soup to desired consistency. Cook over medium heat another five minutes.Serve hot, garnished as desired, and preferably with some kind of yummy bread, such as a crusty sourdough or a loaf of my Beyond Easy Beer Bread. (Just mix up the batter while the soup is coming to a boil, and you will have hot, fresh bread ready when the soup is.) This soup keeps well for a few days in the refrigerator and freezes beautifully (assuming you haven't run out of freezer containers).

Tangy Asian Style Chicken Soup

This recipe comes from the Oct 2005 ABC delicious magazine but they call it "aromatic chicken soup".

1 litre chicken stock

2 lemon grass stems, trimmed & chopped

2.5 cm piece of ginger, sliced

3 Asian (red) eschalots, chopped

2 long red chillies, bruised

2 kaffir lime leaves

200g skinless chicken breast or thigh fillets

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup fish sauce

2 spring onions, thinly sliced

small handful of snow peas, very thinly sliced

1/2 red capsicum, very thinly sliced

1/2 bunch coriander, leaves picked

Place the chicken stock, lemongrass, ginger, eschalot, chilli and kaffir lime leaves in a saucepan, then bring to the boil. Add the chicken and poach for 5-10 minutes over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the chicken to cool slightly in the broth. When cool enough to handle, remove the chicken and strain the broth, discarding solids. Return the stock to the saucepan. Shred the chicken into bite sized pieces.

Add the lime juice and fish sauce to the stock and return to the boil. Add the shredded chicken and cook for a couple of minutes to reheat.

Add the spring onions, snow peas and capsicum and allow the soup to return to the boil.

Ladle into deep bowls and sprinkle with coriander. Serve immediately.

LEEK and BROCCOLI SOUP

Ingredients
1 leek
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
3 diced potatoes
4 cups water
4 cups broccoli pieces
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup chopped parsley

Method
Heat oil, add leek and garlic and cook for 5 minutes
Add potatoes and water and simmer until potatoes are tender
Add broccoli and salt and pepper and cook until broccoli is tender
Stir in parsley and serve.

Irish Potato and Kale Soup

Ingredients
1 diced onion
3 cloves chopped garlic
5 large potatoes
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
6 small kale leaves
2 cups of cut broccoli
3 sliced spring onions
1 cup roughly chopped parsley
salt and black pepper
1/2 cup snipped chives
water
Method
Heat oil, add onion and garlic and cook 3 minutes
Add diced potatoes and sufficient water to cover potatoes. Cook gently until potatoes are tender
Add remaining ingredients and cook for a few minutes until vegetables are just tender
Serve as is or add a spoonful of butter or cream or grated pecorino cheese.

TURKISH SPINACH SOUP

After a lovely soup lunch at the Organic Market Cafe, back in 1998, I came home and wrote down what I thought was in the soup. It has become one of our favourites. Feel free to change it, as I do, to suit the mood.

fry gently : 1 large onion, sliced

1 - 4 cloves of garlic, crushed

crush, add to pot, mix well and fry for a minute or 2:

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cardamon seeds

pepper

add and simmer 15 - 20 mins or longer :

1 tin tomatoes

1 Tbl tomato paste or some curry paste

4 - 6 cups stock

a sprinkling of red lentils

a sprinkling of couscous

5 mins before serving add :

2 cups chopped spinach

a handful of chopped parsley

some lemon juice

Serve immediately and sprinkle over :

chopped fresh coriander (this is a recent addition since Maggie gave me so much

coriander !)

Perfect eaten with fig and fennel bread, toasted and buttered.

Mushroom Soup

Ingredients
2 sliced leeks
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 large potatoes (cut in 1cm dice)
2 to 4 very large mushrooms
2 crushed cloves of garlic
3 to 4 cups of water or stock
salt and pepper
a good handful of chopped parsley
1/2 to 1 cup cream or milk

Saute leeks and potatoes in oil until starting to soften (add a little stock if dry)
Add the diced mushrooms and cook until soft
Stir in the stock, garlic,salt and pepper and simmer gently for 15 minutes
Stir in the cream and parsley and serve .

Warm and wonderful - thanks Maggie from Kate !

Winter Warmers

Winter is a great time to make your favourite vegetable into a tasty soup.Fry some onion and garlic in a pan.Stir in some of your favourite herbs or spices.Add a good amount of your favourite vegetable and a little water or stock.Simmer until the vegetable is just tender.Season with salt and pepper and a good handful of freshly chopped greens or appropriate herbs.Add some already cooked beans, lentils, rice or barley.Not only is this delicious but highly nutritious.If you like a sweet snack during the day try this.Gently simmer some rice, sago or barley in water or fruit juice until tender.Add some fresh or cooked fruit and top with some honey, maple syrup or sultanas and nuts.Once again this is a good warming healthy snack.Maggie

Chilli Green Soup (Cold Cure)

1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 colves garlic
1/2 red chopped chilli
3 sliced spring onions
2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon tumeric powder
Salt & pepper to taste
4 cups sliced mixed greens (chinese mustard greens, pak choy, rocket, mizuna, chard, parsley or chinese greens)

Heat oil & gently fry garlic chiil, onions, ginger & tumeric for about 1 minute.Stir in the greens, add about 2-3 cups of water & salt and Pepper to taste.
Cook for 2-3 minutes - enjoy.
Maggie