Tag: Soup

Categories
Mains Recipes

Roasted Sweet Potato & Red Pepper Soup

Here’s a soup I made this week – a bowl of bright red and orange deliciousness with a mild chilli kick. The sweet potato and red pepper are chunked and roasted until soft, squishy and a little charred at the edges, then blitzed with the other veg to give a rich texture.

Once it’s cooled, keep it in the fridge for a few days. Scoop a few ladlefuls into a bowl and microwave for a quick, tasty and nutritious lunch.

Servings

6 adult portions.

Timings

The soup mix requires soaking overnight, then 30 mins to make.

You Will Need:

  • 100g soup mix
  • cold tap water
  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 1 large red pepper
  • oil
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp medium chilli powder
  • 1 onion
  • 2 – 3 carrots
  • 2 – 3 celery sticks
  • 500ml chicken or veg stock
  • about one third of a cabbage. shredded
  • sea salt and black pepper

Method

  1. Cover the soup mix with tap water in a bowl and leave to soak overnight.
  2. Next day, drain the soup mix and cover with fresh water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for 30 mins.
  3. Turn a fan oven on to 180C. Chop the sweet potato and red pepper into chunks and place in a large roasting dish. Drizzle with oil and put in the oven, once up to temp, for 30 mins.
  4. While the veg is roasting, put a drizzle of oil in a large saucepan and warm on the hob. Crush in the garlic clove, then chuck in the cumin seeds and chilli powder, leaving it all to sizzle for a minute. Then chop the onion, celery and carrot, and add. Stir and leave for a few minutes to soften.
  5. Tip the stock on top of the veg in the saucepan and bring to the boil. Add in the cabbage. Reduce and simmer for 20 mins. Season with a few twists of sea salt and black pepper.
  6. Scrape the roasted sweet potato and red pepper into the soup. Blitz the soup with a handheld blender.
  7. Drain the cooked soup mix and add to the soup.
  8. Serve a few ladlefuls of soup in a bowl.

Customise It!

Keep the sweet potato and red pepper, as this is what gives the soup its foundation of taste and colour. Other than that, you can play around with whatever other veg you have to hand or which is in season. Swap kale or broccoli in for the cabbage, for example. Omit the soup mix if you want less protein. Jack up the chilli powder from medium to hot if you like it that way!

We’re enjoying a period of sunny, warm weather currently, so it’s time to get out in the garden to relax with my head phones, listening to some summertime feelgood music. Like this track, from the Random Access Memories album: Daft Punk with Lose Yourself to Dance.

Categories
Mains Recipes

Carrot & Parsnip Miso Soup

Warm, filling and comforting, this winter vegetable soup is jazzed up a little with the addition of Japanese miso paste.

I hadn’t used miso before, but wanted to try it after reading about it on some of the other foodblogs here on WordPress. It is made from fermented soya beans, which means that it is rich in protein and good for gut health.

This is the variety that I used, made by Yutaka. I did have a little trouble finding it in Sainsbury’s at first, but eventually came across it in the Far Eastern aisle. Just to clarify, by that I mean the speciality Asian foods section, not that end of the building down by the motorway 🙂

I made a large batch of the soup in a saucepan on the hob, and kept it for a few days. I could then ladle some into a bowl, stir in some miso, and microwave it for around 3 mins for a very quick, tasty and nutritious lunch. It is vegetarian and vegan, so everyone can enjoy what the Japanese call that umami – or rich and savoury – taste.

Servings

About 6 bowlfuls.

Timings

The barley soup mix needs soaking overnight, then boiling for 45 mins. Once that’s ready, the soup takes about 25 mins to make.

You Will Need

  • 100g dried barley/lentils/split peas soup mix
  • oil
  • 1 onion
  • 3 celery sticks
  • 200 – 250g carrots
  • 200 – 250g parsnips
  • 1.5l vegetable stock
  • a few twists of black pepper
  • 1 jar of miso paste

Method

  1. Cover the soup mix with cold water in a bowl and let rest overnight.
  2. The next day, drain the soup mix and rinse in a sieve under cold running water. Place in a large saucepan and cover with boiling water. Let it boil for 10 mins, then reduce to a simmer for another 35 mins. Drain with the sieve, and set aside.
  3. Chop all the veg into chunks and place in the empty saucepan with some oil, over a medium heat. Put on the lid and let it sizzle for around 10 mins, stirring every so often. It should become softened and a little browned at the edges.
  4. Add in the stock and bring to the boil. Then reduce to a simmer for 10 mins.
  5. Remove the pan from the heat for a few moments, and blitz it by plunging in a handheld blender. If you don’t have one, spoon at least half of the soup into a food processor with blade fitted, and blitz it there before returning it to the pan.
  6. Add in the cooked soup mix with 2 tbsp of miso and the black pepper, and stir in. Then simmer for another 5 – 10 mins.
  7. Switch off and let it rest. When it has cooled, transfer to the fridge. It will keep for a few days, during which the texture and flavour will deepen.
  8. To serve, ladle some into a bowl and stir in another tbsp of miso to individual taste. Microwave until hot, and enjoy.

Customise It!

Almost any seasonal winter veg that you have available will go well here. Stick with making the carrot and parsnip prominent, though, as these give it a distinct, sweet flavour. Experiment with the miso, adding as much or as little as necessary to suit your individual taste. The miso already contains salt, which is why I only added black pepper at the seasoning stage.

There probably won’t be a better chance to add Japan to the ADK Playlist, so here they are with the eerie Ghosts.

Categories
Mains Recipes

Soup-erbowl

This weekend’s incoming batch of seasonal veg from our local community farm had winter soup written all over it. I’m talking hearty and wholesome here, with pearl barley and lentils, giving a good portion of protein and fibre. Included in the box was even a handful of fresh herbs – parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, would you believe. Well, hey – I feel a song coming on!

For the benefit of any millennials, that’s a reference to a line in a Simon & Garfunkel song, Scarborough Fair – check it out.

Which brings me to another great American institution that’s been around for over half a century. Yes, it’s Superbowl weekend – Superbowl LVIII to be precise (that’s 58 to you and me – why does the NFL insist on using roman numerals?).

The pinnacle of the American Football season is a match-up between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. It’s a repeat of the 2020 game, when the Chiefs emerged victorious. My prediction is that the Chiefs will be taking home the trophy once again – Patrick Mahomes and co just seem to have the experience and the ability to do what it takes when it comes to the postseason play-offs.

Food is always a key part of enjoying the Superbowl, and each year I aim to come up with a healthy(ish) snack to have with the game. There will definitely be some Smoked Paprika Popcorn on the table, when the game kicks off at around 11.30pm UK time.

It’s always fun seeing what extravaganza they have lined up for the Half Time Show. This year the game is taking place in Las Vegas, which is where U2 have been performing their residency at the Sphere. Seeing as Bono and the lads are in town, I did hope they might be popping down to the stadium to treat the audience to a few numbers. Usher is this year’s headliner, however. I understand he’s trailed that he may bring along a special guest, so….you never know?

Anyway, where was I? Back to the homemade soup, which I shall be enjoying this Soup-erbowl weekend.

Servings

4 adult servings.

Timings

The pearl barley/lentil mix needs soaking overnight, then boiling/simmering for 45 mins. Making the soup is then about another 30 mins.

You Will Need

  • 100g pearl barley/lentil/split pea mix
  • 500ml water
  • 1 onion
  • 2 celery sticks
  • 2-3 carrots
  • 1 parsnip
  • 500ml veg stock
  • handful of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme (or whatever fresh herbs you have!)

Method

  1. Soak the pearl barley mix overnight in the cold water.
  2. The next morning, pour the water away and rinse the pearl barley mix under cold running water. Place in a saucepan and cover with water, Bring to the boil for around 10 mins, then reduce to a simmer for another 35 mins. Switch off and drain.
  3. Using the same, empty saucepan, heat a little oil and throw in the chopped onion, celery, carrots and parsnip. Stir and let the veg soften in the heat.
  4. Pour in the veg stock and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer, and tear in the herbs. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. After 10 mins, blitz about half of the soup with a handheld blender. Alternatively, transfer half to a food processor with blade fitted, blitz and return it to the pan. This will give the soup a nice consistency, while still having chunks of veg in there.
  6. Add in the cooked pearl barley mix and simmer for another 10 mins. Switch off, and the soup is ready to serve.

Customise It!

Any other winter root veg will go well – swede, celeriac, potatoes for example. Add in a leek or two. Just make sure you don’t mess with the parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme (only kidding, use whatever fresh herbs are to hand).

Just imagine what a brilliant Half Time Show Simon & Garfunkel could have put on. As far as I know, they never did one, however, and it’s unlikely to happen now. Unless they do an Abba, and have avatars, perhaps? All that classic Americana would go down a storm with the Superbowl audience. We can but dream. Here they are with one of their best: Mrs Robinson.

Enjoy Usher; enjoy the Superbowl, everyone.

Categories
Mains Recipes

Butternut Chilli Soup

This autumn warmer of a soup combines seasonal sweet, silky smooth, roasted butternut squash with fiery red chillis. Energy prices being so high these days, a bowl may also save you some money – it gives all the central heating your body needs!

Servings

3 – 4 bowls.

Timings

40 mins – 10 mins to prepare the butternut, and 30 mins for it to roast. The rest of the soup can be made while the veg is roasting.

You Will Need

  • 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeds and pith removed, and cut into chunks
  • 1 red pepper, cut into 7 – 8 pieces
  • oil
  • 1 clove of garlic, crushed
  • 2tsp grund cumin
  • 1 tsp turmeric, fresh or powdered
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 medium red chillis, chopped
  • 2 sticks celery, chopped
  • 3 – 4 potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 700ml veg or chicken stock
  • salt and pepper

Method

  1. Switch the oven on to 180C. Spread the butternut and red pepper pieces on a roasting tray, and drizzle with oil. Place in the oven when up to temp, and leave for 30 mins.
  2. Pour some more oil into a large saucepan and warm on the hob. When the oil is hot, put in the garlic, cumin, turmeric, chillis and onion. Stir and let it cook for a few mins, before adding the celery and potatoes.
  3. Let it all cook for another few mins – the onion should soften, and the celery/potatoes brown a little at the edges.
  4. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce and simmer until the butternut and pepper have had their full 30 mins in the oven.
  5. Take the butternut and pepper from the oven – it should all have softened and become a little charred at the edges. Scrape it all into the soup and stir.
  6. Finally, grind it all smooth with a hand blender. The soup should take on a creamy consistency, and orange colour, with red specks, as in my photo above.
  7. Ladle into bowls and serve with freshly baked bread.

Customise It!

If you want to increase the creaminess you could add a swirl of single cream when serving.

Adjust the strength of the chillis to your personal taste – I used medium, but you can revert to mild, or fire up to hot!

A bit like changing their intensity from low to high, I suppose – a cue for me to add Ohio’s the Black Keys to the ADK Playlist. Here’s Lo/Hi.

Categories
Mains Recipes

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

This week, on a visit to my good friends Kelvin and Eva, I was treated to a bowl of Eva’s delicious, Austrian-inspired pumpkin soup. I am please to say she has agreed to share the recipe in this guest post. Over to Eva. Enjoy!

………………………………………..

Homemade soups are one of my favourite comfort foods for a cold autumn day. As I am a member of a community farm near where I live, it’s that time of year when you get an abundance of different pumpkins and squashes. So here is a recipe that my mum used to make for us, served with a special pumpkin seed oil, that comes all the way from Austria, also referred to as the “black gold of Austria”.

You Will Need

  • 2 -3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon of paprika
  • 1kg pumpkin or squash (try kabocha), peeled, deseeded and chopped into chunks
  • 1 sweet potato chopped into chunks
  • 150g of lean smoked diced bacon
  • 700ml vegetable stock
  • 150ml double cream or sour cream or crème fraiche
  • * Pumpkin seed oil, optional

Method

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, then gently cook the bacon till crisp. Add the chopped onions and garlic and cook for 5 mins, until soft but not coloured.
  2. Add 1kg pumpkin or squash with the sweet potato chunks to the pan, then carry on cooking for 8-10 mins, stirring occasionally until it starts to soften and turn golden.
  3. Add the paprika, give it a quick stir and immediately pour the vegetable stock into the pan and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 mins until the squash and potato are very soft.
  4. Pour 150ml double cream into the pan, bring back to the boil, then purée with a hand blender.
  5. Reheat the soup if needed, taste for seasoning, then serve scattered with croutons and a drizzle of pumpkin seed oil, if you want. A perfect accompaniment for a more complete meal is a freshly baked baguette!

*Styrian pumpkin seed oil is a geographic protected product by the EU. Nutty and rich, pumpkin seed oil is full of good fatty acids, minerals and vitamins and on top of it all it is cholesterol free. It partners perfectly with green salads, cheese, scrambled egg and pasta dishes. Did you know it takes 2.5-3kgs of pumpkin seeds to press 1 litre of pumpkin seed oil?

As the author of a guest post on A Different Kitchen, I get to choose the next track for Kevin’s ADK Playlist. This track reminds me of childhood dinners around the kitchen table in Austria with my family: Billy Joel with Piano Man.

Categories
Mains

Spicy Parsnip Soup

Time for another guest post on A Different Kitchen! Over to my wife, Lesley to show us how to make this tasty, hearty and warming soup.

I belong to a community allotment and we plan to have lovely fresh things to eat. Recently we have had a glut of winter parsnips. Everyone should eat more parsnips!  

I took home 6 of them all large and gnarly, grown organically and fattened up over our winter. With vegetables that have imperfections like this, soup is a great option as it doesn’t matter what bits you might have to cut out.

I love the scent of the crushed spices that are used in this recipe. I used a pestle and mortar but you can crush them on a cutting board with a bottle or rolling pin.

You Will Need

  • 6 parsnips, peeled and roughly chunked
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • a knob of butter
  • 1 litre of stock (after roasting a chicken we always boil up the carcass with some water for half an hour, then put the stock in tubs in the freezer until needed).  
  • A spice mix, here’s what I used, but any spices you like will do:
  • 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
  • a few cardamon pods

Method

  1. Melt butter in a pan and add the crushed spices.
  2. Add the parsnip  and onion, and heat until all the chunks are warm and coated – this will take about 10 mins. 
  3. Pour in the stock, and bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.
  4. Blitz to a smooth consistency, then serve.

Customise It!

This soup is great served with crusty bread, as shown in the main photo above. However, you could also make croutons by cutting bread into cubes and baking them on a tray in the oven. Keep your eye on them as they brown very quickly. Chuck the crispy croutons on to the top of your bowl of soup.

You could also swirl in a few table spoonfuls of double cream for an ultra-posh version.

The contributor of a guest post gets to choose the next track for the ADK Spotify Playlist. Lesley has chosen Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John, who we have just seen on his farewell tour in London. More on this in my weekend post!

Categories
Blog Mains

Soup-ermassive

Today’s crop from the local community farm had soup written all over it – turnip, swede, carrots, potatoes and a handful of flatleaf parsley. I added onion and celery, and defrosted 1 litre of chicken stock from a previous Sunday roast. Throw in around 100g of pea and barley soup mix and simmer for 40 mins. Plunge in the handheld blender for a few blitzes to give it just the right consistency. Served with a loaf of sourdough for dipping, and eaten (again) al fresco.

This harvest of fresh, natural ingredients made enough for two hearty servings, with about 3 – 4 left over. Soup-ermassive! Earlier in the day I had been lying in the warm sun listening to Muse’s Black Holes and Revelations album on my headphones, so it seems apt to add this latest track to the ADK Playlist. Take it away, Muse.