Hanneica's Kitchen: Soup

Pistou, the Provençal cousin of pesto, is stirred into this summer vegetable soup just before serving. To make this recipe vegetarian: omit the pancetta and substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock.

Ingredients:

For the Pistou:
4 cups packed basil
250ml grated parmesan
60ml extra-virgin olive oil
5ml sea salt
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 plum tomato, cored

For the Soup:
60ml extra-virgin olive oil
30g pancetta, minced
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
½ medium courgette, chopped
¼ head Savoy cabbage, cored and thinly shredded
2L chicken stock
7 whole, peeled canned tomatoes, chopped
80ml broken dried spaghetti
1 410g can cannelini beans
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:
Make the pistou:
Process basil, parmesan, oil, salt, garlic, and tomato in a food processor until finely ground. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; add pancetta and cook, stirring often, until fat has rendered, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, carrots, celery, and onions, reduce heat to medium; cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, 12–15 minutes.

Add courgette and cabbage; cook, covered, until wilted, 3–5 minutes. Add stock and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes.

Purée half the beans with a blender; add to soup along with whole beans and cook until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls; serve with pistou dolloped on top.

Spicy Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin is a popular vegetable all over Africa and the Easter Mediterranean.

It is so easy to grow, providing not only the fruit, but the leaves as well, which are popular in African cooking.

This soup uses the fruit, which is spiced with ginger and cumin to give it a bit of a bite.

Ingredients:

900g pumpkin

10ml olive oil

2 leeks, trimmed and sliced

1 garlic clove, crushed

5ml ground ginger

5ml ground cumin

900ml vegetable stock

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fresh coriander leaves to garnish

60ml natural yoghurt to serve

Method:

Carefully peel the pumpkin with a sharp knife. Remove the seeds and cut the pumpkin flesh into 1 inch chunks.

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the leeks and garlic. Cook gently until softened.

Add the ginger and cumin and cook, stirring, for a further minute. Add the pumpkin chunks, the stock and seasoning. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender.

Allow to cool slightly, then blend the soup with a stick blender until smooth. Reheat the soup before serving in individual warmed bowls, with a swirl of yoghurt and a garnish of coriander leaves.

Serves 4

Garlic and Butternut Soup

This is a richly flavoured soup, given bite by the spicy tomato salsa served with it. It make a fabulous soup for lunch on a chilly day.

Ingredients:

2 whole garlic bulbs, outer papery skin removed

A few fresh thyme sprigs

15ml olive oil

1 large butternut squash, halved

2 onions chopped

5ml ground coriander

1.2L vegetable stock

30-45ml chopped fresh oregano or marjoram

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Salsa:

4 large ripe tomatoes, halved and seeded

1 sweet red pepper

1 large fresh red chilli, seeded

15ml extra virgin olive oil

15ml balsamic vinegar

Pinch of caster sugar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 220˚C. Wrap the garlic bulbs in foil with the thyme and 7.5ml of the oil. Put the parcel on a baking sheet with the squash and tomatoes, pepper and fresh chilli for the salsa. Brush the squash with 10ml of the remaining oil.

Roast the vegetables for 25 minutes. Remove the tomatoes, pepper and chilli. Reduce the oven temperature to 190 ˚C and roast the squash and garlic for a further 20-25 minutes, or until just tender.

Heat the remaining oil in a large non-stick pan and cook the onions and ground coriander gently for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, skin the pepper and chilli, then process them with the tomatoes and the oil for the salsa. Stir in the vinegar and seasoning to taste, adding a pinch of sugar to help bring out the flavour of the tomatoes and pepper.

Squeeze the roasted garlic out of its skin into the onions and add the squash, scooped out of its skin. Add the stock and seasoning. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. Stir in half the chopped fresh herbs then blend or sieve the soup. Reheat and check the seasoning. Serve in warmed bowls topped with a spoonful of salsa and sprinkled with the remaining herbs.

Serves 6

Yoghurt and Cucumber Soup

Yoghurt is frequently used in Greek cooking, the yoghurt usually being made in the home. Sometimes it is added at the end of the cooking to prevent it from curdling, but in this cold soup the yoghurt is one of the basic ingredients. It makes a cool and refreshing first course to a meal on a hot Summer’s day.

Ingredients:

1 large cucumber

300ml single cream

150ml natural yoghurt

2 garlic cloves, crushed

30ml white wine vinegar

15ml chopped fresh mint

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 sprigs fresh mint, to garnish

Method:

Peel the cucumber and grate coarsely. This can be done in a food processor or blender, or you can do it by hand using the coarse side of a grater.

Place the cream, yoghurt, garlic, vinegar and chopped mint in a large bowl. Add the grated cucumber and stir well to blend. Season to taste.

Put the soup in the fridge and allow it to chill for at least 2 hours. Stir well before serving in individual bowls. Garnish each bowl of soup with sprigs of mint.

Serves 4

Leek Soup with Feta, Dill and Paprika

Creamy leek soup is a popular Turkish broth. Flavoured with dill and topped with crumbled white cheese, this soup is warming and satisfying. The saltiness of Feta gives it a good tang, but Roquefort or Parmesan, both equally as salty, could be used, or you could use croutons in place of the cheese. Serve with chunks of fresh, crusty bread.

Ingredients:

30ml olive oil

3 leeks, trimmed, washed and roughly chopped

1 onion, chopped

5ml sugar

1 bunch of fresh dill, chopped, with a few fronds reserved for garnish

600ml water

300ml milk

15ml butter

115g Feta cheese, crumbled

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Paprika to garnish

Method:

Heat the oil in a heavy pan and stir in the chopped leeks and onion. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft, but not coloured. Add the sugar and dill. Pour in the water and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Leave the liquid to cool a little before processing with a stick blender until smooth. Pour in the milk and stir over gentle heat until it is hot, but not boiling. Boiling at this point would spoil the texture of the soup. Season with salt and pepper, bearing in mind that feta is salty. Drop the butter onto the surface of the soup and let it melt.

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and top with the crumbled feta. Serve immediately, garnished with a little paprika and some dill fronds.

Serves 3-4

Roasted Pepper Soup

Grilling intensifies the flavour of sweet red and yellow peppers and helps this low fat soup to keep its stunning colour and delicious flavour.

Ingredients:

3 sweet red peppers

1 sweet yellow pepper

1 onion chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

750ml vegetable or chicken stock

15ml plain flour

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Red and yellow peppers, diced to garnish

Method:

Preheat the grill to high. Halve the peppers lengthwise, remove and discard their stalks, seeds and cores. Arrange the peppers on a roasting tray, skin side up, and grill until the skins have blackened and blistered. Transfer the peppers to a plastic bag or a bowl covered with cling film and leave until cool. Peel away and discard the charred skins and roughly chop the pepper flesh. Set aside.

Put the onion, garlic and 150ml of stock into a large pan. Bring it to the boil on a high heat and boil for about 5 minutes, or until the stock has reduced in volume. Reduce the heat and stir until the onion is softened and just beginning to colour.

Sprinkle the flour over the onion and gradually stir in the remaining stock. Stir in the chopped roasted pepper flesh and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Purée the mixture with a stick blender until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper, return the pan to the heat and reheat the soup gently to piping hot, but not boiling. Ladle into 4 soup bowls and garnish each bowl with a sprinkling of diced peppers before serving.

Serves 4

Spanish Potato and Garlic Soup

I'm back in spain again with this soup....

and here's a little history about the potato as well.

Sailors returning from the Andes to Spain brought potatoes for their own food on the trip. Leftover tubers were taken ashore and planted along the Bay of Biscay coast of Northern Spain. The potato arrived in Spain some years before the end of the 16th century where the Spanish though that they were a kind of truffle and called them "tartuffo." It was thought at first that they were only suitable for animal feed, but soon the nutritious nature of the crop was recognised and it became incorporated in the Spanish diet as a staple for the peasant masses.

Potatoes became a standard supply item on the Spanish ships as it was noticed that the sailors who ate patatas, as potatoes became known, did not suffer from scurvy. Basque fishermen from Spain, using potatoes as ships' stores and ballast for their voyages across the Atlantic in the 16th century, took them to places like Ireland. The Spanish, whose empire also stretched across Europe, brought potatoes as provisions for their armies and peasants along the way adopted the crop, spreading the potato across the Continent.

Potatoes are high in complex carbohydrates and include both protein and fibre. Any potatoes, which have green patches, should be discarded as this colouring indicates the presence of toxic alkaloids known as solamines or solaranoids.

This creamy soup, served peasant-style in earthen ware dishes, is a classic Spanish dish that is really one to savour.

Ingredients:

15ml olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 large potato

5ml paprika

400g can chopped tomatoes, drained

5ml chopped fresh thyme leaves

900ml vegetable or chicken stock

5ml cornflour

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chopped fresh thyme leaves to garnish

Method:

With a sharp knife, cut the potato in half, then into slices.

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion, crushed garlic, potato slices and paprika to the pan and cook gently for 5 minutes, or until the onions are softened, but not browned.

Add the chopped tomatoes, thyme and stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

Blend the cornflour with a little water in a cup to form a paste and stir this into the soup. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring, until the soup is thickened.

Break the potatoes up slightly with a fork and season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to individual serving bowls and garnish each bowl with chopped thyme leaves.

Serves 6

Sherry Onion Soup with Saffron

The Spanish combination of onions, sherry and saffron gives this soup an enthralling flavour that is perfect for the opening course of a meal. The addition of ground almonds to thicken the soup gives it a wonderful texture and taste.

Ingredients:

40g butter

2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced

2.5ml chopped garlic

Pinch of saffron threads

50g blanched almonds, toasted and finely ground

750ml vegetable or chicken stock

45ml sherry

2.5ml paprika

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To Garnish:

30ml flaked or slivered almonds, toasted

Chopped fresh parsley or coriander

Method:

Melt the butter in a heavy pan over a low heat. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to ensure that they are thoroughly coated in the melted butter. Cover the pan and cook very gently, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes, or until the onions are soft and golden in colour.

Add the saffron threads to the pan and cook, covered, for 3-4 minutes. Add the ground almonds and cook, stirring constantly, for a further 2-3 minutes, until the almonds are golden.

Pour the stock and sherry into the pan and stir in 5ml salt and the paprika. Season the soup with plenty of black pepper. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer gently for about 10 minutes.

Blend the soup well with a stick blender until the soup is completely smooth. Reheat slowly, stirring occasionally, without allowing the soup to come to the boil. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if required.

Ladle the soup into heated bowls, garnish with the toasted almonds and a little chopped fresh parsley or coriander and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Broad Bean and Potato Soup

In Spain, habas are fresh broad beans, which are a great deal nicer than the dried variety, known as favas. The latter word has now vanished from the Spanish dictionary and the rather indigestible dried bean has all but disappeared from Spanish cookery as well. The broad bean is a native European bean that was an important staple food for centuries before the arrival of the haricot bean from the Americas. Very young broad beans are often eaten raw, especially in Italy.

This soup is best made in early summer while the beans are young and before they toughen and get over-large, but it is possible to use frozen beans out of season.

This recipe uses a modern herb, as well – coriander is not a common Spanish ingredient – it is rather more associated with Mexican cooking, but it adds a delicious flavour to a soup.

Ingredients:

30ml olive oil

2 onions, chopped

3 large floury potatoes, peeled and diced

450g fresh shelled broad beans

1.75L vegetable or chicken stock

1 bunch coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped

150ml single cream, plus a little extra for garnish

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onions, stirring for 5 minutes until the onions have softened. Add the potatoes and most off the beans, reserving some to use as garnish. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes before adding the coriander. Simmer for a further 10 minutes.

Blend the soup with a stick blender. Stir in the cream, season and bring back to a simmer, but do not boil.

Serve garnished with coriander, reserved beans and cream.

Serves 4

Chilled Almond Soup with Grapes

Called ajo blanco – white garlic soup – this is a Moorish recipe of ancient origin. It is a perfect balance of crushed almonds, garlic and vinegar in a smooth purée enriched with olive oil.

Although today we use a food processor or blender to break down the bread, almonds and garlic, in days of old this grinding would have been done with a pestle and mortar.

To accentuate the flavour of the almonds, dry roast them in a frying pan until they are lightly browned before grinding them. This will provide a slightly darker soup.

Ingredients:

115g stale white bread

250ml blanched almonds

2 garlic cloves, sliced

75ml olive oil

25ml sherry vinegar

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Garnish:

Toasted flaked almonds

Green and black grapes, halved and seeded

Fresh chives, chopped

Method:

Break the bread into a bowl and pour 150ml cold water over it. Leave to soak for about 5 minutes, and squeeze the bread dry.

Put the almonds and garlic in a blender and process until very finely ground. Add the soaked white bread and process again until thoroughly combined. Continue to process, gradually adding oil until the mixture forms a smooth paste. Add the sherry vinegar, followed by 600ml cold water and process until the mixture is smooth.

Transfer the soup to a large bowl and season with salt and pepper, adding a little more water if the soup is very thick. Cover with cling film and chill for 2 hours or more.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Scatter the almonds, halved grapes and chopped chives over to garnish.

Serves 6

Cream of Courgette Soup

The colour of this soup is beautifully delicate, which really suits its rich and creamy texture and subtle taste. If you enjoy a pronounced cheesy flavour, use Gorgonzola instead of Dolcelatte.

Ingredients:

30ml olive oil

15g butter

I medium onion, finely chopped

900g courgettes (zucchini), trimmed and sliced

5ml dried oregano

600ml vegetable or chicken stock

115g Dolcelatte cheese, rind removed, diced

300ml single cream

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fresh oregano and extra Dolcelatte, to garnish

Method:

Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan until foaming. Add the onion and cook gently for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened, but not brown. Add the courgettes, oregano and seasoning and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, stirring. Lower the heat, semi cover the pan and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. Stir in the diced Dolcelatte until melted. Process the soup using a stick blender or food processor, then press through a sieve into a clean pan. Add two-thirds of the cream and stir over a low heat until hot, but not boiling. Check the consistency and add more stock if the soup is too thick.

Taste for seasoning, and pour into heated bowls. Swirl in the remaining cream. Garnish with oregano and extra Dolcelatte cheese just before serving.

Red Lentil Soup

In Istanbul and Izmir on the Aegean Sea lentil soups, which are light and subtly spiced, are served as an appetizer or snack. In Anatolia, Lentil and bean soups flavoured with tomato and spices are usually served as a meal on their own.

Ingredients:

45ml olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

10ml chopped garlic

1 fresh red birds eye chilli, seeded and finely chopped

5-10ml cumin seeds

5-10ml coriander seeds

1 carrot, finely chopped or grated

5ml ground fenugreek

5ml sugar

15ml tomato paste

250ml split red lentils

1.75L vegetable or chicken stock

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To Serve:

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 large bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

4-6 lemon wedges

Method:

Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan. Add the onion, garlic, chilli, cumin and coriander and stir. When the onion begins to colour, toss in the carrot and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Now add the fenugreek, sugar and tomato paste and stir in the lentils.

Pour in the stock, stir well and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, partially cover the pan and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until the lentils have broken up. If the soup is too thick, thin it down with a little water. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.

If you prefer a smooth texture, blend it with a stick blender and reheat if necessary. Serve the soup straight from the pan. Ladle the soup into individual serving bowls and sprinkle each bowl liberally with the chopped onion and parsley. Serve with a wedge of lemon on the side to squeeze over the soup.

Serves 4-6

Friday, 13 June 2014

Sweet Potato, Biltong and Leek Soup

Sweet potato is a commonly used vegetable in the African community as it is highly nutritious and fills up the tummy.

Biltong, for those who don't know, is the dried meat delicacy, which comes from the Voortrekkers . Maybe it's a gastronomic violation to add it to soup, but the flavour it gives is enough to forgive the errant cook.

Ingredients:
50g butter
100g biltong, finely sliced
6 leeks, thinly sliced
2.5ml coriander seeds, freshly ground
1ml nutmeg
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
1.25L cold vegetable or beef stock
125ml cream
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
In a large pot, heat the butter until bubbling.

Add ½ of the biltong, the leeks and spices and sauté until fragrant.

Add the cubed sweet potatoes/potatoes and sauté for a minute, then add the cold stock. Cover and bring to a gentle boil.

Simmer gently for +- 35 - 40 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Place in blender with the cream and remaining biltong and blitz until smooth.

Add more cream or stock for a thinner consistency. Season to taste.

Serve hot with crumbled blue cheese and crusty bread. Garnish with some biltong shavings.

Spicy Butternut and Chickpea Soup with Coconut Cream

This is such a typical African soup.

To make it even more Southern African you could use butter pumpkin instead of butternut, peanuts instead of chickpeas, and Morogo or Imifino (African wild spinach) instead of baby spinach leaves.

Ingredients:
30ml olive oil
1 red onion, roughly chopped
5ml chopped garlic
5ml grated fresh ginger
5ml dried chilli flakes
5ml curry powder
5ml ground cumin
1 can chopped tomatoes
10ml sugar
500ml chicken stock
750ml peeled butternut cubes
1 can chickpeas, washed and drained
150-200ml coconut cream
a couple of handfuls of baby spinach leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Steam the butternut for 15-20 minutes minutes until it begins to soften.

Meanwhile, over med-high heat, add the olive oil to a large pot. When it is hot, add the onion and cook gently for about 3 minutes. Turn the heat down if it starts to burn. Add in the garlic, ginger and all the spices and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.

Add in the tinned tomatoes and sugar, stir and simmer for 3 minutes. Add in the cooked butternut, the chickpeas and the chicken stock. Bring to the boil, and then turn down to a simmer for a further 15 minutes. Stir through the coconut cream, check for seasoning, and then add in the spinach leaves just before serving.

Serve in warmed soup bowls with fresh crusty bread on the side.

Cheese and Beer Soup

In South Africa, if you add beer to a recipe, the men think it's sacrilege,

but they tuck in like they haven't seen food for months!

This is a real ou bokkie recipe.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
45 ml flour
15 ml Dijon mustard
1 litre chicken stock
1 bottle ( 340 ml ) beer
250 ml grated mature Cheddar cheese
Generous piece of blue cheese ( optional )
5 ml Worcester sauce
Salt and pepper
Chives to garnish

Method:
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion, carrot and celery until soft.

Stir in the flour, add the mustard and mix until smooth.

Add the chicken stock and beer, stirring until the mixture comes to the boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Blitz with a stick blender until smooth.

Add the cheese and stir until melted. Season with Worcester sauce, salt and pepper. Do not allow the soup to come to the boil again.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with chives. Serve with thin slices of rye bread.

Makes 1,3 litres

You can substitute beer with the same amount of wine or cider, but if you don't want to use anything alcoholic you could use vegetable stock, milk or even cream.

Thursday, 12 June 2014

Chilled Avocado Soup

Andalusia in Spain is home to both avocados and gazpacho, so it's not surprising that this chilled avocado soup, also known as green gazpacho, was invented there.

Ingredients:

3 ripe avocados

1 bunch of spring onions, white parts only, trimmed and roughly chopped

10ml chopped garlic

juice and zest of 1 lemon

1.25ml ground cumin

1.25ml paprika

450ml vegetable or chicken stock

300ml iced water

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

roughly chopped parsley to garnish

Method:

starting several hours ahead, put the flesh of one avocado in a food processor or blender. Add the spring onions, garlic, zest and lemon juice; purée until smooth.

Add the second avocado, purée, then add the third avocado with the spices and seasoning. Purée until smooth.

Gradually add the stock, blending it in as it is added. Pour the soup into a metal bowl and chill.

To serve, stir in the iced water, then season to taste with plenty of salt and black pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Serves 4