Showing posts with label Soups. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Soups. Show all posts
On Monday (as I write this) it is really difficult to believe that Summer is only a few weeks away. The rain is bucketing down and there is a very chilly wind blowing. Its not nice out there at all . . . but it is a bank holiday Monday and running true to form!
I decided it was the perfect day for some soup. We won't have many more of those as the warm temperatures and wall to wall sunshine will soon be upon us and we will be revelling in all of it and enjoying grills and salads. (How's that for positive thinking and hope!)
This soup recipe I am sharing today is a really lovely soup. I adore Tomato Soup of any kind. I think of all the soups, tomato soups and chicken soups are my favourites.
It uses simple ingredients that you probably have in your larder and refrigerator . . .
Simple ingredients like carrots, celery and onions . . . chopped fine into a mirepoix as it is officially called . . . aromatics . . . a flavour trinity which also adds a ton of flavour to the soup.
There is garlic as well, another aromatic, but also a great flavour booster. You don't have to use as much as I do, but we love garlic . . .
It also uses tinned tomatoes. You know my favourite kinds of tinned tomatoes . . . Cirio. They are the best and I always have tins of them in my cupboard.
Other than that you just need some stock, milk and Parmesan cheese . . . along with some dried herbs and seasonings of course.
If you want to keep it vegetarian, you can use vegetable stock, otherwise use chicken stock.
Todd likes bread with his soup, but the Canadian in me longs for something crispy. I had some of those flat thin Foccacia breads in the freezer from Deli - Kitchen, so I took one out and spread both slices with some butter, sprinkled them with garlic Italian seasoning and some cheese, baking them until crisp . . .
Cut into slices on the angle they went beautifully with this simple yet quite delicious soup! I sprinkled more Parmesan cheese on top to serve. You could blitz it until smooth, but I like the texture from the minced vegetables.
Yield: 6
Creamy Tomato & Basil Soup
A great tummy warmer. Simple to make and oh so tasty!
ingredients:
- 4 stalks celery, trimmed and coarsely chopped
- 4 medium carrots, peeled, trimmed and coarsely chopped
- 1 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 3 TBS butter
- 2 TBS light olive oil
- 35g plain flour (1/4 cup)
- 960ml chicken or vegetable stock (4 cups)
- 2 (400g) tins chopped tomatoes in juice, undrained (2 14-oz tins)
- 1 TBS dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 bay leaf, broken in half
- 240ml to 360ml milk (1 to 1 1/2 cups)
- 180g freshly grated Parmesan Cheese (1 cup)
You will also need:
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese to garnish
instructions:
How to cook Creamy Tomato & Basil Soup
- Put all of your fresh vegetables, along with the garlic, into a food processor. Blitz until they are really finely chopped. Heat the butter and oil over moderate heat. Add the vegetables. Cook and stir without browning to soften slightly, for about 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour. Cook for a minute longer. Gradually whisk in the broth. Add the tinned tomatoes (undrained) and the herbs and seasonings, along with the broken bay leaf. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a slow simmer. Cook over medium low heat for about 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are all fairly soft. Stir in the Parmesan cheese to melt and then enough of the milk to give you a proper consistency. Heat through without boiling. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Ladle into heated bowls to serve, garnishing each bowl with some freshly grated cheese.
The crisp breads were the perfect accompaniment. I can't believe the glutton in me devoured them all . . . I was still nibbling on them in the evening while we watched some telly. A bit naughty, but very nice.
Spiced Carrot Soup. I guarantee you are going to love this carrot ginger soup. Its easy to make and oh so delicious!
We are at that time of year now where our stored and root vegetables are beginning to get tired and no longer at their very best.
Too early for the fresh crops, we make do with what we can get . . . I often find that my onions have started to go a bit . . .
I find myself having to peel off and discard several layers before I get to what is good and usable . . . all of these winter vegetables might be a bit past their prime, but they are still fabulous for things like soups and stews.
You are going to love this soup I am sharing with you today . . . Spiced Carrot Soup, or the soup that almost wasn't! Today was one of those days . . . when anything that could go wrong went wrong . . .
Everything for the soup went together quickly and easily . . . it makes good use of onions, garlic, and carrots . . . some grated fresh ginger root . . . warm spices . . .
Ground cumin, turmeric, cinnamon . . . all very aromatic and when combined most delicious . . .
These are cooked in chicken stock until the carrots are meltingly tender . . . be warned it smells heavenly when it is cooking . . .
After that all you need to do is puree it . . . simple. Right??? Right!!! Normally I would use my stick blender, but do you think I could find the motor for mine today???
It was nowhere to be found. All of the attachments were at the ready, but no motor, and I looked every where . . . even in places it couldn't possibly be, but I thought I would check anyways.
I even had my husband come in and look . . . sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees and I thought perhaps he could see what I couldn't.
I opened one of the upper cupboards to see if I had crazily put it in there and my pack of Miso Paste flew out of the cupboard landing in the soup and splattering it all over the counter top and back splash . . . dripping off my knife block and cutting boards . . . into our toaster . . . grrrr . . .
You know how turmeric stains . . . BLAH! Most annoying
I could not find it anywhere.
I can only think (and I really hope that this isn't what happened) that it got accidentally thrown out the last time I used it, which doesn't make sense, but I don't know where else it could be. I have looked everywhere.
After I cleaned up the mess, I had to dig my big blender out from the back of the wardrobe upstairs, where it is stored.
I was quite happy at that point that I hadn't given it away. It did need a good cleaning however.
Its so big and bulky that it just can't live in my kitchen.
The stick blender does a great job, takes up a lot less room and is a lot easier to clean, so that is normally what I use.
But meh . . . today I had to do what I had to do.
So into the now cleaned blender on the now cleaned counter the soup went. It blitzed up beautifully in about 30 seconds.
I threw poured it back into the saucepan and reheated it gently until it was hot again, and stirring in some lime juice and a bit of brown sugar, it was then ready to eat.
With a dollop of plain yogurt on top and a sprinkling of lemon zest and black pepper it was THE BEST CARROT SOUP EITHER OF US HAS EVER EATEN!
I kid you NOT . . . simple to make (aside from the comedy of errors and happenstances), using simple ingredients, but totally, TOTALLY delicious.
What a wonderful combination of flavours. My husband had two helpings and I was sorely tempted to do the same!
Spiced Carrot Soup
Yield: 4
You can thicken the soup with a handful of basmati rice if you wish. This soup is really delicious as is. If you don't have or can't find sumac, you can substitute a mix of lemon zest and coarse black pepper for it.
ingredients:
- 2 TBS olive oil
- 2 medium onions, peeled and diced
- 2 tsp freshly grated ginger root
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 kg carrots, peeled and sliced (2.2 pounds)
- 1 1/2 litres of chicken stock (about 6 cups)
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 TBS lime juice
- fine sea salt
To serve:
- Plain yogurt
- ground sumac to sprinkle
instructions:
How to cook Spiced Carrot Soup
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan with a heavy bottom. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent without colouring. Add the garlic, grated ginger and all of the spices. Cook, stirring until quite fragrant. Add the carrots and toss to coat them with the spice mixture. Add the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes until the carrots are soft and meltingly tender.
- Remove from the heat and puree using a stick blender, or very carefully in a full sized blender or food processor. Take care as it will be quite hot and you don't want to scald yourself. Return to the stove and gently reheat. Stir in the lime juice and brown sugar. Taste and adjust seasoning as required with salt.
- Ladle into heated bowls, garnishing each with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of sumac. Delicious!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
Today you get two delicious recipes! One is a healthy Cabbage & Tomato Soup and the other is a delicious Cheddar & Chive Drop Biscuit, small batch. (but easily doubled)
The two go beautifully together!
The soup is very simple to make. You just sweat some onions out in a mix of olive oil, butter (not a lot of either one) and some aromatic spices . . . fennel, cumin and coriander . . .
Once the onions have softened, you add the cabbage, which should be thinly hand shredded. I like it about 1/4 inch thick. That is quite manageable on the spoon and in the mouth.
Add some chicken stock (or vegetable stock if you are a vegetarian) and a tin of really good chopped tomatoes. I use Cirio Polpa Chopped Tomatoes. They have the nicest flavour.
This small batch Cheddar and Chive Drop Biscuit recipe is amazingly tasty. I use fresh chives, but then I grow them in the garden. If you want to use dried (ugh) you will only need to use half the amount. The reason I prefer the fresh ones is for the lovely bright colour and flavour.
I am not a huge fan of dried chives, but you can probably tell that already!
Yield: 7
Small Batch Cheddar & Chive Drop Biscuits
prep time: 10 minscook time: 15 minstotal time: 25 mins
Savoury, rich and delicious with the perfect crumb. Great with soups, stews or even on their own.
ingredients:
- 140g plain flour (1 cup all purpose)
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 TBS very cold butter
- 30g grated strong cheddar cheese (1/4 cup)
- 2 TBS chopped fresh chives
- 120ml buttermilk (1/2 cup)
- 30g sour cream (1/4 cup)
- 3 TBS additional grated cheddar
instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 230*C/450*F/ gas mark 7. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Set aside.
- Whisk together the soda, baking powder, salt, pepper and flour. Drop in the butter, cut into bits and then cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Stir in the cheese and chives. Whisk together the sour cream and buttermilk. Add all at once to the dry ingredients, and stir together just until mixed.
- Drop into 7 equal mounds on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the additional cheese over top of each dividing it equally.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes until risen, golden brown and they test done. A toothpick inserted in the centre of one should come out clean and the bottoms should be golden brown.
Created using The Recipes Generator
The two together make for a fairly healthy, yet hearty meal!
The soup is beautifully flavoured with buttery soft cabbage. I like my cabbage well cooked . . . I don't think crispy cabbage works well in a soup.
Salad yes, but not a soup . . .
These two are the perfect meal time partners . . .
Yield: 4
Cabbage & Tomato Soup
prep time: 15 minscook time: 45 minstotal time: 60 mins
Simple, healthy and delicious!
ingredients:
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp butter
- 1/4 tsp each ground coriander and ground fennel
- 1/8 tsp ground cumin
- 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 small white cabbage, cored and thinly shredded (1/4 inch thick)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 (400g) tin of chopped tomatoes in juice (15 oz tin)
- 1 litre of chicken stock (4 cups)
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
instructions:
- Have all of your ingredients ready before you begin. Heat the oil and butter in a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the spices along with the chopped onion. Cook over low heat until the onions have softened and everything is really fragrant. Add the sliced cabbage and stir all well together to coat the cabbage. Season with 1/2 tsp salt and some ground black pepper. Add the tin of tomatoes and the stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 35 to 40 minutes until the cabbage is tender and flavours have melded. Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Serve ladled into heated bowls.
Created using The Recipes Generator
Cirio uses only the finest 100% Italian Tomatoes in their Polpa Chopped Tomatoes. The seeds have been removed as well, which I love. (I have diverticulitis and tomato skins and seeds affect me adversely and make me quite ill.) Fresh tomatoes are carved lovingly into large pieces which helps to preserve that intense Italian tomato flavour and texture. Fragrant and tasty with a rich red hue, these tomatoes are packed on the same day as they are picked. I quite simply love them. Cirio is always my tomato of choice.
I am a person who really loves cabbage. It has ever been so. My mom often made cabbage rolls for us when we were growing up. I never liked the minced meat filling and my father didn't like the cabbage, so we compromised and I ate his cabbage and he ate my meat. I think I got the better deal out of the bargain. This soup reminds me of my mom's cabbage rolls. I love taste memories, don't you?
Still no working stove. It turns out that the problem is not with the stove, but with the electrics in the house, so we are now waiting on the landlord to pull his finger out. He's usually pretty good so no worries. In the meantime we have the trusty hot plate.
Today I made us a delicious and hearty Chicken & Orzo Soup. It was also very simple to make.
You will need leeks and celery. One leek, and one stalk. Make sure you clean your leek really well. There is nothing worse than sand in your food. They are really easy to clean. Just cut slit down one side of the leek and then fan it open slightly, running cold water over it. Any sand should just rinse away.
After that you can just cut it into half moons or coins. I always trim my celery also. I use a sharp knife to pull away any of the strings. Strings can be a bit unpleasant depending on the age of your celery. I don't bother with the tender inner stalks, but sometimes the outer stalks can be really stringy, so those are the ones I de-string! This gets chopped.
The prepped veg is then softened in a bit of Olive oil. Not so that it browns . . . just so it is soft.
I use gel stock pots and boiling water for my chicken stock. This took 4 gel pots. If you have chicken stock in the freeze or cans. Just use that. Bring it to the boil then throw in some boneless chicken thighs.
Cook these until tender and no longer pink and scoop them out with a slotted spoon. You will cut or shred these to add at the end, in the meantime you bring the stock back up to the boil and add your orzo and your secret ingredient.
Secret ingredient? Yes! Its dried dill weed. You could also use fresh chopped dill weed. I just used the dry today as that is all I had. Its just enough to add a layer of flavour that is very pleasant and have people smacking their lips. Don't worry, it won't taste overly like dill. Trust me on this.
Once the orzo is cooked you shred/cut the chicken up and put it back into the soup . . .
Heat through, adjust the seasoning, and then ladle into heated bowls for your very lucky family. I like crackers with mine, Todd likes bread. You can serve lemon wedges with it to squeeze over the soup. I forgot. Bad me. The hint of lemon is a real flavour booster!
Yield: 4
Chicken & Orzo Soup
prep time: 5 minscook time: 35 minstotal time: 40 mins
Simple, delicious and filling. I like mine with crisp crackers. Todd, he likes bread. Everybody is happy.
ingredients:
- 1 TBS olive oil
- 1 fresh leek, halved, lengthwise, cleaned and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 stalk celery, trimmed and chopped
- 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 1/2 litre chicken stock (6 cups)
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 105g orzo pasta (1/2 cup)
- 1 TBS dried dill weed
- Lemon wedges to serve (optional)
instructions:
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the leeks and celery, Cook stirring occasionally, over medium low until softened without browning, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the chicken and stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for a further 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender, no longer pink. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Bring the broth in the pot to the boil, add the dill and orzo. Cook until tender, about 8 minutes (or however long it says on your package of orzo.) Cut the chicken into cubes, or shred it and return it to the pot. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Heat through. Ladle into heated bowls and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing. (optional) Delicious!
I hope it isn't too long before our stove is up and working again. I am wanting to bake something! I have seen some lovely breads about and I am wanting to try sourdough again. In the meantime,we are enjoying things like this tasty soup. Bon appetit!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons