Red lentil puree soup

I have been so incredibly busy over the past couple of months that I haven't really had any time to post anything. Due to lack of time I've really resorted to batch-cooking - anything that I can make in large quantities and freeze goes. I received a cookbook for Christmas two years ago and when I got it I marked a recipe I wanted to try the very same day. Fast forward nearly two years and I've finally gotten around to making it. I'm a big fan of Arabic food in general and when a dear friend of mine got me this book called "Araabia Köögi Radadel" (basically "On the tracks of Arabic Cuisine" or something along those lines) I was absolutely thrilled.

So after eating my usual puree soups (you can find all of them on this blog) I really felt the need for a change - it was about time I switched one of them for something new. As I was flicking through my recipe collection on my computer and failed to find something that really appealed to me that day I had a quick glance at the cookbooks I have. And then it hit me that I had bookmarked this and it was just waiting for its turn! Also, I happened to have all the ingredients at home so I took the book with me and headed straight into the kitchen.

This is incredibly easy to make (to be fair, most soups are) and tastes divine. And a huge perk is that it is so warming and filling - exactly what one needs on a cold autumn / winter evening. Also, I love the vibrant yellow colour, kind of feels like eating a bit of sunshine. Definitely one of my new favourites and I've already bought all the ingredients for a next batch. I think it is also worth noting that this soup freezes well. All you need to do is take it out the night before and let it defrost in the fridge. For a really indulgent dinner, enjoy with a dollop of creme fraiche and a warm pita bread.

Ingredients
(Serves 4)
- 1 mug red lentils (approx 250ml)
- 1 small potato, peeled and cubed
- 1/2 small tomato
- 1 small carrot, cubed
- 1 onion, cubed
- 1 glove of garlic
- 5 mugs of chicken stock (approx 1,25l)
- Pita bread, to serve

Directions
Put the lentils into the pot. Add potato, tomato, carrot, onion and garlic and cover with chicken stock. Bring to boil and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes or until the lentils have softened and turned yellow. Then either puree the soup in the food processor or use handheld mixer for that. If necessary add a bit more water. When serving pour the soup through a sieve to achieve a silky smooth consistency. Serve immediately with some warm pita bread. Enjoy!

Recipe from the book "Araabia Köögi Radadel"

Butternut squash & sage soup

My recent inactivity regarding posting is not because I have forgotten about my blog and my dear readers, but more to do with the fact that as the winter has arrived I resort to making a huge batch of soup, then freezing it and defrosting it as and when needed. Needless to say that it takes me quite some time to get though a whole batch of soup and, maybe more embarrassingly, I have treated myself to my all time favourite soups: tomato & basil soup and butternut squash soup. So I finally managed to rid myself of all the soup and when it came to preparing something to eat for the rest of this week I decided to give another soup a chance.

I have to confess that I still haven't gotten over my fascination with butternut squash and therefore when I set out to find a new recipe I knew what the main ingredient was going to be. Apart from the fact that butternut squash soups are so lovely in colour, pureed squash is nice and creamy - I can almost go as far to say that butternut squash soups (in various different forms) are a real comfort food for me. Nothing gets rid of the cold and damp feeling better than a hot bowl of soup served with a toasted bread. And the fact that vegetable soups in general are good for the waistline is just an added bonus!

While I was making this huge (this one is 8 servings) batch of soup on a cold Sunday afternoon, the aromas the filled the flat were absolutely amazing. Firstly the long frying of onions and chopped sage and then when the soup was simmering... I takes relatively little time to make this soup and that can be halved if you buy ready prepared butternut squash. It makes a lovely starter as it is not too rich to have, but at the same time it's a lovely warming and filling soup on its own and makes a perfect lunch or dinner, especially during wintertime. I've frozen most of it and will defrost during the week just by taking out the portion in the morning and leaving it on the counter and it will be nicely defrosted by dinnertime. All in all, it's a lovely dish and a nice change from my "usuals", easy to make, and most importantly warm and filling enough to get you through the dark winter evenings.

Ingredients

(Serves 8)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 3 onions, chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped sage
- 1.4kg peeled and deseeded butternut squash
- 1 tbsp clear honey
- 1 1/2 vegetable stock
- Salt, to season
- Pepper, to season

Directions
Firstly melt the oil and butter in a large saucepan and add the onions and sage and cook on a low heat until they're really soft for around 15 minutes. Then add the squash and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the honey and stock and bring to simmer. Cook until the squash is tender (approximately 15minutes).

Blend the soup into a smooth puree using a handheld mixer and season to taste. Place the soup in a bowl, decorate with a sage leaf (I used deep fried crispy sage leaves) and enjoy!

Recipe from BBC Good Food

Red lentil, chickpea and chilli soup

I have to confess that I really thought that I could escape the autumn feeling by spending my last two weeks of summer holiday in Singapore. But I was so wrong - for the past couple of days the weather has been horrible. It literally has been pouring down rain all the time (not to mention the occasional thunder in the mornings) and I haven't seen the sun in days. I guess my plan to get a nice and glowing tan before heading back to the UK has failed miserably. The reason that I'm talking about the weather is that for some weird reason plays a huge part in what I decide to make for dinner. Salads just don't seem to fit the bill for those grey and rainy days and I think that stews are a bit too wintery so that's left me with lovely soups. They warm you up, they're not too heavy and they're so-so tasty.

After having my usual tomato soup and butternut squash soup I really felt that it was time to try out something new for a change. I flicked through some of my Good Food magazines and found this soup. I obviously couldn't locate the right magazine when I wanted to make it again but thankfully it was up on their website. As I said, I've made it twice already as it was a huge hit with my other half - he loves that it is really filling and slightly spicy (the second batch came out a bit too spicy for me but the Greek yogurt helped to balance it out for me). For me this soup was a nice change from the usual smooth puree soups as I left it a bit chunky and the chickpeas really went well with the rest of the soup.

A lovely Middle-Eastern flavoured soup that is guaranteed to keep you full and tingle your tastebuds. And as I've discovered, nothing goes nicer with soups than some lovely toasted bread!

Ingredients
(Serves 4)
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- Large pinch of chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 140g red split lentils
- 850ml vegetable stock
- 400g can of chopped tomatoes
- 1/2 a can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- Small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped (plus some for serving)
- 4 tbsp Greek yogurt, to serve

Directions
First dry-fry the cumin seeds and chilli flakes until fragrant. Then add the oil and onion and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the lentils, stock and tomatoes and bring to the boil. Simmer it for 15 minutes.

Blend the soup into a rough puree, pour back into the pot and add the chickpeas. Heat gently, season well and stir in the coriander. Serve with a generous dollop of Greek yogurt. Enjoy!

Recipe from BBC Good Food

Tom Yum soup

I'd like to apologise for leaving such a big gap between my posts, but I was away on a family holiday and decided to leave my laptop at home (at first it felt like I was missing a limb, but after few days I realised I had made a great decision) and ever since I arrived back in Singapore I've been battling with one of the worst jet lags of my whole life (this explains why writing this post has taken so long).

I haven't forgotten my little promise to myself to try out some Asian dishes before I move back to London and as I got six cookbooks for my birthday (my friends know me way too well) and one of them was about soups I decided to treat us for a nice Asian soup. And as I was flicking through the soup book the Tom Yum soup caught my eye. And it did so because firstly the pictures looked really nice, secondly because the ingredient list was a lot shorter than I would have ever expected and thirdly I've really wanted to try making it at home and it was my luck that I did not have to shift through dozens of recipes on the internet to find the one that I wanted to try.

What I really love about Tom Yum is the interplay between flavours - its sweet, sour, salty and spicy all at the same time. To be honest, that tends to be so with most Thai dishes, but that doesn't make it any less special. Taking into account that everything in this soup is freshly made it is actually quite quick to make - the most time consuming part is making the prawn stock. It really fills you up and even in this hot climate it makes a perfect dish to finish your day. Also, the thing with home-made food is that you can easily vary the spiciness level (always feel free to reduce the amount of chilli you put in) and you can basically tailor the food to your liking. So, if you're looking for a nice oriental soup this one is definitely worth trying out.

Ingredients

(Makes 4)
- 300g fresh prawns
- 1.25l water (plus 1.5l for the stock)
- 2 stalks of lemongrass, thick part sliced diagonally
- 4-5 bird's eye chillies, bruised
- 3 thin slices of galangal
- 4 kaffir lime leaves, washed and torn
- 2-3 tsp fish sauce
- 75ml freshly squeezed lime juice
- Salt, to season
- 2 tbs olive oil

Directions
First make the prawn stock. For that remove and reserve prawn heads and shells, but leave the tails on. Devein the prawns by making a cut along their back and remove the vein. Also, doing this will make them curl up nicely during cooking.

To make the stock, heat the oil in a large pot over high heat. When its hot add the prawn shells and heads and stir fry for 1-2 minutes until they are bright pink. Then add 1.5l water and bring to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes (25 minutes max). Then use a potato masher to crush the shells against the bottom of the pot to get the maximum flavour. Strain the stock through a sieve and discard the shells and set it aside.

The pour the strained stock into a clean pot and add lemongrass, chillies, galangal and lime leaves. Bring this to boil over medium heat. Add the prawns to the pot and cook for 2 minutes (or until they are just cooked and curled). Switch off the heat and stir in the fish sauce.

Season the soup with lime juice (taste it so the sour-salty balance is perfect for you) and add little salt if necessary. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Recipe from C. Tan's book "Slurp"

 

Super fast prawn noodles

After realising the fact that my time here in Singapore is coming to an end (less than 3 weeks to go until I finish my masters) I thought I should use the time left here to try out some other Asian influenced dishes. So, the other day I was flicking through my recipe collection to see whether anything caught my eye and fortunately I found this recipe. I am a huge fan of fresh king prawns and whenever I do the food shopping and see them on offer I make a mental note that I should try to use them more often. From a more personal point of view, I was looking for something on a bit lighter side as after all the BBQs and desserts and restaurant visits with parents I felt like giving my body a small break from having to digest heavy food.

So, as this recipe ticked all the boxes - Asian, light, quick to make and involves king prawns - I decided to give it a go. To be honest with you, usually when I try out a new soup, my fiancé just states that it tastes nice, but this one had a really different reaction. The moment he tried I was told that I could make this again (read: it's delicious!) and I've acted on these words and actually made it for dinner again yesterday.

After discussing various things here I feel that I should actually give some insight about the soup. Well, it's incredibly easy and quick to make and I love the combination of the various sauces and a slight hint of ginger just creates the perfect balance of different flavours. It makes a delicious and filling mid-week supper and is guaranteed to add a nice exotic touch to your day.

Ingredients

(Serves 2)
- 500ml chicken stock
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- Medium piece of fresh root ginger, shredded into thing matchsticks
- 150g peeled king prawns (approx. 12 prawns)
- 2 bok choy, cut into quarters
- 100g noodles (straight to wok or soak hard noodles for few minutes before adding them in)
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced

Directions
Firstly peel and devein the king prawns. Then, bring the stock to boil in a wok or large saucepan. Stir in the different sauces and then add ginger. Simmer for a moment and then add the prawns until they've turned pink. When the prawns are ready, add the bok choy and cook for further 2 minutes until just wilted.

Finally, add all the noodles into the broth, stir to loosen the noodles and cook until they're warm. Divide the noodle soup between two bowls, scatter with spring onions and serve straight away.

Recipe from BBC Good Food

 

Tomato & basil soup

I've lived away from the UK for nearly two months and I've started noticing some wired cravings. The other day I would have done anything for a chicken shawarma from Maroush. And weirdly enough today I realised that I have wanted to have the simple ready made (I know it's a sin, but sometimes I just don't have time to cook at home) tomato and basil soup that I could just heat up and eat for quite a few days now. I honestly never thought I could be so 'food-homesick'. And as the cravings usually don't go away I decided to take the matter into my own hands and, as I know I won't be able to match the chicken wrap from Maroush (I'll have that for my first dinner back in the UK), I was pretty sure that making a home made tomato soup wouldn't be something that I couldn't handle. And I was absolutely right. This soup is easy to make, healthy and really warms you up from the inside (great for those cold autumn and winter days)... and honestly, nothing is better for a rainy evening that a hearty soup to make you feel nice and cosy.

After looking through the internet for various different variations I decided to just improvise - really didn't feel like having double cream or mascarpone in my soup today. It took me just 20 minutes to make the soup (from the moment I started preparing to the moment I put it in the bowl) and although it might be a bit more than the 6 minutes a ready made soup takes to heat up, there is no way I'm ever going back to the shop stuff, especially after trying out how quick and easy it is to make it at home. I served my soup with a generous sprinkle of Parmesan and decorated with a basil leaf, but it could also be served with croutons, dollop of creme fraiche, toast or other warm bread - what ever you like with your tomato soup.

Ingredients
(Serves 2)
- 1 large carrot, grated
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed
- 400g canned plum tomatoes
- 500ml vegetable stock
- Fresh basil
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Parmesan, croutons, toast, grissini etc to serve

Directions
Firstly, make the stock and then set it aside. Grate the carrot and chop the onion. Heat some olive oil in a saucepan, then add the carrot, onion and the crushed garlic. Sauté for few minutes and then add the tomatoes and the vegetable stock. Add some salt and pepper and few fresh basil leaves and then simmer for 15 minutes. Puree the soup either using a handheld mixer or a blender and serve with Parmesan cheese / croutons / ...

Recipe from BBC Good Food

Butternut squash soup

Over the past few days it has been rainy and grey here in London and it honestly feels like autumn has arrived a bit too soon. And as it is so cold and grey I craved for something that would warm me up from the inside and bring some colour to my grey world. I was travelling for a bit over a month so I decided to take advantage of something that to me is very British (I had not tasted it before moving to the UK) - butternut squash.

There is nothing that would have fulfilled my craving as well as this light, yellow and slightly spiced soup did. As it is still technically summer I felt like I couldn't justify making myself a hearty stew, for that I would really need the winter to come! After having a bowl of this I felt a lot happier, maybe to do with the fact that I was full and warm, regardless that the sky had turned nearly black and it felt like it was hailing instead of raining. Oh well, I'm so glad my mood so easily manipulated with food, especially in situations like that.

Ingredients
(Serves 4)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 small leek, thinly sliced
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, crushed
- 1kg butternut squash, chopped coarsely
- 750ml chicken stock
- 250ml water
(-300g potato, optional)

Directions
Heat the oil in a saucepan and cook the leek and garlic until tender. Add the cumin and cook for further few minutes. Then add butternut squash, stock (and potato if using) and the water and bring to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for around 20 minutes until squash is cooked. Blend the soup and bring back to boil. Serve with some creme fraiche, sprinkle of parmesan cheese or croutons.

Honeyed carrot soup

After making this soup to two of my best friends and getting them hooked, I decided that I should share this fabulous recipe with a lot more people. It is incredibly easy to make - I sometimes cheat a bit and get ready cubed carrots to reduce the preparation time - and the result is gorgeous. The ingredients go together very well and the hint of chilli is what gives the final touch to the soup. I usually make a big batch, divide it up and freeze it, so whenever I am short of time or want to have soup for dinner I have some stacked away in the freezer. Also, carrots are high in vitamin A (amongst other good things), which is good for your eyes and therefore having a bowl of carrot soup every now and then makes me feel that I make up for all the time spent looking at the computer screen - an inevitable part of being a student.

This time I served the soup with a sprinkle of grated parmesan and Italian grissini, but it could also be served with croutons, toast or a drizzle of sour cream or yogurt. To be honest, most of the times I've had the soup I have just had it on its own - it is just sooo good that it actually does not need anything on its side.

Ingredients
(Serves 6)
- 800g carrots, chopped
- 2 leeks, chopped
- 2 tsp honey
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 bay leaf
- 2.5l vegetable stock
- sprinkle of chilli powder / flakes

Directions
Heat the butter in a big saucepan. Add the leeks to the pan and cook for around 3 minutes. Then add the carrots, bay leaf, chilli (do not over do it) and stir in the honey and cook for another 2 minutes.

Pour in the stock and bring to boil. Then turn down the heat and let it simmer for around 30 minutes. Blend the soup either in blender (or use a handheld blender and do it in the saucepan), return the soup to the saucepan and bring back to simmer.

Divide the soup up between bowls. Garnish with grissini and sprinkle over with parmesan and serve immediately.

When you want to freeze the soup for later, let it cool in the pot, divide it up between storage boxes / bags and let it cool completely before putting it into freezer.

Recipe from BBC Good Food