HOW TO PREPARE TASTY SOUPS?

SOUPS

Stock is the foundation of all soups. Stock is made by putting solid food into cold water and by a long slow process of cooking and extracting the nourishment into the liquid.

1. BASIC WHITE STOCK

Ingredients

1. Veal, lamb or chicken bones - 500 gms
2. Sliced onion (Big) - 1
3. Water - 10 cups
4. Carrot scraped and sliced - 2
5. Celery chopped - 1 stalk
6. Salt - 1 tsp
7. Peppercorns crushed - 8

Cook time

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Ready in: 1 hour 15 minutes

Yield: 1 1/4 litres

Method:

Remove any fat from the bones, wash, chop and place them in a large pan. Add water and bring it to boil. When water boils and the scum rises to the surface, remove the scum carefully with a skimmer. Add the prepared vegetables, celery, salt and peppercorns. Cover and simmer gently for one hour in top of the stove.

Strain the stock through a sieve. Discard the bones and vegetables and allow the stock to cool. If meat bones have been used, leave the stock until it is quite cold as the fat will solidify into a cake on the top of the stock and can be easily lifted off. The fat of chicken stock will rise to the surface as it cools, but will not harden. Remove it by drawing sheets of tissue paper carefully across the surface of the stock until it is clear. Cover the bowl and chill quickly. This will yield approximately 1 ¼ litres.

2. BASIC BROWN STOCK

Ingredients

1. Beef or veal bones - 500 gms
2. Butter - 2 tbsp
3. Water - 10 cups
4. Salt - 1 tsp
5. Peppercorns - 8
6. Sliced onion (Big) - 1
7. Carrot scraped and sliced - 2
8. Celery chopped - 1 stalk

Cook time

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ready in: 1 hour 45 minutes

Yield: 1 1/4 litres

Method:

Remove fat from the bones and chop it. Heat the butter in a roasting pan in a preheated oven at 200⁰C and brown the bones for 30 minutes. Put the bones into a large pan, add water and bring it to boil. Remove the scum carefully; add salt, peppercorns, celery and vegetables. Cover and simmer gently for one hour.

Strain, cool until the fat is set and then remove the fat. Cover the stock and chill. This will yield approximately 1 ¼ litres.

3. VEGETABLE STOCK

Ingredients

1. Water - 10 cups
2. Chopped onion (Big) - 1
3. Carrot scraped and chopped - ½ cup
4. Beans chopped - ½ cup
5. Celery - 1 stalk
6. Peppercorns - 6
7. Salt - 1 tsp

Cook time

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ready in: 45 minutes

Yield: 1 1/4 litres

Method:

Boil water and add chopped vegetables, celery, peppercorns and salt. Boil for half an hour. Pour through sieve to remove the solids. Cool the stock.

4. CHICKEN STOCK

Ingredients

1. Chicken bones and trimmings - 1 kg
2. Chopped onion (Big) - 1
3. Water - 10 cups
4. Peppercorns crushed - 8
5. Celery with leaves chopped - 1 stalk
6. Ginger - 2 slices
7. Salt - 1 tsp

Cook time

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Ready in: 1 hour 15 minutes

Yield: 1 1/4 litres

Method:

Put the bones and trimmings in a saucepan, add water and other ingredients. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer for an hour; then strain it. The fat will rise to the surface as it cools, but will not harden. Remove by drawing sheets of tissue paper carefully across the surface of the stock until it is clear. Cover the bowl and chill quickly.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOUPS

1. CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Ingredients

1. Leg portion of a chicken - 1
2. Small onion chopped - 1
3. Carrot cut into small dice - 1
4. Egg noodles - 50 gms
5. Chicken stock - 1 litre
6. Black pepper - ½ tsp
7. Coriander leaves chopped - 1 tbsp (to garnish)

Method:

Cut the leg portion of the chicken into two pieces- thigh and drumstick. Place the chicken, vegetables, noodles, stock, salt and pepper into a pressure cooker. Close the cooker, bring to high pressure and cook for 4 minutes. Reduce the pressure quickly. Lift out the chicken and remove the meat from the bones. Cut the meat into small pieces and return it to the soup. Reheat the soup, taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

2. CRAB SOUP

Ingredients

1. Crab meat chopped - 1 cup
2. Mushrooms sliced - 150 gms
3. Par-boiled bamboo shoots - 1 cup (optional)
4. Peas cleaned - ½ cup
5. Leek sliced thinly - 1
6. Basic white stock - 5 cups
7. Ginger chopped - 1 slice
8. Oil - 2 tbsp
9. Eggs - 2
10. Soya sauce - 1 tsp
11. Pepper powder - ½ tsp
12. Salt - ½ tsp
13. Corn flour - 3 tbsp
14. Water - 6 tbsp
15. Coriander leaves chopped - 1 tbsp

Method:

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the mushrooms. Then add the leek, bamboo shoots, peas, crab meat and chopped ginger. Stir for 3 minutes and add soya sauce. Pour it into the hot stock and boil. Add salt, pepper powder and corn flour and mixed with water to thicken the soup and boil. Reduce the heat and pour the beaten eggs in a thin stream, stirring with a fork, so that the egg is set and evenly distributed. Sprinkle coriander leaves and serve hot.

3. HEALTHY TOMATO SOUP

Ingredients

1. Moong dal - ½ cup
2. Tomatoes chopped - 5 cups
3. Onion chopped - 1 cup
4. Low fat milk - ½ cup
5. Corn flour - 1tbsp
6. Butter - 1 tsp
7. Pepper - ½ tsp
8. Salt - to taste
9. Toasted whole wheat bread croutons - ½ cup

For low fat milk

1. Milk powder - 2 tbsp
2. Lukewarm water - 100 ml

Method:

Mix the milk powder with 4 tbsp lukewarm water and make a smooth paste. Add the remaining water and whisk. Boil it. Wash the dal and cook it in a pressure cooker with chopped tomatoes and 4 cups of water. Cool and blend in a blender. Keep aside. Melt the butter in a pan, add the onions, sauté for 4 minutes and add the pureed dal-tomato mixture. Mix the corn flour with 4 tbsp of water and add to the soup. Stir well. Add the fat free milk, salt and pepper and bring to boil. Garnish with roasted whole bread croutons and serve hot.

4. CREAM-VEGETABLE SOUP

Ingredients

1. Vegetable stock - 750 ml
2. Celery chopped - 2 tsp
3. Onion chopped - 1
4. Potato chopped - 2
5. Carrot chopped - 1
6. Tomato chopped - 2

For white sauce

1. Maida - 2 tbsp
2. Butter - 1 tbsp
3. Low fat milk - 300 ml
4. Pepper powder - ¼ tsp
5. Salt - to taste

For vegetable stock

1. Carrot - 500 gms
2. Onion - 500 gms
3. Beans - 250 gms
4. Butter - 1 tsp
5. Peppercorn - 4
6. Water - 1 litre
7. Celery chopped - 1 tsp

Method:

Prepare the low fat milk in the above recipe. Melt butter in a pan. Add maida and mix smoothly and cook over gently; heat for 2 minutes without discolouring. Remove from heat. Add milk, a little at a time until the mixture is light and creamy. Stir all the time. If the liquid is not added gradually, lumps are formed. Add the remaining milk and mix thoroughly. Return to heat and bring to boil stirring all the time. Continue it for 5 minutes to cook maida thoroughly. If the boiling is not continued, the sauce will be raw in flavour and dull instead of glossy. Add pepper powder and salt.

Peel and dice the vegetables. Sauté in butter. Add peppercorns, celery, salt and water. Bring to boil. Cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes or until the stock has developed a good flavour. Strain it.

Chop all the cleaned vegetables. Cook the stock till tender. Pass through a sieve and make a puree. Add the white sauce to the puree; season to taste. Decorate with few parsley springs and serve hot.

5. HOT AND SOUR SOUP

Ingredients

1. Chicken stock - 5 cups
2. Chicken meat shredded - 1 cup
3. Squid shredded - ½ cup
4. Mushroom shredded - 4
5. Shrimps cleaned & de-veined - ½ cup
6. Paneer shredded - 125 gms
7. Peas - ¼ cup
8. Ginger chopped - 1 tbsp
9. Spring onion with leaves chopped - 3
10. Egg beaten lightly - 3
11. Salt - to taste

For Seasoning

1. Soya bean - 1 tsp
2. Vinegar - 1 tbsp
3. Pepper powder - ½ tsp
4. Salt - to taste
5. Chilli sauce - 1 tbsp
6. Corn flour - 3 tbsp
7. Water - 6 tbsp
8. Roasted sesame seed powder - 1 tsp

Method:

Prepare stock by the following method:

Put 1 kg chicken bones and trimming in a saucepan, add 10 cups of water, 10 peppercorns, 2 slices of ginger and salt to taste. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer for one hour. Strain it. From this, take 5 cups of stock and boil. Add chicken, shrimps, squid, mushrooms, paneer, peas, spring onion and seasonings. Mix corn flour with 6 tbsp of water, add it to the soup and gently boil for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat and add the beaten eggs in a thin stream stirring gently with a fork until the eggs form threads in the soup.

6. COLD CUCUMBER SOUP

Ingredients

1. Cucumber peeled and halved - 1 large
2. Spring onion chopped - 6
3. Chicken stock - 1 litre
4. Corn flour - 1tbsp
5. Water - 2 tbsp
6. Salt and pepper powder - to taste
7. Cream - 4 tbsp

Method:

Dress the cucumber and slice. Chop spring onions, including as much of the green parts as possible, and simmer in the stock with cucumber until tender. Liquidize in a blender.

Reheat the soup. Moisten the corn flour with water, add to the soup, stir until boiling and simmer gently for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and seasoning to taste. When cool stir in a few drops of food colouring. Chill well. Swirl spoonful of cream into each portion before serving.

7. CHICKEN AND MUSHROOM SOUP

Ingredients

1. Skinned boneless chicken - 225 gms
2. Unsalted butter - 6 tbsp
3. Garlic crushed - ½ tsp
4. Garam masala - ½ tsp
5. Pepper crushed - ½ tsp
6. Salt - to taste
7. Nutmeg crushed - ¼ tsp
8. Leek sliced - 1
9. Mushroom sliced - 1 cup
10. Sweet corn - ¼ cup
11. Water - 1 ½ cup
12. Cream - 1 cup
13. Coriander leaves chopped - 1 tbsp
14. Red chillies crushed - 1 tsp

Method:

Melt the butter in a pan. Lower the heat, add garlic, garam masala, pepper, nutmeg and salt to taste. Finally, add the chicken pieces, leek, mushroom and sweet corn and cook for 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked thoroughly. Remove from heat and leave to cool. Transfer three quarters of the mixture into a food processor or blender. Add the water and process for about 1 minute. Pour it back into the pan and stir with the rest of the mixture. Allow to boil. Lower the heat and stir in the cream. Add the finely chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with chopped red chillies on top.

To prepare Garam masala:

Cardamom - 30 gm

Cloves - 60 gm

Cinnamon - 60 gm

Peppercorns - 60 gm

Roast all the ingredients very lightly. Blend to fine powder. Store it in an airtight container.

8. MUSHROOM SOUP

Ingredients

1. Mushrooms (oyster) - ½ kg

2. Chopped onion (small) - ¼ kg

3. Milk - 500 ml

4. Ghee - 2 tsp

5. Maida - 1 tsp

6. Cardamom powder - 1 pinch

7. Pepper powder - ¼ tsp

8. Salt - as required

9. Water - as required

Method:

Clean the mushrooms well and chopped them into small pieces. Keep aside. Heat 2 tsp of ghee in a frying pan and add the chopped onions into it. Stir well. When the onions become brown, add the chopped mushrooms and cook it in enough amount of water for 15 minutes. Then add maida and milk into it and boil well. After that, put off the flame and squeeze the whole contents well. Filter the soup and add ¼ tsp of pepper powder, 1 pinch of cardamom powder and salt. Mushroom soup is READY! Serve hot.

9. BEETROOT-CARROT SOUP

Ingredients

1. Beet roots - 3 nos.

2. Carrot - 1 no.

3. Capsicum - 1 no.

4. Onion (big) - 1 no.

5. Garlic (chopped) - 1 tsp

6. Coconut oil - 2 tbsp

7. Pepper powder - ¼ tbsp

8. Salt - ½ tbsp

Method:

Peel the skin of beet roots and carrot and cut them into small pieces. Keep aside. Chop the capsicum and onion finely. Heat 2 tbsp of coconut oil into a vessel and add these chopped items (No.1 to 5) into it. Stir well. Then add 4 cups of water into it. Cook in a medium flame until it become soft. Then put off the flame and add ¼ tbsp of pepper powder and ½ tbsp of salt into it. Beet root-carrot soup is READY! Serve hot.