Tag: soup

Tom kha kai soup

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Thai chicken and coconut soup. Surely as good for fixing coughs and sneezes as traditional Jewish chicken soup. Pale and soothing in appearance, extremely comforting, but also aromatic and exciting to eat – the perfect balance of salt, sweet, sour and spicy.

  • 125g chicken breast, sliced into strips around 5mm thick
  • 100g cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
  • 50g little button mushrooms, halved (optional)
  • 1 stalk of lemongrass, bashed with the back of a knife then cut into 3
  • 3 cm piece of fresh ginger, cut into 6 pieces
  • 4 lime leaves, torn in half (can substitute 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 red birdseye chilli, cut in half
  • 1 tin coconut milk
  • 250ml water
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • ¼ tsp sugar
  • Fresh coriander
  1. Put the coconut milk and water in a large saucepan on a medium heat for a couple of minutes but don’t let it boil. If it shows signs of boiling, just turn it down
  2. Add the lemongrass, ginger, lime leaves, chilli, mushrooms and tomatoes, stir in and cook for another 2 mins
  3. Add the chicken strips and cook on medium heat for 5 mins until they’re cooked through. Again, turn it down if it looks as though it might boil.
  4. Add the lemon juice, fish sauce and sugar and cook for another minute. Taste for seasoning.
  5. Totally optionally, this is the stage when you would pick out the lemongrass, lime leaves, ginger and chilli
  6. Serve straight away with fresh coriander leaves sprinkled over the top

Roast red pepper soup

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Delightful soup, the vibrant colour of a postbox

  • 4 red peppers, halved and de-seeded
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onions, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 1 potato, diced
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 litre vegetable stock
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • Large pinch dried thyme
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • Dash of balsamic vinegar
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Pre-heat the grill to high and place the peppers skin side up on to a baking sheet. Char under the grill until the skin is blackened
  2. Remove from the heat and place in a bowl with a plate on top to steam for 10 mins, then remove and discard the skin and slice the flesh
  3. In the meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion and garlic for 4-5 mins until softened
  4. Add the potato and fry for a further minute
  5. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, red peppers, sugar, vinegar, paprika, thyme and veg stock
  6. Season, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 12-15 mins until the potatoes are tender
  7. Use a wand blender to whizz until smooth. Serve with crumbled feta or a spoonful of Greek yoghurt on top

Tomato lentil soup

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The ideal accompaniment to a bonfire night outing, a chilly afternoon or a shivery dip in a river. Nourishing and tasty, it’ll warm your cockles.

  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp veg oil
  • 100g red lentils
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 500ml stock
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • Pinch of sugar
  • Squeeze of lemon
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Heat the oil, add the onions and cook for 5 mins until translucent
  2. Add the tomato puree, garlic, thyme, cumin and paprika and cook for 2 mins
  3. Rinse the lentils and add to the pan with the stock. Bring to the boil then cook for 20 mins stirring occasionally until lentils are soft
  4. Add tinned tomatoes and sugar. Cook for a further 10 mins
  5. Add lemon juice and season to taste

Chicken and sweetcorn soup

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A takeaway favourite, surprisingly simple to make at home and doubly delicious. Feeds 4

  • 1.2 litres decent chicken stock
  • 300g sweetcorn (fresh, frozen or tinned) – or a combination of creamed corn and whole kernals
  • 1 tbsp of shaoxing rice wine
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • ¼ tsp white pepper
  • 2 tsp cornflour blended with 2 tsp water
  • 250g cooked, shredded chicken
  • 1 egg whisked with 1 tsp sesame oil
  • Spring onions, finely sliced
  1. Bring the stock to the boil in a large pan
  2. Add the sweetcorn, lower the heat and simmer gently for 10 mins
  3. Add the shaoxing, soy sauce, sugar and pepper and stir through. Taste and add salt if needed
  4. Pour in the cornflour slurry and whisk in
  5. Bring the soup back to the boil and then turn down to a simmer
  6. Add the chicken and then, in a steady stream, pour in the egg mixture. It will set as it hits the broth and give you those lovely trailing tails of egg through the soup
  7. Serve immediately, sprinkled with spring onion

Carrot and coriander soup

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Warm, gently spiced, pleasingly orange. For coriander-lovers only though. If the taste makes you think of soap, maybe give this one a miss. Check out one of my other soups instead! To me, this is a lovely lunch on a chilly day, and needs nothing more than some bread to dunk in it. Feeds 4

  • 1 tbsp veg oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 5 or 6 big, fat carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • Handful of fresh coriander stalks (and/or leaves – but this is just such a good way to use the stalks up!)
  • 1 chicken stock cube (or veg stock if you prefer)
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan (not non-stick if you’re going to blend it in the pan – I’ve ruined both soup and pan doing that!)
  2. Add onion and cook over a medium heat until translucent
  3. Add the garlic and give it another minute
  4. Add the carrots and stir through the garlicky buttery oil
  5. Add the 2 corianders, turmeric, seasoning and crumble in the stock cube, then stir everything together until well combined
  6. Pour over about a pint and a half of boiling water, to cover the contents completely, and stir
  7. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer for 10 mins
  8. Spike a piece of carrot with a knife. If it’s soft, you’re ready to blend! If not, give it another minute or two
  9. Take the soup off the stove and use a stick blender to whizz everything to a loose puree.
  10. Check the seasoning and serve. If you want to get fancy, pop a bit of cream or creme fraiche on top once it’s in the bowl, and a couple of carefully-placed fresh coriander leaves

Kind of laksa

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This recipe is for 2 people, but is easily expandable to feed more. Yet another dish which makes zero claim to authenticity, but is both tasty and straightforward.

  • 1 tbsp veg oil
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 3 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 1 stick lemongrass, grated (microplane for the win!)
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated/minced
  • 3cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated/minced
  • 1 hot red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 500ml chicken stock (or veg stock)
  • 1 tin coconut milk
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 heaped tsp smooth peanut butter
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • 200g cooked rice noodles
  • Fresh coriander, chopped

You can add anything you’ve got knocking around – cooked, shredded chicken; roast sweet potato; fresh spinach; chopped, steamed kale; cubes of tofu.

  1. Heat the oils in a saucepan and add the lemongrass, spring onion, garlic, ginger and chilli
  2. Stir fry over a low heat for 2 mins
  3. Pour in the stock, coconut milk and lime juice, bring to a good simmer
  4. Add the fish sauce, tomato puree, peanut butter, sugar and turmeric. Combine thoroughly and cook at a simmer for 10 mins
  5. In the final couple of minutes, add the rice noodles and any other ingredients, just to warm through
  6. Serve in deep bowls, sprinkled with coriander

Chicken tortilla soup

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

Mexican-spiced tomato and chicken soup. Eat it with tortilla chips or homemade corn bread.

  • Cooked chicken, cut into in small pieces
  • Chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • Pinch ground cinnamon
  • Pinch chipotle chilli flakes (or regular chilli flakes)
  • 1 tin tomatoes
  • Pinch of sugar
  • 1 small tin of sweetcorn, drained
  • 1 tin black beans, drained and rinsed
  • Zest and juice of ½ lime
  • Salt and pepper
  • Toppings – can include chopped fresh coriander, diced avocado, crumbled feta, sliced red chilli
  1. Heat oil in saucepan, add the onion and garlic and cook gently for 8-10 mins until soft and translucent
  2. Stir in the spices, tomatoes, sugar, chicken stock and seasonings
  3. Simmer with lid on for 20 mins
  4. Add sweetcorn, beans, cooked chicken, lime zest and juice and cook for further 5 mins
  5. Check seasoning and serve

Serve with delicious things to sprinkle on top