POTATO, FENNEL & CAULIFLOWER SOUP

This is one of those recipes I made while cooking and hoped it worked out. I stumbled across a lovely combination of flavors quite by accident but I am really glad I did. Do try it, it is really nice.

INGREDIENTS
1 small to medium onion
1 fist size fennel bulb
2 medium to large potatoes
1 medium cauliflower
1 small handful of soup celery
a few sprigs of FRESH oregano and thyme
3-5 largish FRESH basil leaves
olive oil
salt
water

METHOD
Peel and chop up your onion into small cubes and fry in olive oil in a medium pot.
Season with salt and fry until light golden brown.
Thinly chop up your fennel bulb into small cubes and add to the onion and continue to brown.  
Peel and dice your potatoes into roughly 1cm size blocks and fry with the fennel and onion.
Once everything is lightly browned chop up your cauliflower in to smallish chunks and add to the pot and then fill the pot with water until everything is covered.
Dice your celery and add to the pot along with the fresh herbs (shredded).
Salt the pot a little more and bring everything to the boil.
Once boiling turn down to a simmer and leave to cook till everything is tender (roughly 40 min)
Pour your soup in batches into a blender and blend until smooth and place in a new clean pot.
Taste and season with salt if it needs it.
Dish into bowls - serve with a dash of cream.

Enjoy

ASIAN LAMB RIB NOODLE SOUP

INGREDIENTS
2 Large Onions
500- 800g lamb ribs (cut into ribbetjies - cut into strips)
a few tiny pieces star anise
fresh celeriac stems (about half a handful)
1 bunch organic carrots

fresh sage (half a handful of the baby leaves)
fresh chives (about 5 leaves)

fresh rosemary (1 sprig- end of a stick)
fresh oregano (half a handful)
dried basil (2 Tablespoons)
dried origanum (1 Tablespoon)
1 medium to large butternut
2 large fresh mielies/corn
2 handfuls of rice noodles
olive oil
Salt 
Black pepper
1 clove of garlic crushed

METHOD
Take your lamb ribs and place them in an oven dish  sprinkle with olive oil, salt and black pepper and half of an onion roughly chopped. Add a little fresh rosemary and a sprig of fresh oregano. Place in the oven and bake at 190- 200 degrees Celsius. While the lamb is cooking in the oven in a Large pot chop up the remaining 1 and a half onions and fry in some olive oil with a tiny bit star anise until lightly browned. Add a little salt. Cut the corn off the cob and place in the browning onions and stir for a few minutes. Now add the celeriac stems and leaves chopped up medium fine. Stir for a little bit and then fill your pot with water until just above three quarters of the pot. Bring to the boil. While you are waiting for the watery soup to come to the boil peel and chop up your carrots into rounds and place in the soup. Add the fresh and dried spices (except the rosemary). Take out the floating star anise, if you can see any. Peel and cube the butternut and add to the lamb ribs which should be starting to brown - Cover the ribs with the butter nut and add some garlic and season with salt. Continue to bake the butternut and lamb ribs until the butternut is tender and the ribs are well cooked. At the same time the soup should be boiling, turn down to a simmer and allow to reduce for about an hour. Then place the butternut and lamb and all the juices etc from the lamb dish into the soup pot and continue to simmer - cover the soup and taste. Add salt and skim off the oils on top with a large spoon. Add the rice noodles 10 minutes before serving. Stir and season then serve in Large soup bowls


Enjoy