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

CREAM OF ROASTED TOMATO SOUP

 INGREDIENTS
a bag or 2 of tomatoes (1kg or more)
a handful of fresh basil leaves
1 large onion (roughly chopped)
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
pinch or 2 of Salt
olive oil
a dash of balsamic vinegar (if you like)
1 tub (250ml) fresh cream

METHOD

Wash your tomatoes and then slice in half or if very large in quarters. Place them in a large roasting dish/ one they can comfortably fit in. Drizzle with olive oil and a dash of balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle over your chopped up onion, basil and then your sugar and salt. Place in the oven on the middle rack and roast at 180 degrees Celsius stirring occasionally until nicely soft and roasted through and your roasting dish is brown and sticky.
Place all of the contents of the roasting dish in a nice sized pot and blend with a blender stick adding a little hot water to the dish from the oven and then pouring it into the pot. Blend some more until smooth. Add almost the whole tub of cream (keep a tiny bit for garnishing). Stir in the cream and warm on the stove top until hot and steaming. Pour into bowls and accompany with toast or fresh bread.

Garnish with a drizzle of cream and a fresh basil leaf or some grated cheese. Serve and enjoy.

Butternut Soup for the soul

Good for summer or winter as a nice pick me up.

BUTTERNUT SOUP

Ingredients

2 medium butternuts

2 medium onions

2 garlic cloves

a glug of olive oil

chicken or vegetable liquid stock or stock cubes/powder

Boiling water

Method

Peel and cube the butternut and place in a large oven roasting pan.

Peel and dice the onion and mix in with the butternut.

Peel the 2 garlic cloves and place whole in amongst the butternut and onion.

Drizzle a bit of olive oil or sun flower oil over the butternut mix and place in the middle of the oven to roast at 190 celcius

Leave to roast for approx. 40 min to an hour or more if needed- checking more frequently near the end and stir a little so browning occurs all around.

Take out when nicely browned

Put the Butternut and liquid stock (or boiling water and stock cubes/powder) in a blender in batches and blend until smooth.

Keep repeating the above step until all is done

Put into a medium pot

Add more stock or boiling water until you have the desired thickness.Make sure if doesn't get to salty with to much stock then rather just add boiling water at the end.

Season with a little salt and pepper to taste

Pour in a little cream - roughly 50 - 100ml and stir.

Keep warm on a very low heat and stir frequently.

Spoon into bowls and pour a little cream on top in a swirling pattern

Add roasted pumpkin seeds as a garnish if desired

Serve with Cripsy fresh bread or toast

Enjoy :) Betty Bake

 

 

chicken noodle sproodle soup

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

2 x medium onions (roughly chopped)
3 or 4 x celery stalks/sticks with leaves
4 x chicken thighs (i use woolworths free range/hormone free)
5 x medium/large carrots - peeled and chopped
half a small butternut - peeled and cubed
1 garlic clove (optional)
3 fresh basil leaves
chicken liquid stock or stock cubes/powder
10 small cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
100g noodles
salt and pepper to taste
water

Place the chopped onions in a large pot and fry in some olive oil until light brown. season with a little salt. Add the chopped celery and fry until soft. Now season the chicken with salt &  pepper all over the skin of the thigh and place in the pot, skin side facing down. Fry until brown. Then turn chicken over and brown the underneath.Fill the pot up with cold water and add the peeled and chopped carrots, garlic and basil. Bring the water to a boil. turn down the temp and leave to boil slowly for roughly 15 - 20 min. Add the butternut and chicken stock and season to taste. Carefully take the chicken out and discard the skin and bones and break up the meat and return it to the pot. Add the cherry tomatoes and noodles. Simmer the soup for 10 min and season with more stock and salt until you reach the desired flavor. You can boil the soup for longer to make the flavor stronger and to let some of the water evaporate. Simmer for upto 40 min.

Serve with toast in nice big bowls

:) Betty Bake