Curried Green Lentil Soup

Wow, winter has officially taken over Switzerland. It's been snowing all weekend and freezing all day today. Not that I'd mind. I love cold weather and I love to indulge in cold weather food. Soups that is - to me. I was craving a soup with more substance that the usual vegetable soup and turned to food52.com - one of my favourite websites - for inspiration. 

Today's recipe is originally by Heidi Swanson from 101cookbooks.com and completes the soup with a curried brown butter and fried cubes of paneer. I chose to omit the cheese and instead of drizzling the soup with curried butter, I added the curry powder to the soup which gave it an Indian touch, turned it vegan and gave it a nice depth and warmth. It is super easy, with almost no prep time and incredibly warming and comforting.
Here's the link to the recipe: http://food52.com/recipes/33911-green-lentil-soup-with-curried-brown-butter

And here's my version of the recipe:

2 tablespoons butter, ghee or coconut oil (I used coconut oil to merge flavours)
1 large yellow onion
3 cloves of garlic (I omitted the garlic, as most of the time)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
5 1/2 cups (1375 ml) vegetable broth or water
1 1/2 cups green lentils (about 350 to 400g)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (if you go for the curried butter)
1 tablespoon Indian curry powder
1/2 cup (125ml) coconut milk
fine sea salt, to season

1) Chop the onion and garlic cloves, if using. Rinse the lentils.

2) Combine the coconut oil, onion, garlic and red pepper flakes in a large soup pot over medium heat, and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring here and there until the onions are soft.

3) Pour in the vegetable broth and add the lentils and simmer, covered, until the lentils are tender. Start checking after 20 minutes, but keeping mind that it may take as long as 50 minutes. Mine took about 35 minutes.

(4) While the lentils cook, heat the 3 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir it constantly with a rubber spatula until it starts to foam and brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and sauté until the mixture is very fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Set aside.)

4) When the lentils have finished cooking, take the pot off the heat and stir in the coconut milk, curry powder (if you're veganizing the soup) and 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt. 

5) Purée the soup using an immersion blender, or transfer it in batches to a blender of food processor. Add a little more salt to taste, if necessary.

(6) Stir in the curried butter and taste the soup for salt, adding more as needed. Serve the soup drizzled with the remaining curried butter and with cubes of pan-fried paneer, if you like.)

Serves: 4-5
Active preparation time: 5 minutes
Total preparation time: 40-45 minutes

Here's how mine looks:

The chili flakes add quite the punch even though the recipe only asks for 1/2 teaspoon so if you're not into hot food, take the chili down to 1/4 teaspoon. I normally am not a huge fan of hot food either, but today it hit the right spot with me. I love the earthy creaminess from the lentils, the depth from the chili and curry and the slightest sweetness from the coconut milk. This is not your typical soup and definitely serves as a whole meal because of the lentils, but it is simply perfect on a cold winter's night and beautiful comfort food.

Have fun trying!!

Tomato and Red Pepper Soup

So Switzerland has started cooling down a little bit, work started again today and I am in desperate need for some clean, healthy, easy and warming food. And since it's Monday I'll go for a vegetarian and vegan dish. I started following Louise Parker's instagram a while ago for all of the lovely food pics she posts. I have also been addicted to her oatbran porridge for breakfast and love trying new combinations with regards to the fruit I'm adding or a tablespoon of cocoa powder. 

She writes a blog on her website that has a ton of beautiful, clean and for the biggest part sugarfree recipes in it. 
So since her porridge is so warming and delicious, I figured why not give this soup a try?

Here's the recipe:

12 vine-ripened tomatoes
12 small peppers (I used five large red peppers)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 garlic clove (I omitted garlic, as always)
olive oil, for brushing the veggies
water or vegetable stock to thin

1) Preheat your oven to 170°C (340°F). Wash the tomatoes and peppers. Place them on a large baking tray, drizzle with some olive oil, then rub each tomato and pepper with the oil you've drizzled over individually. 

2) Place in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, but be careful to take the veggies out before the skin form the pepper burns. 

3) As soon as the veggies are warm enough to handle, transfer them to a saucepan (if hand-blending) or blender. I used a handheld blender and blend until smooth. Check the consistency. If you like your soup thinner, add water or vegetable stock until you've reached the desired consistency. Season to taste with more salt, pepper, dried chili flakes or tabasco.

Yield: a little over 2 liters, about 7 servings
Active preparation time: 15 minutes
Total preparation time: 35-45 minutes

Here's how it looks:

The first thing I love is the bright color, a mixture of orange and red that instantly light up my day. The flavor is nothing short - bright, vibrant, with a nice tang from the chili, sweetness from the tomatoes and a distinct note from the peppers which the roasting beautifully intensifies. And I love how easy this is!! It's nothing but one, two, three and you've got a healthy dinner. As I have a hand-held blender, I transferred everything to a saucepan to blend. 

Have fun trying and a happy, healthy new year to all of you!

Pumpkin, saffron and orange soup

Meat Free Monday. Three words, yet they can make such a difference. I know I've told you this before and I certainly don't want to judge you for making a different choice, but let's face it: meat is certainly healthy, but not if consumed daily in a huge amount. We've become a world full of meat eaters and we tend to forget about vegetables and fruit, grains and beans. If you're trying to put something vegetarian on the table just once a week, you're not only going to help reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, but you're giving yourself the opportunity to discover new recipes and new ingredients.

I have made it a habit eating soup for dinner. It's easy, it's fast and there are endless combination possibilities. Do you want your soup sweeter? Try carrot or sweet potato? Something heartier? Maybe broccoli and rocket sounds good that day. I know Halloween has passed, but that's not an excuse for me to forget about pumpkin. It is one of my absolute favorite winter vegetables. Whether it's in a salad, in a stew, in a soup, baked and puréed. Again, the possibilities are infinite. 

I was browsing websites lately and ended up on Yotam Ottolenghi's site. Normally, his recipes seem to be too much work with the tons of spices, so I was pleasantly surprised when I came across the following recipe for a pumpkin, saffron and orange soup. It is fast, yet offers a variety of flavours and is wonderfully creamy and satisfying - without the cream. 
Here's the link to the recipe: http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/recipes/soups/pumpkin-saffron-orange-soup-with-caramelised-pumpkin-seeds-shop

Here's my way:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion
550g pumpkin flesh
2 medium carrots
1 teaspoon saffron fronds
1 litre vegetable stock
2 teaspoons grated zest from 1 organic orange
(6 tablespoons crème fraîche)
salt and white pepper

Optional:
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
60g pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon golden syrup or maple syrup
1/2 tablespoon soft brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 big pinch cayenne pepper

1) Prepare the seeds first. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line an oven tray with baking paper and brush with sunflower oil. Put the pumpkin seeds and all the other ingredients in a bowl. Mix, then spread over the tray and bake for 12-15 minutes, until a nice, golden color. 

2) For the soup, cut the onion into cubes. Cut the pumpkin into 1-inch cubes. I used a Hokkaido pumpkin and used the skin, because it's the only pumpkin with edible skin. Peel the carrots, then cut them into medium slices. Grate the zest from the orange.

3) Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the onion, season and sauté for a minute, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally until soft and slightly golden.

4) Add the pumpkin and carrot and roast for 2 minutes, turning the heat to medium. Then add the saffron and the water or stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until the pumpkin and carrots are almost tender. Add the orange zest and simmer for five minutes longer. 

5) When the vegetables are cooked completely, purée the soup with a hand held blender. Add water or vegetable stock if the soup is too thick. Season to taste.

6) Serve with the roasted pumpkin seeds and crème fraîche. 

Serves: 6
Active preparation time: 10 minutes
Total preparation time: 40 minutes

Here's how my soup looks:

I only had very few seeds, because I forgot buying pumpkin seeds, but they were delicious in the soup and added a little crunch. But they didn't last until I took the picture. I didn't use the crème fraîche, because the pumpkin lends the soup more than enough creaminess. 

I particularly loved the depth the saffron adds. Pumpkin and carrots are slightly sweet, and the saffron balances the sweetness with its distinct, earthy flavor. The orange zest lends this soup a hint of fruitiness. 

Have fun trying and have a great week!

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Soup

I'm a little late for meat free monday, but this recipe serves as your meat free any day recipe just as well.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend and enjoyed some baking or cooking - or both! I definitely enjoyed my piece(s) of cake. The apple pie I already told you about and - as I couldn't decide on one cake - I devoured pieces of something else. I promise I will tell you about that second cake soon enough. But today's post is about Donna Hay's new latest book "The new easy". I bought it a while ago, but only got around to try some of the recipes this week. The soup I would like to introduce you to today is a great fall or winter soup. It is creamy, rich, comforting, warming, using fall produce and healthy at the same time! 
As always, omit the garlic if you want to or use less. This soup is easily made vegan by using vegetable stock and omitting the yoghurt. 

Here's the recipe:

1kg (35 oz) (1 large head) cauliflower 
1 400g (14 oz) can chickpeas
4 garlic cloves
4 sprigs of thyme
1 tablespoon lemon zest (zest of 1 medium organic lemon)
1 teaspoon cumin powder
60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
sea salt 
black pepper
1 potato
1.5l (6 cups) chicken or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon sumach
natural yoghurt, to serve

1) Preheat your oven to 200°C (395°F). Cut the cauliflower into florets. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Grate the zest from the lemon. Peel the garlic cloves.

2) Place the cauliflower florets, chickpeas, lemon zest, thyme and garlic cloves on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Season with salt, pepper and cumin, drizzle with the oil and toss to combine. Place the tray in the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

3) In the meantime, cut the potato into small cubes, place in a large saucepan with the stock and bring to the boil. Cook for 8 minutes, until the potato is soft. 

4) Add 2/3 to all of the cauliflower mix and cook for 1-2 minutes. Blend with a handheld blender until smooth. 

5) Serve the soup in bowls, add the cauliflower-chickpea-mix and a dollop of yoghurt and sprinkle with sumach. 

Yield: 2.5 litres soup (serves roughly 8)
Active preparation time: 15 minutes
Total prepration time: 50 minutes

Here's how mine looks:

I wanted a smooth soup for a change so I blended all of the cauliflower mix with the broth. I also ran out of potatoes, so I omitted them. And, of course, the garlic. My soup turned out rather thick, but feel free to add water until you reach your desired thickness.

What I love is the depth of flavor the roasting lends the cauliflower. This soup has a rich and earthy flavor that is balanced by a very light brightness from the lemon zest. It might not look so pretty because the color is less attention-catching than the bright red of a tomato. 
But this soup is the perfect warming treat on a grey and rainy, cold fall day. The chickpeas add protein to help keep you full and make the soup creamy without any added cream.

What I love is that the recipe works and is little work. A small trick like roasting the produce before blending it into soup adds a ton of flavor. 

Have fun trying and keep warm on these chilly fall days!

Creamy Mushroom and White Bean Soup

So, Switzerland decided it was time for winter... Or at least the temperature dropped quite a few bit these days, so I've been craving soup and soup and soup. I'm always on the hunt for new soup recipes, using different vegetables and continuously switching the ingredients or playing around with the texture, adding things so every soup is different and offering a ton of new things. 

The recipe comes from the donna hay magazine April/May 2013 issue. The recipe adds garlic croutons to the soup, which I omitted. I've told you about my slight aversion to garlic - not the taste but the smelly breath that comes with it. Don't let the rather long list of ingredients scare you. This soup is still super easy. 

I am trying to eat healthy, so cream is not on top of my list of ingredients at the moment. I've put the ingredients that are optional in brackets, so you can decide whether or not you want to use it. The soup won't lose creaminess when omitting the cream, because of the beans you're puréeing. 

By omitting the pouring cream and sour cream and using vegetable oil for frying and vegetable oil, this soup easily becomes vegan.

Here's the recipe:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon of butter

2 brown onions, chopped

(4 cloves garlic, crushed)

1 tablespoon thyme leaves

1 400g  can white (cannelloni) beans, drained and rinsed

30g dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated in 2 cups (500ml) boiling water

3 cups (750ml) chicken stock

(1/2 cup (125ml) single cream)

100g chestnut mushrooms

200g Swiss brown mushroom

(1/2 cup (120g) sour cream, to serve)

sea salt and cracked black pepper

garlic croutons

2 cups (140g) fresh sourdough breadcrumbs

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon thyme leaves

1 tablespoon olive oil

sea salt and cracked black pepper

1) Rehydrate the dried porcini mushroom in 500ml (2 cups) of boiling water and set aside for  about 30 minutes.

2) For the croutons, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). To make the croutons, place the breadcrumbs, garlic, thyme, olive oil and salt and pepper on a baking tray and toss to combine. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until crisp and golden. Set aside

3) Cut the fresh mushrooms in small cubes or quarter them. You'll add them to the soup so any size you like works fine. Chop the onions. Again, you're going to purée the soup so the onion doesn't have to be super fine. Drain and rinse the beans. That's all you need to prep.

4) Heat the oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and squeeze the garlic, if you're using it, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes or until softened. 

5) Add the thyme, beans, porcini mushrooms and liquid, stock, salt and pepper. Increase the heat to high and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 12-15 minutes or until thickened slightly. 

6) Add the cream, again if you're using it, and cook for a further minute. Using a hand-held blender, blend until smooth. Set aside and keep warm.

7) Melt the butter in a large, non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add the fresh mushrooms and cook, in batches, for 3-4 minutes or until golden and just cooked. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir through the soup.

8) Divide the soup between bowls. Stir through the mushrooms and top with the sour creams and croutons. 

Serves: 5 

Active preparation time: 15 minutes

Total preparation time: about 1 hour

Here's how mine looks:

This soup is wonderfully easy and beautifully deep in flavor. The porcini mushroom and their soaking liquid add a ton of flavour, the beans add creaminess and slightly balance the earthiness of the mushrooms. A good pinch of salt and pepper brings the flavors together. All that's left to do is curl up on the sofa and enjoy a bowl of the piping hot fall soup.

Have fun trying!

Pumpkin, Chorizo and Black Bean Soup

Okay, so it is not monday anymore and this recipe is not exactly vegetarian or vegan in its original form, but autumn is continuously coming upon us and I am craving soups and warm meals with that depth of flavor typical for autumnal and winter cuisine. 
This recipe uses pumpkin, one of my favorite fall vegetables and currently in season. The recipe is done in 30 minutes with only 15 minutes of prep, so it makes the perfect weeknight dinner.
The recipe comes from Donna Hay's website, so here is the link:
https://www.donnahay.com.au/recipes/fast-weeknights/pumpkin-chorizo-and-black-bean-soup

This is how it works:

1 tablespoon (or less) extra virgin olive oil
125g firm air-dried chorizo, thinly sliced (you can quarter thick slices to mimic croutons)
125g firm tofu (vegetarian option)
1 teaspoon of hot paprika powder (vegetarian option)
2 cloves or garlic, thinly sliced (I omitted the garlic, you know I don't like it very much)
400g tin tomatoes
500ml (2 cups) chicken stock (vegetable stock for vegetarian option)
500g Japanese pumpkin, peeled and chopped
sea salt and black pepper, to season
400g tin black beans

1) Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the chorizo (and garlic, if you're using it) and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes until golden and crisp. The chorizo burns easily because it has a lot of fat, so be careful. Remove from the pan and set aside.

1a) If you want to make the soup vegetarian, cut the tofu into small cubes and pan-fry for 3-4 minutes in olive oil to which you've added a teaspoon of hot paprika powder. Remove from the pan and set aside.

2) Add the tomatoes, stock, pumpkin, salt and pepper to the saucepan and cook for 12 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. 

3) Remove the pan from the heat and leave the mixture to cool slightly. Blend until smooth.

4) Return the soup to medium heat, add the black beans and cook until heated through.

5) Top with the chorizo (or tofu) and drizzle with extra oil to serve, if you like.

Servings: 4-6
Active preparation time: 15 minutes
Total preparation time: 30 minutes

Here's how it looks:

I like how bright and colorful this soup is. It hits you with a ton of different flavors, sweetness from the pumpkin, fruitiness from the tomatoes, a slightly earthy flavour from the beans and a nice hint of spiciness from the chorizo. You can use mild or hot chorizo depending on your liking. The black beans offers protein to balance the fat from the chorizo. 
This soup is ready in a breeze with very little prep and offers a great deal of comfort in a bowl. 

I didn't drizzle the soup with extra olive oil as I don't think a soup needs added fat. The chorizo adds a little fat and also much more flavour than regular olive oil. 

Have fun trying and fight the autumn blues with this bright dish!

Red Lentil Soup

It's official: the new year has started, it's back-to-work-week and the winter has finally reached Switzerland during the holidays as well. So I figured a soup would 1) be a great way to fight the chill after my way home and 2) help me get back to healthy yet satisfying eating habits. As you know, I am a reader of Gwyneth Paltrow's goop website. I don't follow her tips religiously, but I might take an idea here or there. And so I decided to try some of the recipes from this year's Detox newsletter instead of doing a whole cleanse. I simply don't have the time to get all that cooking in while working full-time. The first recipe I've tried is today's red lentil soup. I instantly liked the idea of brightening the earthy lentil flavour with lime juice and adding a spicy kick from ginger and curry. So here's the link to the recipe:
http://goop.com/recipes/red-lentil-soup/

And here's my step-by-step-guide.

1) Rinse 1 cup of red lentils and set aside. Cut 1 medium onion into fine slices. Mince 1 inch of ginger and slice two cloves of garlic. Mince 1 small handful cilantro stems. 

2) Heat two tablespoons of coconut oil (I substituted sunflower seed oil) in a saucepan over medium heat and sauté the onions for about 10 minutes until translucent and slightly brown.

3) Add the garlic, ginger, cilantro stems, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander and 1/2 teaspoon curry powder and sauté for two more minutes until fragrant.

4) Add the rinsed lentils and 4 cups of water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and let cook for about 20 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Gwyneth advises to stir frequently as the lentils tend to stick to the pot. Mine however didn't stick at all. 

5) Blend the soup, add the juice of 1 lime and check the seasoning. If you like your soup a little thinner, thin with water for reaching your desired consistency.

Active preparation time: about 10 minutes
Total preparation time: about 35 minutes
Serves: 3-4 (depending on the people you feed)

Here's what my soup looked like:

I really love the different flavours. It's what makes this soup interesting. The lime adds a beautiful zing that nicely balances the rather earthy flavour from the lentils. The curry and ginger add a little spiciness. This soup is well balanced without being boring and the creaminess makes it even more comforting. I served mine along some bread (which of course you wouldn't be allowed to have during detox week). 

I hope you are starting your new year in great spirits and have fun trying this warming treat!

Basic Lentil Soup

Soo, I finally managed to get some cooking in. That is not to say I didn't cook for the past few weeks, but most of it was designed to be quick and easy and was eaten before I could take a picture. So now, hopefully, I will get back to a more frequent routine in writing and cooking. Today's recipe is meat-free (as it is Monday, of course) and vegan. Switzerland has got a first taste of cold weather with chilly wind blowing and me freezing on the way to University, so I figured there's no better way to brave the cold than with a hot bowl of delicious soup. I was searching for new ideas and new soup recipes to try that differ form the basic vegetable-purée soup and I came across this recipe for a lentil soup, featured on goop. Here's the link: http://www.goop.com/journal/make/254/spilling-the-beans 
The recipe is the last one, on the very bottom of the issue.

A few notes to my version: I used beluga lentils as well as green puy lentils. Both are rather small and cook fast. They also won't break down while cooking but hold their shape really well, which I prefer. 

Serves: 4
Active preparation time: about 10 minutes
Total preparation time: 35 minutes 

Here's how my soup looks:

First of all, I love the simple fact that I had every ingredient at home and could start cooking right away. I always keep lentils at hand, as they make a perfect side or a satisfying meal on their own and are incredibly versatile. Secondly, I find this soup to be a great compromise. On the one hand it is a little creamy because you've pureed a little of it and on the other hand you've still got small bits of carrots, tomatoes and lentils in it. I finished my soup with a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar. The soup itself offers sweetness from the tomatoes and carrots, earthy, almost nutty flavors from the lentils, a little saltiness from the vegetable broth and just the right amount of acidity, if you add the vinegar. I hope you like it!

Have fun trying and enjoy!  

Corn Soup

Hi guys!

It's monday and I decided it was time for a vegan recipe again - or at least a vegetarian recipe that can go vegan in one step. Last week, I vowed to leave soups out of my nutrition until autumn and here is how far I got with that resolution: exactly one week. Although the weather is sunny and bright, I wanted some colour on my plate and I was craving corn. So today's recipe is a super easy corn soup using canned corn to make it as easy as possible and available year-round as I am not able to buy fresh corn at the moment. The recipe comes from a german food magazine and is available online for all those of you who speak german.  I altered it a bit, though. Here's the link: http://www.essen-und-trinken.de/rezept/231899/maissuppe.html

And here is my - slightly altered - version of the recipe:
1 medium onion
1/4 teaspoon dried chili flakes (optional)
2 340g cans corn, drained (leaves you with 570g of corn, 20 oz)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
800ml (3 + 1/4 cups; 26 fl.oz) vegetable stock
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt, pepper and sugar for seasoning

1) Chop the onion into small squares. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat and cook the onion along with the chili flakes for about 4 minutes or until noticeably softened, stirring a few times.

2) Add the corn and curry powder and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Turn the heat to medium and let simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.

3) Either transfer the soup to a blender or use a hand-held blender blend the soup until very fine. It will take some time as small chunks of pulp will tend to not blend as well. But with a little patience, you should be fine. 

4) Add the lemon juice and season with salt, pepper and about 2 pinches of sugar to taste. 

Serves: 4
Active preparation time: about 5 minutes
Total preparation time: 20 minutes

Here's what mine looks like:

  
Be careful when seasoning and taste along the way, because the curry and chili flakes might add spiciness that you are going to notice a little later instead of right the same moment. I love corn soup. It has something extremely comforting and homey to me and it involves one of my favorite vegetables. In comparison to the original recipe, I omitted cream and opted for a lot less olive oil to make the soup lighter without any flavour sacrifice, in my opinion. If you like your soups very creamy, feel free to add the cream (the recipe asks for 100ml or a little less than 1/2 cup). I wanted to keep the soup vegan and chose not to. 

Have fun trying and happy meat free monday to all!

Carrot, Coriander and Tahini Soup

Hi guys!

So it's monday and I want to make good on my promise from thursday and provide you with lots of new recipes the following weeks. As the weather is still rainy, stormy and cold in Switzerland, I was craving soup. Probably the last one of the season, but Donna Hay provided me with just the right recipe and I happened to have all the ingredients at home... The recipe is from the latest edition of the donna hay magazine and here it is:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 brown onion
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ground coriander (cilantro)
400g carrots
1 litre chicken stock (or vegetable stock to make it vegetarian)
sea salt and cracked black pepper
1 x 400g can chickpeas
1/4 cup (70g) tahini paste
greek-style natural yoghurt (optional)
shredded mint leaves and toasted bread, to serve

1) Chop the onion, peel and chop the carrots. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. 

2) Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and crushed garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes or until softened. Add the coriander and carrot and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.

3) Add the stock, salt and pepper and increase heat to high. Bring to the boil and cook for 10-12 minutes. Add the chickpeas and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.

4) Remove from the heat and stir through the tahini paste. Using a hand-held electric blender, blend until smooth.

5) Top with yoghurt and serve with mint and toasted bread.

Serves: 4-6
Active preparation time: 10 minutes
Total preparation time: 25 minutes
© Copyright: Donna Hay, donna hay magazine autumn (april/may 2013) , "what we're trying: tahini paste"

Here's how mine turned out:

I opted to make the soup vegan by omitting the yoghurt and, of course, using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. The soup is super easy to make and the added tahini paste and chickpeas make it more satisfying and richer than average carrot soup which I love as I don't crave food shortly after. Tastewise, the combination of the sweetness of the carrot blends beautifully with the earthy and a bit salty taste of tahini paste. The chickpeas make the soup deliciously creamy. I added quite a bit more water to thin the soup, but it's up to you and your personal preference to adjust the liquidity. 

Have fun trying and maybe you can enjoy better weather and warmer temperatures!

Honey-roasted parsnip soup

Hi guys!

It is monday so I absolutely wanted to make sure to give you a recipe for Meat Free Monday this week. The weather today was really cold so all I wanted for dinner was a plate of hot, steaming, deliciously creamy soup. I remembered a recipe for honey-roasted parsnip soup from a Donna Hay magazine issue I'd seen a while ago and I wanted to try it, so this is what I did for today.

Here's the link to the recipe: http://donnahay.realviewdigital.com/default.aspx?iid=36556&startpage=page0000107

And here's how it looks:

I took the liberty of making a few slight adjustments to the recipe to, in my opinion, enhance the taste. Donna Hay doesn't mention any seasoning other than honey for roasting, sour cream and fried sage leaves to serve, so I added salt and pepper to taste to begin with. I omitted the sour cream to make the soup a little healthier and opted for a few dashes of lemon juice. The reason for this is simple: if you have a rather sweet dish, you are always looking for some kind of acid component to balance the sweetness and punctuate it at the same time. That rule does not apple for baking, but any cooked meal works according to it. 

Other than that, I love this soup as it is luciously creamy and intense in flavour. The perfect comfort food for cold weather outside.

Have fun trying!

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Hi guys!

It is Monday again and as it is rather cold in Switzerland and snowing at the moment, I have been craving nothing more than a warming bowl of soup. Don't get me wrong, I am more of a winter than summer girl, but when it is cold I still love to cook warming soups and stews. I have already introduced you to another recipe for pumpkin soup, but while that one has a fiery and spicy taste, the following is creamy and sweet. It is from Donna Hay's "Fast fresh simple" and she has been cooking it on the accompanying tv show, so here's the link to recipe and video:
http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/recipes/15145/roasted-pumpkin-soup

This soup will need a little time as you have to allow the pumpkin to roast. Here are my steps:

1) Cut the butternut in half and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Place the onion on the tray as well. Salt the butternut and drizzle with olive oil.

2) Roast in the oven for about 1 hour until golden and caramelized. 

3) Scoop the pumpkin out of the skin and put in a blender or pot along with the onion, skin discarded. Add a cup of the broth and blend until smooth. 

4) Add the remaining broth and cream and stir until it is combined. Finish with salt and pepper to taste.

5) When serving, add a teaspoon of sour cream to the soup.

Active preparation time: 5 minutes (I am not joking)
Total preparation time: about 1 hour and 5 to 10 minutes.

Here's how mine looks:

As I already told you at the beginning, this soup is wonderfully sweet from the caramelization  happening when you roast the pumpkin as well as the added honey, but it should have been balanced with a nice pinch of salt and some pepper. The sour cream will, obviously, add creaminess and freshness to the soup. The flavours from roasting help to balance the sweetness as well as rounding the soup. To me, this roasted butternut squash soup is the best way to end a cold day. 

Have fun trying!

Beetroot Soup

Hi guys!

It's monday and as it is still snowing outside and rather cold, I have been cooking another soup favourite of mine: Beetroot Soup. My mum made this soup a couple of years ago and I've loved it ever since. I don't have any recipe, but rather work it up the same I do with every vegetable soup.

Here's the recipe:

500g (17.6 oz) beetroot (about 600g (21 oz) unpeeled)
1l (4 cups; 32 fl. oz) vegetable stock
1 onion
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
crème fraîche, to serve
balsamic vinegar, to serve

1) Peel and cut the beetroot in about 1cm (1/2 inch) pieces. Cut the onion in small pieces.

2) Heat the oil over medium heat and add the onions. Cook the onion for about 5 minutes until softened and a little brown. Add the beetroot and cook for another 5 minutes until starting to soften.

3) Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 20 minutes or until the beetroot is soft.

4) Blend the soup with a kitchen machine or hand blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper .

5) To serve, add a teaspoon of crème fraîche and a little balsamic vinegar to each bowl or plate. 

Serves: 4
Active preparation time: 10 minutes
Total preparation time: about 30 minutes

Here's how mine turned out:

I love the earthy sweetness from the beetroot in combination with creamy crème fraîche and the acidity of the balsamic vinegar which adds another level to the different flavours. If you are looking for something out of the ordinary and are willing to try a soup that is different and effectful, you want to give this a try for sure. 

Anyways, have fun trying!

Sweet Potato Soup

Hi guys!

It's meat free Monday and I have finally found the time to cook something again. As the weather is still cold and not too nice I decided to go for a soup and add a little seasonal twist. I still had some sweet potatoes I wanted to use in a curry, but as they were the only vegetables around, I decided in their favour. The recipe is not from any cook book - I use the same amounts of vegetables in relation to broth every time and add spices depending on my mood. 

Here's the recipe:

500g (17.6 oz) sweet potatoes, peeled 
1l (4 cups; 32 fl.oz) vegetable stock
1 onion
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
cinnamon powder
salt and pepper to season
100ml (little less than 1/2 cup) orange juice

1) Cut the onion into pieces. Peel the sweet potato and cut it in 1/2 inch (1cm) pieces. 

2) Heat the olive oil over medium high heat and add the onion. Cook for about 4 minutes until softened. Add the sweet potato cubes and cook for about 10 minutes until they start to brown. 

3) Add the warm vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes or until soft. 

4) Blend the soup in a blender or use a hand-held blender. Add the orange juice. Season with salt, pepper and cinnamon to your liking. 

Serves: 4
Active preparation time: 15 minutes
Total preparation time: 45 minutes

Here's how it looks:

I added orange juice because it goes great with sweet potato as it nicely contrasts the sweetness of the potato with its acidity. Cinnamon is a typical christmas spice and brings spiciness and an unexpected moment to the soup. Salt and pepper will help round the soup.

Have fun trying! 

Celery-Pear-Soup

Hi guys!

I don't know how the weather has been with you, but Switzerland has definetely seen better days. It is foggy the whole day with no sunshine coming through and pretty cold, so I've been in the mood for warming, comfy food mostly. Soups are a big part of my diet in autumn and winter and I love trying new things and new combinations. Soups are easy and fast to cook and provide you with a lot of vitamins from the vegetables. I first came upon the combination of celery and pear when it was served in a restaurant close by and I was smitten with the taste. The celery makes a great, earthy and slightly peppery base while the pear adds sweetness and a little acidity. Whether you enjoy it as a cream soup or plain without added cream, this soup is surprising and pleasing. Here's the recipe:

1 bulb root celery (about 750g (1 1/2 lb; 24 oz); you want to end up with 500g (1 lb; 16 oz) once peeled)
1 to 2 pears (about 400g (14 oz); (300g (10.5 oz) peeled))
1 l (4 cups; 32 fl.oz) vegetable stock
1 onion
Olive oil
lemon, juice, pepper and salt to season

1) Peel the root celery and cut into pieces (about 1,5 cm (1/2 inch) wide). Peel the pear and cut into small pieces. Dice the onion.

2) Heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Sautée the onion for 4-5 minutes until soft, then add the diced root celery and pear and cook for about 5 minutes. 

3) Add the vegetable stock, bring to the boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, uncovered. 

4) Blend the soup with a hand-held blender or kitchen machine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the soup is rather thick, add water until it has reached your desired consistency.

Serves: 4
Active preparation time: 15 minutes
Total preparation time: 45 minutes

Here's how it looks:

The soup is creamy in texture even without any added cream. I like it best without cream, but I certainly know people who love their soup with cream. You could also add a dollop of crème fraîche to it before serving. This soup combines different flavours beautifully: a peppery, earthy note from the celery, rich sweetness from the pear, salt, lemon juice and pepper to complete the circle. 

I hope you are going to like it as much as I do.

Have fun trying and happy Thanksgiving!

Lentil-Tomato-Soup

Hi guys!

Monday indicates it's time for another meat free recipe to give you all an idea on how tasty vegetarian or vegan meal options can be. Today's recipe comes from Heidi Swanson's 101 cookbooks blog. The blog is one of my go-to spots for healthy and tasty (you don't need to compromise here!) recipes. I really am in the mood for some comfort food as the weather has been bringing a lot of rain lately. 

Here's the link to the recipe:
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/lively-up-yourself-lentil-soup-recipe.html

Here's how mine turned out:

I used black Beluga lentils. They are pricier than the average green lentil, but they hold their shape nicely and have a great taste. What I love about this recipe is the great combination the tomatoes and lentils make. I personally would have never thought of combining these two, except for in a chili con carne recipe. But while the tomatoes bring a nice sweetness and fruitiness, the lentils add earthy flavor. This soup makes the perfect recipe for a rainy day out or a fast, comforting dinner.

Have fun trying!

White Bean Soup

Hi guys!

It's Monday and time for something meat-free. Autumn is in full swing bringing the first cool nights and mornings and I love nothing more than to come home to a hot bowl of soup. I wanted to try the following recipe for some time, but the recipe felt more autumn or winter-appropriate to me so I kept the recipe. It is a white bean soup from Gwyneth Paltrow's book "Notes from my Kitchen Tables". 

Here's the recipe:

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 fennel bulb, stems and fronds removed, bulb thinly sliced
1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
pinch crushed chillies
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 410g (14.5 oz) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1l (32 fl. oz; 4 cups) vegetable stock
coarse salt

1) Slice the fennel bulb, onion and garlic. Rinse the beans. 

2) Heat the olive oil in a large heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the fennel and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onion and garlic, turn the heat as low as it can go, and cook for half an hour, stirring here and there. A little colour is okay, but you really want the vegetables to get soft and sweet.

3) Add the crushed chillies, oregano and pepper and cook for a minute. Add the beans and stock, bring to the boil, lower to a simmer, add salt to taste and let cook on low heat for 1 hour. 

Serves: 4
Active preparation time: 30 minutes
Total preparation time: 2 hours
© Copyright: Gwyneth Paltrow, "Notes from my Kitchen Table", p. 58

Here's how mine turned out:

I had to turn the heat up a bit while cooking the onions, because if you turn the heat as low as it goes, there's not much happening in your pot... I love this soup. The vegetable stock will add a lot of saltiness to the recipe already - if you're using instant stock that is. The onions turn wonderfully soft and sweet and the fennel adds depth to the flavour. An added bonus is that beans are rich in protein and very low in fat. 

Have fun trying and stay warm!

Butternut Squash Soup

Hi guys!

As autumn is approaching fast, I have a good excuse to dive into recipes for soups. Soups are incredibly versatile and can be much more than the average vegetable cream soup. A little twist like spices, another added vegetable or maybe a little bit of cheese can make a big difference. This twist is exactly what I love about the recipe I'll introduce you to today. The butternut squash soup comes from Gwyneth Paltrow's "Notes from my Kitchen Table" and gets its twist from garam masala or a classic curry powder.

Here's the recipe:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large onions, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garam masala or your favourite curry powder
1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
1l (4 cups; 32 fl. oz) vegetable stock, warmed

1) Heat the olive oil and butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 10 minutes, or until beginning to soften. 

2) Add the salt, pepper and garam masala and cook for another 2 minutes.

3) Add the squash and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour the stock into the pot - if it doesn't cover the squash, add some boiling water. Bring to the boil, lower to a simmer and cook until the squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.

4) Let it cool for at least 15 minutes and then purée it in batches in a blender. Be very careful when blending hot liquids. Start slowly and work in batches if necessary. Pour back into the pot, gently heat, season with salt and serve. 

Serves: 4
Active preparation time: 30 minutes
Total preparation time: 1 hours and 10 minutes
© Copyright: Gwyneth Paltrow, "Notes from my Kitchen Table", p. 48

Here's how it looks:

I love this soup because it is so warming and comforting - especially once the weather gets cooler and more uncomfortable. The squash adds a velvety texture to the soup and sweetness while the garam masala spices things up and keeps it interesting. I like to do a mix of garam masala and a strong curry powder. 

Have fun trying and warm up!

Carrot-Orange-Ginger-Soup

Hi guys!

It's monday so time for a meat free recipe. I am a big soup lover. I think there's nothing as versatile and rich in possible combinations as vegetable soup. You can use whatever vegetable you like and add spices to give it a twist and brighten things up. Today's recipe is my own idea. I got the idea while scanning through cook books looking for an idea on changing things with my mum's classic carrot soup. There's nothing wrong with her version, but I wanted to make it more interesting by adding other ingredients that would complement the sweetness of the carrot. As I love ginger, I started adding ginger to the mix and when I saw a recipe for and orange-carrot soup I figured orange would bring a nice freshness.

Here's the recipe:

500g (16 oz; 1lb) carrots 
1 onion or 2 scallions
25g (3/4 oz) ginger
about 10g (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, for greasing the saucepan
500ml (2 cups: 16 fl.oz; 1 pint) vegetable stock
100ml (3.25 fl.oz; a little less than 1/2 cup) orange juice

1) Peel the onion and roughly chop it or slice the scallions. Peel the carrots and cut them into  0.5cm slices (about 1/4 inch wide). Grate the ginger.

2) Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, ginger and onion and roast until the carrots start to caramelize. 

3) Add the warm vegetable stock and orange juice. Bring to the boil, turn the heat to medium and cook for about 15 minutes or until the carrot is cooked. 

4) Blend the soup with a handheld blender. If the soup is very thick, thin it with water until the consistency is to your liking. 

Serves: 3
Active preparation time: 10 minutes
Total preparation time: 25 minutes

Here's how it looks:

I love that the soup is done in no time. It offers a variety of flavors, the sweet from the carrot, spicy from the ginger and fruitiness as well as a little acidity from the orange which makes it very interesting. This soup is perfect to serve as a warming winter treat, but it is not heavy at all so it's suitable for summer as well. 

Have fun trying!