SNAPSHOT - North African Carrot Soup with Chermoulla

RECIPE HERE

French onion soup

In Spring I glimpse the year.
Some days are cloaked in Winter's frosty chill, and others bask in Summer's skin-tingling warmth or mild Autumn breezes; and then there is the typical Spring day of humid heat with drizzles of both clear sunshine and warm rain. All of these days can be found within Spring's domain.
This week has had me reaching for porcelain bowls to ladle luscious, steaming soups into their snow-white bellies. Sometimes a soup may feel a little sylphlike and need a some added heartiness. For me, thick slices of fluffy bread smothered in bubbling golden-edged cheese do just that.

ease: 4/5.
prep time: 15mins.
cooking time: 1hour & 20mins.
total: 1hour & 35mins.

taste: 4/5. Great for warming the coldest cockles.

I love a hearty soup so I let this simmer down until it became like a drizzling caramel in thickness. The onion bring a savoury sweetness that is mellowed beautifully by the salty, gooey cheese and subtle bread. DO NOT skip the cheese toasts, it truly is what harmonises this simple soup.

My soup took longer than 20mins to reduce to my desired level of thickness, I also used vegetable stock rather and doubled the butter. The original recipe is linked below.
*Gluten-free if you use a gluten-free bread

would I make it again: Yes.


recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/French-Onion-Soup-1858

Parsnip soup with pecans & feta

Between turns of the page is where I have abided for the past week.
My eyes have devoured millions of words and my fingertips brushed the corners of countless pages during this phase of my bibliophilia. There is one drawback to reading so many books in such a short period, I often find myself too absorbed in some character's world to bother making anything other than a snack to settle the howling wolves of my stomach. After a few night's eating toast or porridge for dinner I decided enough was enough and that I needed a good, nourishing meal instead. Thus enters a large bowl of soup...

ease: 4/5.
prep time: 15mins.
cooking time: 50mins.
total: 1hour & 5mins.

taste: 4/5. Sweet, creamy parnsip with salty feta and nutty pecans = delightful.

The feta is what makes this dish, without it the parsnip soup would have been too sweet for me, but with the cheese it was wonderfully balanced. The soup is thick and velvety and all together satisfying.

would I make it again: Yes.

recipe: http://cookingquest.wordpress.com/2008/12/11/parsnip-soup-with-toasted-pecans-and-feta/

Zucchini soup

I seem to have hit the proverbial peak.

I feel as though my energy is slowly tumbling down the hill headed for the inevitable burned-out ditch. May is bursting at the seams; all of the events struggling to remain within the hessian sack as I carry it from room to room, day by day. The gentler Birthdays get shoved below as Mother's Day elbows its way to the top; it likes attention. The work-related tasks sit heavy at the bottom, like lumps of coal, they know they'll get their turn regardless of where they lay, their weight ensures that - as no one wants to drag them around for long.

At eight days in, the sack hardly feels lighter. With 3 birthdays, 1 Mother's Day split into 2, and an extended family BBQ still to go, this month is a little overstuffed. Couple that with more work (thanks for the dive Mr Stockmarket), and a new time-intensive side project I'm feeling a little thin around the edges.

It's times like these that previously enjoyable activities, like cooking, suddenly begin to look like chores. Just when I was reaching for the take-out folder my mother stopped by with a bowl of soup. A nicely warm, clover-green zucchini soup. She wanted me to take some photographs, and I in turn got dinner, a pretty good trade if you ask me...

As I didn't make it, I won't be rating it but I will try to explain it's flavour...
If I had to describe its taste I would say it's simply zucchini - this soup is soft and subtle with the delicate mild grassiness of the zucchini intertwined with luscious cream. There is a background sweetness bestowed by the onions and garlic but they merely strum quietly in the background. Zucchini is one of those vegetables, that when cast alongside others it blossoms, but if given sole responsibility for the flavour of a dish it tends to shy away. I thoroughly enjoyed this while I ate it, but a day later its taste eluded me, like a message washed from the sand by the surge of the ocean. Perhaps someone can better describe what zucchini soup tastes like...

recipe: Zucchini soup

Silky butternut squash & parmesan soup

Breathe in.....breathe out....

My mind focuses only on my breath as I lead with my hips into downward dog. Breathe in, breathe out. The hour skipped by so quickly that I felt my feet barely touched the mat. Despite its fleetingness I feel peacefully energised and centred; exactly what I was hoping for. My body slipped into the poses effortlessly, as if it had been waiting patiently for this day to come.
Yoga is something I have always wanted to do, but never did. Fast paced boxing classes or energetic dance classes would always win out, I thought high-energy, calorie-burning exercise would be better for my body. It's only after being told by many that calming activities would benefit me greatly right now that I finally took the long-overdue step. I am glad I did. I needed this change. Yoga helped me to release some of the weight, to breathe again. I didn't realise I had been holding my breath since he passed away; it felt good to exhale some of the pain.

On the way home I stopped past my grandmother's house with the last piece of the pear, ginger & treacle cake. We chatted and she remarked that I looked better. I felt better, I told her. Arriving home I put on my favourite apron, played the Amelie soundtrack (my cooking music) and began to make something to feed my hungry body. As my knife carved into the orange flesh I heard a faint whisper from my tear-stained heart...thank you...

You're welcome.

ease: 5/5.
prep time: 5mins.
cooking time: 50mins.
total: 55mins.

taste: 4.5/5. Simple and splendid - it's squash-tastic.

As far as butternut squash or pumpkin soups go, this is my favourite. The fact that it's so easy to make and uses so few ingredients just adds to its appeal.
The soup has a gorgeous silky texture, but as I prefer my soups a little thicker, I increased the butternut by 40% the next time I made it as you can see in the second photo. It was lovely both ways - the latter being slightly sweeter due to the extra caramelised butternut. I'd say my ideal texture lies in the middle, perhaps 20% extra butternut...

The parmesan adds a great cheesy saltiness to the dish without competing with the butter nut- this really is all about the vegetable, as it should be.

The sweating stage took around 15mins for me, rather than 5mins. 

would I make it again: Yes, I have already made it twice, I can see it will become a cold-weather staple.

recipe: Silky butternut squash & parmesan soup

Potato & parmesan soup with parsley pesto

Winter would not be right without potato soup.

I love soup. As a child I especially loved my mother's potato and leek soup which came a close second to my grandmother's Faki (lentil soup). The upside of potato soup is that it is luxuriously smooth and a blessing when your teeth are painfully tender from yet another tightening of metallic braces. I've made quite a lot of different potato soups, some lovely, some a little boring.
What caught my eye with this recipe was the addition of Parmesan as well as a parsley pesto.

Even my soup-hating husband will try a bowl of potato soup so here's another one.

ease: 4.5/5. I hate peeling and grating.
prep time: 18mins (to get soup on the stove and to make the pesto).
cooking time: 25mins.
total: 42mins.

taste: 3/5. Hubby rated it a 3.5 but it was much too thin for me. I would reduce the milk by at least 250-500ml as it makes the soup powdery and water thin. Thankfully the parsley pesto thickened it up a bit and added much needed flavour. The Parmesan was lost in the soup but came through the pesto really sharp and salty. DO NOT eat it without the pesto, it would be boring. This easily serves 6.

would I make it again: No - I've made nicer potato soups.

recipe: Potato & parmesan soup with parsley pesto from donna hay magazine, entertaining, issue 46

Broccoli & potato soup with cheese & bacon

Oh Sun, why do you have to rush out on me, taking your light with you like a cape around your shoulders. Apologies for the photos, but I have not yet purchased a flash for moments where my meals arrive past sunset.

For those of us who trudged back to work today, at least we were given glorious weather which goes miles in brightening moods.

Every moment possible I would step outside to just sit and bask in the sun's warmth; after work was done and dusted I grabbed a new book to read whilst I listened to the birds and felt the sunshine in my hair.

Nibbling on gooey, chocolate cupcakes baked and brought over by friends for fun-filled hours of Pictionary, Wii & Peggle my mind strayed to what I should make tonight for dinner. I was left with 1 head of broccoli from an Easter dish I made, as well as a few potatoes that missed out on being mashed. Despite the warm weather I felt like moulding myself to the pillows on my couch, with a nice bowl of soup in my lap whilst I watched episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm with Ryan and Yoshi.

As the sun began to tuck itself in for a good night's sleep, I closed my book, wandered inside, and pulled out a big stock pot to make big bowls of restorative, warm soup.


ease: 4/5.
prep time: 10mins.
cooking time: 40mins.
total: 50mins.

taste: 4/5. I halved everything except the cheese - thick, goopy soup that fills you stomach and warms you up. I pureed the soup as I prefer a smooth, velvety texture. I didn't sprinkle the bacon on mine to make it vegetarian.

would I make it again: Yes.

recipe: http://www.spotsfordates.com/01/2009/updates/broccoli-potato-soup-with-cheese-and-bacon

Red lentil soup

I love lentils.

My favourite soup is Fakes - a Greek soup made with brown lentils. I also love all other variations of lentils. My husband, on the other hand, is not a fan. I have made him slurp a few spoonfuls of fakes but apart from that he steers clear as most he can. Which is why I have a feeling he won't be receiving tonight's dinner with open arms.

When I came across this soup I was happy; I am hoping the coconut milk and sun dried tomatoes might show him lentils in a whole new light; a flattering light that enhances their curves and makes him want to eat them all up. Fingers crossed :).


ease: 5/5.
prep time: 10mins.
cooking time: 40mins.
total: 50mins.

taste: 3.5/5. Initially I received a 'this looks like crap' and then 1minute later another shout out - 'hold on, it's actually nice'. Finally - my husband likes lentil soup. I on the other hand found it a little thick (I did add an extra 1/4c sun dried tomatoes and I used whole lentils). I was also a little disappointed in how little the coconut came through.
I would definitely add an extra 250ml of coconut milk next time which would also help to thin it out and increase the coconut flavour which I love.

would I make it again: Yes - with some modifications.

recipe: http://web.mac.com/marciaskitchen/Site/Red_Lentil_Soup.html

Truffle & white bean soup

"There are two types of people who eat truffles: those who think truffles are good because they are dear and those who know they are dear because they are good."
J.L. Vaudoyer

I remember the first time my tongue tasted truffle. It was at Jacques Reymond in Melbourne, and my husband (first time I said husband, yikes) and I were partaking in our first degustation. I had no idea what was coming and I enjoyed not knowing.
And then, a small bowl of earthy brown soup arrived. Mushroom, I thought. I placed the spoon in my mouth and my eyes widened. Something strange, an all consuming flavour that I had never tasted before. It is a weird feeling to eat something and not know what it is. I had no idea what this flavour could be and it drove me to ask the waiter. Truffle soup madame. Truffles. I had heard about them, but had never been curious to try them. Oh how I had missed out. I loved truffles at first taste. And ever since I am always trying to eat them.

As fresh truffles are a little exxy I compromised (for now) by buying some truffle salt and white truffle oil. Ever since buying the white truffle oil I have been searching for ways to use it. As one of my guests tonight loves soup it all seemed to work out perfectly.

ease: 3/5.
prep time: 10mins.
cooking time:35mins.
total: 45mins.

taste: 4/5. Once again I made a lot of adaptations as this recipe is time consuming and a little difficult:

• I used canned cannellini beans, around 240g
• I added the beans, veg and stock (only 1.5L) immediately, I excluded the pancetta
• I used 1/2tsp of each of the herbs, dried
  
• I cooked it for 15mins before removing the veggies and adding the sweated shallots
• I then added the cream and cooked for an additional 15mins
• I blended the soup and added some truffle oil - I did not pass it through a sieve as it was already extremely runny

Everyone enjoyed this (dad asked for the recipe, then remembered I have a *website thingy*).
The truffle oil worked well with the tasty, maybe a little thin, soup. It definitely does not need salting.

would I make it again: Yes - I would add more beans next time though to thicken it up. It would probably be tastier with the pancetta but then I wouldn't be able to eat it - perhaps sprinkle some on top?

recipe: http://www.nordljus.co.uk/en/truffle-white-bean-soup

Butternut & apple soup with sage parmesan bread

The weather didn't get as warm as I would have liked today, but the sun still shone well after 8:30pm. As a recent 'New years clean' has left my house feeling fresh and pleasant to be in I thought I'd spend some time cooking a time consuming meal.

I love pumpkin soup and at first I wasn't sure if Butternut squash was the same as butternut pumpkin but I decided to use butternut pumpkin to make this recipe. Everyone that commented was excited about the combination of butternut squash and apples, I was also, that is until I tasted the final product.

ease: 3/5. Time consuming and decent amount of washing up.
prep time: 30mins to chop all the veggies and roast the ones in the oven.
cooking time: 40mins to cook all ingredients combine, make bread and to blend soup.
total: 1hour & 10mins (I never include the time it takes to preheat the oven as everyone oven is different.)

\taste: 1.5/5. Yuk. I couldn't even eat half and I was hungry. I am pretty sure it was the apple that ruined it as well as the apple cider as the soup had a really sharp, bitey tang that did not compliment the creamy pumpkin. No on liked this. I couldn't taste the sage either.

would I make it again: HELL NO.

recipe: http://ourchocolateshavings.blogspot.com/2008/11/butternut-squash-and-apple-soup-with.html

Chicken in Basil & Coconut Broth

3 cups coconut cream
3 cups chicken stock
2 tbs shredded ginger
2 red chillies, seeded and chopped
1 tbs fish sauce
3 fresh coriander roots
3 chicken breast fillets, sliced
1 cup shredded basil
100g bean sprouts

Place coconut cream, chicken stock, ginger, chillies, fish sauce and coriander in a large frying pan over medium heat and bring to a slow boil. Allow broth to simmer for 5mins.
Add the chicken and stir. Cook for 5mins or until chicken is cooked. Stir through basil. Pile bean sprouts into a bowl and top with chicken and broth. Serves 4.

Ease: 4.5/5. Not much hands on cooking. Ready quickly as well.
prep time: 8mins to get ingredients ready and first lot into pan.
cooking time: 10mins. 5 for broth and then 5 for chicken - depending on how thinly you slice.
Total: 18mins. Really quick and not a lot of mess.

Taste: 3.5/5. I add two small diced potatoes in the beginning and they cook in the 10mins, it bulks up the soup. I also do not include the coriander as I cannot stand it. I halved the recipe this time, but when I have made it before the soup is thicker than pictured, really creamy and tasty.

Would I make it again: Yes. Made it twice already.

Dad's Pumpkin Soup

Dad brought over a pumpkin soup he made, and although I was skeptical, it was really yummy - nice and creamy and not overpowering. Good job Daddy.
He has also brought over a couple of his Tiramisu desserts - also very delish. I shall take a pic the next time around.

Tuscan Bean Soup with Crunchy Croutons

Winter is the season for soups. And croutons are the best part of soups. After a long, nerve wracking day I wanted to cook something super duper quick and easy with minimal mess. This is the recipe for that.

Some Facts About BEANS:

• Beans were an important alternative source of protein throughout old and new world history, and still are today.
• Some kinds of raw beans and especially red and kidney beans, contain a harmful toxin (the lectin Phytohaemagglutinin) that must be destroyed by cooking.

EASE: 5/5.This is the quickest recipe I have come across, with the Chicken Pasta Bake a close second.
Prep Time: 5mins.
Cooking Time: 10mins.
TOTAL: 15mins. Minimal prep, and you boil the soup and bake the croutons at the same time.

TASTE: 4/5. I used dried thyme, which was a little strong, would use less next time. I used. Vegeta Stock which is a little too salty for this dish. Otherwise it has a great texture. I ripped up turkish pide for the croutons and I grated some Grana Padano on top.

Would I make again: Yes. So quick and easy - will be used on those nights you want something filling but want it fast.

Recipe: http://realliving.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=408247

Pumpkin Soup

Peter, Peter, pumpkin-eater,

Had a wife and couldn't keep her;
He put her in a pumpkin shell,
And there he kept her very well.

Pumpkin Soup is a classic really - but something I have never cooked before. Whilst I love my mum's pumpkin soup I wanted to try something different; I chose Gourmet Traveler's Pumpkin Soup, as it was different to other soups with the addition of tomatoes and rice - I am assuming the rice is a thickening agent. I can already foretell it may not turn out great as I have halved the recipe - which I don't think will benefit this particular recipe, but we will see how it goes.

Some Facts About PUMPKIN:

• The word pumpkin originates from the word “pepon” which is Greek for “large melon.”
• In America, the carved pumpkin was first associated with the harvest season in general, long before it became an emblem of Halloween.
• Pumpkin growers often compete to see whose pumpkins are the most massive. Festivals are often dedicated to the pumpkin and these competitions.

Ease: 3.5/5. Cutting the vegetables is the only real time consuming part - other than that you leave it simmering on the stove before hand-blending in the pot and then stirring through some cream. At the 30min mark I was unimpressed to find the rice had burnt on the bottom - had to switch pots which means more cleaning - not happy Jan.
Prep: 20mins.
Cooking Time: 30-40mins.
Total: Around 1hour.

Taste: 2/5. The texture was very gelatinous, more like a pumpkin mash rather than a soup. It was very sweet and I could not taste the herbs at all. The texture was also very grainy and sticky. I didn't mind the flavour but it was not the best pumpkin soup I have had. Ryan absolutely hated it, which is why I have scored it a 2, rather than 2.5.

Would I make it again: No. Will probably just make mum's pumpkin soup in the future. In future if the Gourmet Traveler recipe is worth repeating I will type it out so you can try it as well.

Tomato Soup with Chicken Dumplings

Ease: 4/5. Chicken dumplings were a bit fiddly.

Taste: 3.5/5. Spicy, consistency was a little weird.

Would I make again: No - chunky tomato soup is not to my taste

Recipe here: http://realliving.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=110721

Potato, Garlic & Spinach Soup

Last night I made Potato, Garlic & Spinach Soup from an issue of Gourmet Traveller.

Ease: 4/5 - pretty easy - not much time to prep and you just leave it on the stove. Probably took around 30mins all up.

Taste: 3.5/5 - it was a little spicy for me with the paprika but otherwise a good, hearty soup.

Would I make it again: Yes - one of the soup recipes I will keep for future use.