Pad Thai Soup

This is a light yet filling soup that is quick to prepare and full of flavour. With a few switches it is easily adaptable to a vegetarian dish. I omit the crushed peanuts as I don’t like them.  Served with steamed rice it is a filling and healthy meal.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 egg
• 1 small skinless chicken breast thinly sliced
• 1 litre  low sodium chicken stock
• 200 grams rice noodles (pad Thai noodles)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sriracha sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, crushed
• 1/4 cup spring onions
• 1 teaspoon crushed red chilli or 1 fresh chilli finely chopped
• 1 cup baby spinach leaves

Preparation

• In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the garlic and stir. Add the egg and cook until softly scrambled. Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned, for about 3 minutes.
• Add the stock, then add the noodles, soy sauce, sriracha sauce and fish sauce.  Cook until noodles have softened for about 5 minutes. Add spinach and stir through.
• Serve topped with peanuts, spring onions and chilli.

Adapted from http://domesticfits.com/2012/10/22/pad-thai-soup/

Cream of Cauliflower Soup – Four Ways

I used to make this soup on the stove top, microwave or pressure cooker. Now I have an awesome Thermomix machine in my life it’s the only way I prepare this beautiful soup. it is so thick and creamy. This recipe is very similar to Neil Perry’s Rockpool Cream Cauliflower soup with a little flavour twist. I have given you all four methods of preparing this delicious soup. . It is quick and easy to make and all the flavour is retained.  By substituting vegetable stock for the chicken stock  this becomes a vegetarian dish. Serve this hearty soup with fresh bread or croutons and garnish with chopped parsley.

Ingredients

• 1 cauliflower roughly chopped (remove main core)
• 2 onions chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1 teaspoon of curry powder
• 25 grams (25 mls) olive oil
• 25 grams unsalted butter
• 900 grams (900 mls)  of chicken stock
• Salt and pepper
• 50 grams (4 tablespoons) of cream
• 15 grams (2 teaspoons)  Dijon mustard
• 50g parmesan cheese, finely grated

 

Preparation

Thermomix

• Cut cheese into cubes, place in mixing bowl and blitz 10 seconds/Speed 9.
• Remove cheese and reserve for later (no need to wash bowl).
• Place garlic cloves and onion in mixing bowl and blitz 5 seconds/Speed 6.
• Add oil, butter, salt, pepper, curry powder to mixing bowl and sauté for 3 minutes/100C/Speed 1.
• Add cauliflower and cook  6 minutes/100C/Speed 1 until florets are soft and golden.
• Add stock and cook for 10 minutes/100C/Speed 1. Place MC over the hole and process 10 seconds/Speed 9 or until very smooth.
• Stir in cream and mustard and cheese and cook for 1 minute/ 80C/Speed 1.
• If soup is too thick, add more stock to give the desired consistency.
• Season with salt and pepper.

Electric pressure cooker

• Set cooker to sauté function.
• Add butter, oil, onions and garlic and stir until onions are softened.
• Add curry powder and stir for another minute.
• Add cauliflower and chicken stock.
• Set cooker to low pressure setting.
• Cook for 15 minutes.
• Release pressure.
• Blend soup with a stick blender.
• Add cream, Dijon mustard, cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

Microwave

• Melt butter for 1 minute in a large microwave proof bowl
• Add onions and garlic and stir.
• Microwave on high for 2 minutes and then add curry powder and stir again.
• Add cauliflower and chicken stock.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a plate and cook on high for 15 minutes or until cauliflower is soft.
• Blend soup with a stick blender.
• Add cream,  Dijon mustard, cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

Stove top

• Using a large sauce pan, melt butter over a medium heat until it melts.
• Add onions and garlic and stir until onions soften.
• Add curry powder and stir for another minute.
• Add cauliflower, and chicken stock.
• Bring soup to the boil and lower heat to a simmer.
• Put a lid on the sauce pan and simmer for 30 minutes or until cauliflower is cooked through.
• Blend soup with a stick blender.
• Add cream, Dijon mustard, cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

I haven’t met a soup I don’t like yet.. It’s one of my favourite meals. This is such a simple recipe and yet it is so tasty. I like to garnish it with homemade croutons or thinly sliced mushrooms and finely chopped spring onions and chilli…. For a luxury touch add a spoon of sour cream or natural yoghurt… Delicious!

Serves 4

4                    

Ingredients

• 50 grams butter
• 1 small onion diced
• 10 mushrooms chopped
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 litre chicken stock
• Salt and pepper
• Milk to taste

Preparation

• Melt butter in a saucepan and add onion and fry gently for 5 minutes
• Add mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes
• Sprinkle in flour and cook for a further minute
• Add the stock and stir well
• Bring the soup to the boil, stirring until thickened
• Add salt and pepper to taste and simmer gently for 5 minutes
• Blend the soup and add milk to taste.