Category: Soup

by Veggie Sutra

Cold asparagus soup with pan-fried asparagus heads

I read about Bea Johnson’s Zero Waste Home a while back in the New York Times and I am ashamed to admit that while I was super inspired by her waste free living, I did not follow through with it for more than a week or two perhaps.  It is hard when our lives and schedules are dictated by packaged conveniences in every walk.  This week, the Sunnyvale City invited Bea over for a talk and seeing her in person inspired me once again to try to follow her principles of waste-free living.  Bea brought the entirely of her family’s trash in a small flip-top bottle and I was blown away!

V and I are pretty good about not wasting food.  But then if that food comes in any kind of packaging it is still pretty wasteful.  We buy our staples like rice and lentils in plastic packaging, as well as other stuff like crackers, snacks, nuts and so on.  We buy some drinks like club soda in plastic bottles.  Sometimes we buy washed salad greens in clamshell plastic boxes or plastic bags.  It is really amazing to just note how much plastic we throw away each week apart from what we obsessively recycle.  We definitely will make a conscious effort to reduce our footprint and buy stuff in bulk.   And for those interested in tips and ways to live a zero waste living, do follow Bea on zerowastehome.com.

Speaking of using packaged stuff, we had a 2.2lb bag of asparagus that we got from Costco a week or so back.  Well, no point throwing it away just because we got it in plastic packaging.  Usually my go-to recipe for asparagus is to simply roast it in the oven with a little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper.  But the last couple of days in the Bay Area were a true anomaly with temps reaching in the high 100s.   And it did not cool off even in the evening as it typically does.  Uff!!  With climate change, I wonder if this is the new normal we need to get adjusted to.   I was loathe to turn on the oven, so I quickly prepared a cold soup early in the day and put it in the refrigerator.

 

 

Recipe for Cold Asparagus Soup with Pan-fried Asparagus Tips

[Printable Recipe]

Serves 6 for dinner with a side

Ingredients:

  • Approx. 1 kg / 2.2 lbs of asparagus spears
  • 2-3 medium potatoes
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 4-5 basil leaves
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • salt and pepper as needed
  • 4 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
  • water as needed

Method:

  • Wash the asparagus.  Trim the tough ends of the asparagus and discard.  Save the heads from about half the asparagus and cut the rest in to bite-sized pieces
  • Wash and cube the potatoes
  • Bring water to a boil in a large pot (enough the submerge the potatoes and asparagus).  Add some salt.
  • Put the potatoes in first for about 8 mins until the potatoes can be pierced with a knife
  • Then throw in the asparagus pieces except the saved heads for about 8 mins until asparagus is soft.  Switch off the heat.  Drain the asparagus and potatoes and cool
  • While the potatoes and asparagus are cooking, peel and chop the onion roughly.  Smash the garlic, peel and chop.
  • Add about 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan and when it is hot, add the saved asparagus heads and fry until slightly browned.  Remove with a slotted spoon and save
  • Add the onion to the same pan and saute until golden brown.  Let it cool.
  • In a powerful blender, blend together the cooked potatoes and asparagus, sauted onions, raw garlic and basil leaves with milk.  Add water if needed and add salt and pepper to taste
  • Pour the soup in to serving bowl and mix in the shredded Parmesan cheese and refrigerate
  • After it has cooled, serve in bowls topped with a few of the reserved asparagus heads

 

 

On a warm day, this cold soup can be served with a side of oven-toasted crusty bread or a nice bruschetta.  Yesterday, as the mercury refused to budge even in the evening, I just prepared a simple raw radish salad with pesto dressing to supplement the soup.  As we sat outside in the backyard trying to cool off on this unusually warm Bay Area evening, climate change and resource waste definitely came up in the dinner table conversation topics.  Perhaps if we all lived a zero-waste life, we would not be feeling climate change to this extent in our life time.

by Veggie Sutra

Vegan Sauerkraut Soup

Spring is here in California!   Golden yellow poppies, the gorgeous state flower, are blooming everywhere and wildflowers are having a wild season this year due to the heavy winter rains after years of drought.   Meanwhile my leg is still healing and I have barely ventured for a walk in to my neighborhood to enjoy the burst of color in everyone’s gardens.  V has promised to take me on a drive this coming weekend.  Keeping fingers crossed for a sunny weekend, as it has started raining again.

On the kitchen front, this year has been about keeping recipes simple, and ingredient lists minimal – a direct influence of our awesome trip to Italy over the holidays.  V and I learnt to appreciate and relish each ingredient for its quality and freshness.  Keeping this in mind, we continue on with Veggie Sutra’s series on brassicas.   This time, the series features the humble cabbage, the most iconic of all cruciferous vegetables.

 

 

Sauerkraut, or sour cabbage or fermented cabbage is itself very simple to make, and a fermented staple in many parts of the world. Cabbage.  Salt.  Time.  That’s all it takes.  In our earlier series on Fermentation, we posted a foolproof recipe for making sauerkraut.   The recipe was inspired by the basic technique for fermenting any vegetable from Sandor Katz’s “The Art of Fermentation“.

Sauerkraut has become a staple in our kitchen, just like lemon pickle is a staple in any South Indian kitchen.  Aside from eating it as a side at any meal, you can stuff a sandwich with sauerkraut or even make a warm steamed broccoli salad which will totally hit the spot in this gloomy, rainy weather.   And so will the warm chunky sauerkraut soup we made last weekend.

 

 

Sauerkraut soup is popular in eastern European cuisine.  Poland, Ukraine, Slovakia and even Germany, each have their versions of sauerkraut or cabbage soup. All of them, as far as I have seen, call for adding some meat to the soup, and some heavy cream at the end (presumably to dull the sourness).  I have left the meat and the cream out to create a totally vegan version of the recipe, but feel free to add cream or coconut cream at the end.

Recipe for Vegan Sauerkraut Soup

[Printable Recipe]

Inspired by the traditional Polish recipe for “Kapusniak” gleaned from various websites

Serves 5 generously

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 medium potatoes cut in to large cubes
  • 4 medium carrots cut in to large pieces
  • 2 cups tightly packed sauerkraut (home-made or store-bought), juice reserved

Method:

  • Heat the oil in a pot and add the cumin seeds
  • When the cumin seeds are fragrant, add the onion and saute until translucent on medium heat
  • Add the minced garlic and sauce for a minute
  • Add the potatoes, and carrots and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil
  • Lower the heat, close with a lid and simmer for around 7 to 10 minutes until the potatoes and carrots are cooked
  • Add the sauerkraut and some of the reserved juice (depending on how salty/sour you want it to be)
  • Add some more water if the soup is too thick
  • Close with a lid and again simmer for around 5 minutes and turn off the heat
  • (Optionally add heavy cream or coconut cream to the soup at the end if you do not like it too sour).

 

 

 

Sauerkraut soup with some crusty bread is all you need for a hearty, healthy meal.   Heating the sauerkraut will destroy some of its probiotic benefits, but all the other wonderful nutritional benefits remain. So, ladle in to a bowl and slurp it up!

by Veggie Sutra

A Perfect Fall Soup: Roasted Red Bell Pepper and Yam Soup

We had our first chilly fall weekend in Northern California today!  It felt like the perfect weather for a warming fall soup and I found just the one I wanted to make in Mildreds: The Vegetarian Cookbook, a gift from V.  The book contains recipes from the London restaurant of the same name and it is a complete treat to browse through.  A couple of weekends back, I made the stuffed baby eggplants from the same book, and it turned out very nice!  For today’s lunch, I picked the brightly-colored roasted red pepper soup.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper and Yam Soup

Lemon and other citrus trees are a standard part of the landscape in most Bay Area backyards and even some front yards.  Even though we use the lemons for everything from cooking to cleaning, I have never made use of the leaves from the tree. This recipe intrigued me also because it makes use of lemon leaves.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper and Yam Soup

Recipe for Roasted Red Pepper and Yam Soup
Adapted from Mildreds: The Vegetarian Cookbook‘s recipe for Thai-spiced Roasted Red Pepper, Sweet Potato, Ginger & Coconut Milk Soup
[Printable Recipe]

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium red bell peppers
  • 2 small or 1 large purple yam
  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 tsp Fennel Seed (you can find this at your local ethnic Indian grocery store)
  • 2-3 Thai chili peppers or serrano peppers, chopped (Thai chili peppers are spicier, use serrano or jalapeno peppers if you want a milder taste.  Alternately use 2 more chilies if you like it spicy.)
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 4-5 lemon or lime leaves, ribs removed and finely sliced
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • A pinch cumin powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Roast the red pepper and yam simultaneously in the oven while you saute the remaining ingredients for the soup.  Instructions given separately below for each, but the timings will overlap, so read through first.
  • Roast the red bell peppers:
    • Pre-heat over to 400F
    • Brush the outside of the bell pepper generously and thoroughly with olive oil or coconut oil and place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil
    • Bake for around 20 mins on the lower rack closest to the coils turning the bell pepper once or twice to char evenly (You may need to bake for a little longer as some of the instructions call for as long as 40 mins, but mine was done at 20 mins)
    • Pull the tray out using oven mitts and take the peppers out carefully with a pair of tongs and place inside a brown paper bag placed on top of a plate and close the bag tightly by folding the ends 
    • Let it sit for 30 mins or so while you saute the onions etc.  
    • After 30 mins or so, tear the paper bag open, and make sure the peppers are cool enough to touch.  Discard the paper bag and set the peppers back on the plate
    • It should be very easy to peel away the skin now.  Also, get rid of as many seeds as possible from inside the pepper. You will be left with just the flesh and a bit of liquid on the plate
  • Roast the yams:
    • Cut the yam in to 2 inch chunks and place on a baking sheet 
    • While roasting the red bell pepper on the bottom rack, place the yam on the top rack
    • After 20 mins insert a knife and check if the yam is mushy, if not bake for 10 more minutes on the bottom rack 
    • Cool and peel the yam
  • Saute the other ingredients:
    • Heat 2 Tbsp of coconut oil in a pan on medium or low heat
    • When hot, add the fennel seeds
    • When fragrant, add the green chilies, garlic, and lemon leaves
    • After 2-3 mins when the garlic is fragrant, add the chopped onion and saute for 6-7 mins on medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent
    • Add the ginger and coconut milk and heat through for a couple of minutes and switch off
Roasted and peeled red peppers in the blender,waiting for the yam to cool
  • Blend the soup:
    • Puree all ingredients until smooth adding cumin powder, salt and pepper to taste.  I used my Blendtec but any high-powered blender or immersion blender will do the job
    • Serve with a side of crusty garlic bread
Roasted Red Bell Pepper and Yam Soup
If you find the soup to be too sweet for your taste, try using Yukon Gold potatoes instead of yams. The lemon leaves added a fresh citrus-y scent to the soup without the tartness.  I have to find more recipes which make use of the leaves.   
Oh by the way, did you notice the beautiful soup spoons with the peacock pattern?  They are a gift from V’s sister.  Aren’t they lovely?
Soup spoons with peacock pattern, a gift from V’s sister
On our long hike on one of the many Bay Area mountains this weekend, it felt cool and comfortable throughout, and finally it felt like the Goldilocks weather than the Bay Area is known for is back. Now keeping fingers and toes crossed for rains to come soon.   I bet all our lemon trees could use a good sprinkling this season!
by Veggie Sutra

A Super Bowl Recipe – Root Vegetable Chili

V is always slightly miffed that I am not that in to Super Bowl as he is (other than the ads and the half time show, of course!)   So this year, I decided to show my passion by cooking up a Super Bowl, a nutrient-rich, hearty, yummy chili with seasonal root vegetables.  Perfect for a late game day lunch!

Super Bowl- A root vegetable chili

I have been eyeing the amazing variety of root vegetables available at our farmer’s market this season and have been wondering how to make use of all the goodness.

Root Vegetables at the Sunnyvale Farmer’s Market

So I filled up my basket with golden beets, regular beets, rutabaga, turnips, watermelon radishes, black spanish radishes and good old carrots.

My basket from the farmer’s market filled with beets, turnips, carrots, radishes and rutabaga

The chili seemed like a great idea, a little bit of spiciness to balance the sweetness of the roots.  I used “harissa” to add the kick to the recipe.  It adds a unique flavor to the chili.  I bought a jar at Whole Foods.  You can also buy it online.  Or better still you can make your own with this wonderful recipe from one of my favorite food blogs: Smitten Kitchen.

Root Vegetable Chili for lunch on Super Bowl day

Here’s the recipe, without further ado.

Recipe for Root Vegetable Chili
[Printable Recipe]

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dried beans, like chick peas and kidney beans
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 4 cloves
  • 1 piece cinnamon about 1 inch long 
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 medium bell pepper, chopped
  • A medley of 6 or 7 seasonal root vegetables (one each of beet, turnip, carrot, radish, rutabaga, potato, etc.), chopped in to bite-sized pieces to yield about 3 cups
  • 2 Tbsp harissa or chili paste
  • 2-3 sprigs of cilantro, chopped 
  • 2-3 sprigs of spring onion, chopped
  • Full-fat Yogurt for garnish (leave out for vegan option)
Chopped Root Vegetables
Method:
  • Soak the beans for a full day.  Change the water out a couple of times if needed
  • Cook the beans in a pressure cooker or simmer on the stove until the beans are soft and set aside
  • Heat the oil in a pot.  When the oil is hot, add the aromatics: cumin seeds, fennel seeds, dried oregano, cloves, cinnamon stick and bay leaves
  • After a couple of minutes when you can smell the spices, add the garlic, chopped onion and bell pepper and saute for 5-7 minutes
  • Add the root vegetables.   Add 1/4th cup of water.  Switch to low heat, close with a lid and cook for around 15 minutes until the vegetables are cooked
  • Add the cooked beans and harissa and heat through
  • Garnish with chopped cilantro and spring onion
  • Serve with a dollop of yogurt on top

Root Vegetable Chili

Hearty, healthy and absolutely yummy, this stew was our late lunch on Super Bowl day!  What did you have?

by Veggie Sutra

Super Bowl – Root Vegetable Chili

It’s Super Bowl tomorrow!  And I have planned a super bowl chili tomorrow for lunch – filled with the goodness of root vegetables I got from the farmer’s market today.

Carrots, Beets, Golden Beets, Turnips, Rutabaga, Black Spanish Radishes, Watermelon Radishes are what will go.   (By the way, beet greens are delicious.  Do not throw them away.  Wash, chop and cook with some cumin in ghee and chopped tomatoes.  Add salt to taste. Yummy!)

My basket filled with root vegetables

Recipe to be posted tomorrow.