two-layer tomato-brocoli soup

Ingredients:

1st layer

1/2 cup chopped oinion
1 cup chopped carrots
1/4 cup chopped potato
500 g/1 lbs ripe red tomatoes-chopped
1 tsp butter
1 stick cinnamon
4-5 peppercorns
2-5 cloves
1 tsp tomato ketchup
1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper or to taste
1/3 tsp sugar, or to taste

2ND Layer(topping)
2 tsp butter, 1/2 cup chopped broccoli
1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper

Method:

1. Melt 1 tsp butter in a deep pan. Add cinnamon, peppercorns & cloves. Stir for 30 seconds.
2. Add chopped onion, carrot and potato. Stir till potato starts to change colour.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add 4 cups of water. Add salt, sugar and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Strain and reserve the liquid as well as the solids in the strainer.
5. Blend the solids to a smooth puree. Mix the strained liquid with the puree to get a thick soup.
6. Reheat the soup in a saucepan. Add ketchup. Check salt, pepper. Add more if required. Keep aside.
7.From the topping, in a sperated pan heat 2 tsp butter, add chopped broccoli, saute for 2 minutes. Add 1/4 tsp salt, pepper and 3/4 cup water. Give one boil. Remove from heat.Cool and blend in a mixer to a smooth thick puree. Add 1 tbsp water. Keep aside.
8. To serve, separately reheat the tomato soup and the broccoli topping to a boil. Pour the prepared tomato soup in serving bowls. Swirl 2 tbsp of hot broccoli topping over the tomato soup in each bowl. Serve immediately.

french onion soup

Ingredients:





3 tbsp butter

1 onion- sliced very finely( 1cup)

2 flakes garlic- crushed

1 1/2 tbsp flour, salt to taste

black pepper powder to taste

4 cups stock



Stock:



2 carrots- chopped roughly

1 onion- chopped roughly

3 bay leaves

5-7 peppercorns

4-6 cups water



Cheese Toast for Topping:



5 tbsp grated cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp mustard powder

2 garlic bread slices or 1 slice of bread- toasted



Method:



1. To prepare the stock, boil all ingredients of the stock with 4 cups water. Cook covered for 10-15 minutes on low heat. Let it cool. Strain through a sieve. Keep the clear stock aside.

2. Heat butter in a clean, heavy bottomed deep pan. Fry the onions and garlic over a moderately low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until well browned. Do not let the onions burn.

3. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute on low heat.

4. Add the stock gradually, stirring continuously. Boil.

5. Add salt and pepper, and simmer for 5 minutes. Keep soup aside.

6. For cheese toast, mix the mustard powder and cheese together in a small bowl. Spread over the toasted garlic bread slices or regular bread. Grill the toasted slices in the hot oven for 2-3 minutes. Cut each garlic bread into 2 pieces or regular bread into 4 squares.

7. Serve steaming hot soup with one piece of cheese toast floating on top in each serving.

sweet corn vegetable soup

Ingredients:



2 cup cream-style sweet corn,caned


5 cups stock/broth/water



1/2 tbsp oil



3/4 cups finelly chopped carrot



1/4 cups finelly chopped cabbage



3-5 green beans-finelly chopped



1/4 tsp green chilli sause



1/4 tsp red chilli sause



1/4 tbsp vineger



1/4 pepper



1/4 level salt, or to taste



1/4 tsp sugar, or to taste



2 tsp light soya sause



3 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in1 cup of water



method:


1.Mix cream -style corn with 4 1/2 cups water in a deep pan. Bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minites.

2.Add chilli sauses and viniger.Simmer for 1-2 minites.

3.Meanwhile heat 1 tbsp oil in a non stick pan, add the vegetables.saute for1 minite.Add the sauteed vegetables to the simmering soup.Simmer for 1 minite

4.Add salt, surgar and pepper to the soup.

5.add corn stach paste and cook for 2-3 minutes till the soup thickens. Add just a little soya sauce, taking care not to discoulour soup . Serve Hot.

Minestrone

serves 4-5

a good soup for a cold day

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil or any cooking oil
1/4 onion -finlly chopped
1 and a 1/2 flakes garlic-crushed
1 and a 1/2-diced into small peices[1 cup]
1/2 smal potato-diced into small peices[1/4 a cup]
4 tbsp finlly chopped celerey
1 and 1/2 medium sized tomatos blanched, peeled and chopped finlly
1/4 cup shell pastha or any small pasta
5 cups stock or 5 cups water mixed with 2 soup/stock cubes, see note
3 tbsp baked beans,[optional] refer to note. use salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. to blanche the tomatoes, put them in water for 3-4 minutes. Remove the water and peel them to remove the skin. Chop them finely and you can also blanche them in the microwave in a bowl without water, for 4 minutes, keep aside.
2. Heat oil, add onion and garlic. Stir fry until light brown.
3. Add carrots and potatoes and stir fry for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add diced chicken, macaroni. Stir for 1-2 minutes.
5. Add celery and blanched tomtoes. Cook 2-3 minutes.
6. Add stock and baked beans. Bring to boil. Lower heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix well.
7. Serve hot, ganished with some grated cheese.

Note:

for chicken minestrone, half a cup of diced boneless chicken can be used instead of small pasta.
Instead of homemade chicken stock 5 cups water and 2 chicken cubes and be used. Do not add any salt, if using soup cubes as they already contain salt. Taste at the end and adjust salt to taste.
The left over baked beans can be stored in a clean stainless steel or plastic container in the freezer.

tom yum soup

Serves 4

Try this thai food

ingredients:

Paste[crush together]

1/3 tsp red chili flakes

1/2 tsp chopped garlic

1/3 tsp chopped ginger

1/2 tsp salt

Other ingredients

1/2 tbsp oil

2 1/2 cups water and one stock cube- crushed

1" peice of ginger- finely cut or into paper thin slices

3 kaffir lime leaves shredded

1/4 stock of lemon grass cut into thin slices diagonlly

1 to 2 baby corns cut into paper thin slices

1/4 cup tiney flowets of broccoli

1/2 small carrot cut into paper thin slices

2 fresh or dried red chillies sliced

3 tbsp of lemon juice

2 tsp of light soya sauce

1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 2 tsp sugar

Method:

1. prepare the paste by crushing all the ingredients under paste list

2. in a deep pan heat 1 tbsp oil add the above paste lime leaves and lemon grass, mix well

3. add water, sliced ginger, baby corn slices, soup or stock cubes

after boil keep on low heat for 5 minutes.

4. reduce heat. add soya sauce salt and pepper to taste.

5. add mushroom, carrots, boccoli and red chili. Boil for 2 minutes on medium flame. add lemon juice. pour into individual bowls and serve hot.