Beet soup

I wanted to have a soup for lunch, and a quick audit of the fridge threw up only two slightly sad looking beets. Necessity is the mother of invention, and this awesome soup resulted.

2 beetroots

1/2 cup curds

1 tsp garlic paste

Salt and pepper to taste

Cream cheese for garnish

Method:

Roughly chop the beetroots and steam them for 10 minutes. 

Blend beetroots, curds and garlic paste till you get a smooth consistency. Add water to get the desired thickness. 

Bring the blend to boil, with salt and pepper

Sprinkle with cream cheese or feta cheese before serving. 

Creamy sweet corn soup

When winter is here, can soups be far behind. This was something I made while the chicken was simmering away on the other burner. The proportions are for 4 soup bowls- you need to reduce or increase quantities proportionally for different amounts.

2 packets peeled corn
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp chopped celery
2 tbsp chopped spring onions/ onions
1 tbsp butter
4 cups water or 2 cup warm milk + 2 cup water or 4 cups veg stock
½ tbsp corn flour dissolved in 2 tbsp water
4 tbsp shredded boiled chicken, optional
Salt to taste

Method:
Steam the corn for 5 minutes. Keep aside 1/3 cup corn, and blend the rest, with water to a smooth paste.
Heat butter, add onions, and saute till transparent.
Add celery, and toss around till the aroma is released.
Add the ground corn, and the water/ water+ milk/ veg stock. Bring to a boil.
Add black pepper, salt and the reserved corn kernels. Stir and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Add the shredded boiled chicken, if desired.
Add cornflour paste, and simmer for 2 more minutes till the soup thickens.

Serve hot.

Almond Pea Soup

I saw a picture of Almond pea soup, and wanted to have it right away. Unfortunately, the recipe was not forthcoming, so I had to trawl the Internet to get ideas. This recipe is taken from here and there, but ultimately has been adapted to my taste.

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh peas
Onion chopped 1
Garlic chopped 2 cloves
Butter 2tbsp
Water 5 cups
Salt to taste
Black pepper 1tsp
Almond soaked and thinly sliced 14
Lemon juice. 1tsp
Fresh cream 1/4 cup
 
 Method:
Heat butter in a medium thick pan or in a pressure cooker. Add garlic and onion sauté till translucent.

Add peas and stir for 2 minutes and add water. Add peppercorns and almonds (keep 2 aside for garnish). Close the lid and pressure cook till 2 whistles. Let the pressure releases itself. 

Cool and after keeping a few peas aside for garnish, blend the mixture. Strain the mixture and put it back on fire and bring to a boil.

Add cream, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice and the peas that were kept aside. You can add a cup of milk if do not want to use cream. Cool till thick or the required consistency acquired.

Remove from fire and serve hot garnished with few almond slices. 

Fresh dill and potato soup

Fresh dill and potato was one of my favourite dishes during my teen years. In fact, if you press me, I'd probably say it was my most favourite dish of all. My mother had seen the recipe in a magazine, and saved it even though she never even knew what dill was. Then on a chance trip to the market, she sighted these different looking greens, and couldn't believe her luck when the vendor told her it was dill. What made the dish extra wonderful was the fact that one could never predict when one would get it, because even in season, you didn't always find dill!
Here then it is- the dish I had when I came home after taking my Maths Board Exams- a wholesome meal in a bowl- Dill Soup.

5 large potatoes, peeled and diced
2 medium onions , chopped
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
3tbs chopped dil
3tbs curds
2 tbs butter

Method
Cook potatoes and onions in 4 cups water with salt till just tender
Add milk,caraway seeds,diland salt and pepper to taste
Simmer for 15 mins till potatoes crumble a bit
Add curds and butter. Heat well. Do not boil
Serve hot.

Creamy mushroom soup

A few times last year, I made soup and bread for dinner, and it worked much better than I'd anticipated it would. So this year, I am planning to make "soup and bread" once a week at home. This is my first attempt at making a soup which all of us love- mushroom soup- but which I have never been brave enough to try.

1 tsp cornflour mixed with ¼ cup milk

3/4 cup chopped mushrooms

1/2 tsp dried oregano
salt to taste

For the paste:
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 cup milk

Method:
For the paste:
Combine the mushrooms and milk and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
Cool and blend in a mixer to a coarse paste. Keep aside.


Heat a non-stick pan, add the ground paste, mushrooms and 2½ cups of water and simmer for a few minutes.
Add the cornflour-milk mixture, oregano and salt and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes or till the mixture thickens.
Serve hot, with breadsticks.