The wintry weather is well and truly upon us, and what better way to warm up than with a home made soup. That's right, step away from the can. Our local foodie Barb Lowery makes it easy with these tips & recipes from today's Food Goss segment.
Soup-er tips: A good, flavoursome stock base is essential. Stocks are so easy to make. But the trick is to make the stock a day or two ahead. Then you are ready to go and most soups can be made quickly in time for dinner.
Ready-prepared stocks: A great invention, but Barb says your soup will taste different and lack a complex flavour and velvety texture. If you must use commercial stock, choose a can of clear chicken broth from an Asian supermarket. Some commercial stocks in long-life packs can be very salty, but you can get low salt versions.
Don't add flour. You end up with a flavour that's not as clean on the palate. Lots of vegetables will thicken a soup naturally when you puree it. If you prefer a chunky soup, go for pasta, noodles, rice, lentils or pearl couscous.
Barb's 10 minute REAL Chicken Noodle Soup: Far better in flavour than any canned or powdered version. Bring chicken stock to the boil and add broken fine egg noodles (vermicelli) and simmer for a few minutes. Then add chopped chicken fillet, chopped chives or long green onions and chopped flat leaf parsley and simmer until chicken is tender.
Tired of Pumpkin soup? Try these versions... Use pumpkin, onion and garlic as a base then - add ras-el-hanout. Puree soup then garnish with thick yoghurt and pumpkin seeds - add a chopped Granny Smith apple and a spoonful of red curry paste - add Thai flavours such as kaffir lime leaves, chopped fresh ginger and chopped coriander stalks. Cook the soup then puree. Sir in coconut cream or coconut milk. Reheat soup and top with shredded coriander.
Won Ton Soup: Pick up a packet of frozen won tons from an Asian store. Use prawn or chicken stock, add finely chopped lemon grass, ginger, coriander roots, shredded kaffir lime leaves and sliced red chilli and simmer 10 minutes. Throw in partly thawed prawn and pork won tons and simmer until tender. Add fresh coriander leaves and enjoy. To accompany your soup... try pita crisps, mini pappadams, corn chips or parmesan wafers.