Creamy courgette, mint and pea soup

This amazingly simple and super creamy soup is inspired by one of my own favourite food blogs Green Kitchen Stories. I am sure you have heard of them and if not make sure you check them out. Amazingly creative people.

I have tired to make mint pea soup before and failed miserably. The courgette and the coconut milk add such a creamy texture that I will never again try any other recipe.

I think you could easily replace the mint for spinach perhaps even upping the amount to two handfuls.

I recently found out that peas contain a large amount of protein. Yippee for vegetarians! Also peas contain so called phytonutrients that guard again cancer through their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Another benefit is tier low GI profile, meaning they won't spike your sugar level,  and lead you to sugar cravings. Instead they will elongate your blood sugar level to keep you full longer.

Anyone can throw this soup together, all you need is:

1/2 tbsp coconut oil
1 courgette, chopped into dices
300 grams frozen peas (or fresh if your lucky enough to find)
handful of fresh mint leaves (I plucked 5 stalks)
1 veggie stock cube
sale and pepper to taste
1 tinned coconut milk
1 medium sized yellow onion, chopped into cubes
optional - 1/3 chili, chopped
250 grams water

1. Fry the chopped chili and diced onion in the coconut oil for a few minutes, until the onion gets soft and shiny. The add the courgette and give it a little fry, just to bring out its flavour and soften it up a bit. 
2. Now add the frozen peas, coconut milk, crumble in the stock cube and add the water. 
3. Bring to a boil, stir and lower to a simmer. Depending on if your peas were frozen or not you will have varying cooking time. However check the consistency of the peas and courgette after 5min and again after 8-10min. Once the peas are soft, add the fresh mint and then blend. 
4. Add salt and pepper to taste and allow the soup to reheat then serve. 

To serve, a drizzle of cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle of hemp seeds and roasted pumpkin seeds. I also added some sprouted buckwheat but that's not really gonna make or break the soup. I bet some non salted pistachios would do really nicely in place of the hemp and or pumpkin seeds.

White bean vegetable broth

During the late spring and summer I am all about salads. During the winter and part of autumn and early spring I am all about soups. This is a kind of warm salad in a soup form. Lots of vegetables in a veggie broth, simple, clean and crisp flavours. Real feel good food, that will leave you feeling really healthy, light and at the same time full. Great for a damp, rainy summers day.

Essentially you can use any veggies you happen to have at hand. I love the large white beans, but you could replace for any other prefer type of bean. You could also leave out the bean entirely if you want a lighter version.

Here are the ingredients I used, serves 4-6:

2 dl large white beans*
1 medium onion
1 medium courgette, chopped into bite size
1 sweet potato, chopped in to bite size
2 celery stalks, sliced
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
6-8 shiitake mushrooms (or any other mushrooms)
1/2 head of broccoli
1/2 chilli, deseeded
1 veggie stock cube
500 ml water
handful of fresh (wild/baby) spinach
handful of fresh flat leaf parsley
1/2 tbsp coconut oil (unflavoured kind) or other frying friendly oil
salt and pepper, to taste

to serve a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

* I like to soak my beans over night (8hrs) and then cook them in place of using tinned. Somehow I feel this is the healthier path to take but if you don't have the time or same feeling as I do feel free to use tinned.

If you choose to soak and cook your beans, then soak the beans the night or day before. Boil them before adding to the soup, this large white bean takes about 1 hour to cook through, sometimes longer. I like to add a bay leaf for added flavour. 

1. Fry the chopped vegetables (hold the tomatoes, parsley and spinach) in oil of your choice in a soup pan. You want to bring out some of the sweetness and flavour of each veg. I tend to begin frying the harder ingredients like the potato, broccoli, onion and chili. Once they have had 2min frying I will add the softer ingredients. You want each vegetable to have softened slightly without browning. Add more oil if the pan starts to feel dry. 
2. Now add a pinch of salt and some fresh pepper and then crumble in the stock cube and add the water. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. 
3. Add the beans and cherry tomatoes. Allow to simmer for 15-25min. Depending on how much bite or softness you want your veggies to have. Taste, add a little more slat or pepper if you like. 
4. Before you portion the soup out place a few leaves of spinach in the bottom of each soup bowl, add the soup and then top with the chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. 

Turmeric red lentil coconut soup

Simple, satisfying soup with a creamy feel, thats how I would sum up this soup. Apart from the main ingredients this soup also contains sweet potato, kale, ginger, carrot and a bit of my favourite moroccan spice Ras el hanout. It's a great soup to freeze and swipe out for a quick lunch or dinner. 

Turmeric and ginger are both potent anti inflammatory ingredients. Meaning they help fight anything that might be causing inflammatory responses in your system such as; refined sugar, white flour, alcohol, just to name a few. We want to avoid inflammatory situations in our system as they aggregate and cause trouble and lead to various chronic diseases, arthritis being an extreme example.

Ingredients for a soup serving 4 (large portions): 

3 dl lentils (I used a mix of red & semi brown)

1,5 veggie stock cube 

1 tube size fresh ginger, chopped finely

1/2 chilli, chopped 

1,5 onion, diced

1 spring onion, sliced 

3 medium kale leaves (I used cavalero nero)

1 large carrot, diced

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 tbsp coconut oil 

1/2 tbsp ground turmeric

1/2 tbsp ras el hanout

1/2 juice lemon 

4 dl water

1 coconut milk (200ml)

salt and pepper

The nice thing with this soup is it carries enough flavour to be eaten at alike warm temperature which makes it a nice spring/autumn time soup. 

1. In a large soup pan heat the coconut oil and fry the onion, chili and turmeric for 2-3 minutes. 
2. Now add the chopped ginger along with the diced carrot and sweet potato. Fry this for another 1-2 minutes, making sure to stir and get everything coated in the turmeric. 
3. Rinse the lentils thoroughly, then add them along with the water and veggie stock, stir. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat. Cook for 15 min. 
4. Now add the coconut milk, the chopped kale and spring onion. Allow to simmer for another 10min.  
5. Once the soup is done you turn it off the heat and add the lemon juice, stir. 

If you want to blend the soup (which I did), you will need to allow the soup to cool off slightly before whizzing it up. I like to use a hand blender as this allows me to keep allow for some chunky bits to remain. 

Forgotten Parsnip Soup

I often feel that parsnip is one of those vegetables often forgotten. Which s a shame as it packs such a flavoursome punch.

Parsnips are high in soluble dietary fibre, which means they are good for your digestion. They also contain a relatively high count of folate, which is a type of B vitamin. Folate is used by your body for the nervous system, creating blood cells and for synthesis of DNA and RNA. Parsnips contain good amounts of potassium. Needed for the maintenance of your bones, blood pressure, heart and smooth muscles. Last but not least parsnips contain the all essential vitamin C.

This soup only really only consists of:

- 2 parsnip
- a pinch dried chili
- one stock cube
- water

All you need to do is:

Peel and chop 2 parsnips into chunks
Place the parsnip in a pan and add 5dl water
crumble in a stock cube (vegetable or chicken)
Add a pinch of dried chili flakes
Bring the ingredients to a boil, lower the heat and allow to simmer for 20-30minutes, without a lid. Until the parsnip is soft. Then blend. Taste, add salt or pepper is desired.

Serve with a little drizzle of olive oil, a good slice of bread with your favourite topping and dig in.

Orange is the new green - Carrot, Lentil soup

This is not a fancy soup, it's very a straight forward yet filling and nutritious soup. Only 5 ingredients and water are required. You can use fresh herbs to change the flavour profile.

You might know that carrots are healthy but why? Well it's because they contain a nutrient called carotenoids (named after carrots), which is a type of vitamin A. Carotenoids can be found in all orange, yellow and deep green veggies and some fruits. Carrots health benefits are perhaps best known for their benefit on eye health. That's due to the carotenoids, which is also an antioxidants  and has anti-inflammatory properties. So get your orange on.  Start adding more color to your meals, orange is the new green!

Ingredients soup to fill 4 medium sized bowls:
- 4 medium sized carrots
- 1 dl red lentils, rinsed
- 1 veggie or chicken stock cube*
- 1 medium sized yellow onion
- drizzle of cooking oil
- fresh herb choices; 2-3 sage leaves, 2-4 stalks of dill, small handful of parsley, a few leaves of rosemary
- 5-6 dl water

*Make sure to use a stock cube that isn't loaded with extra salt or other ingredients you don't recognise or can't pronounce. This includes any E numbers.

1. Begin by peeling and chopping your carrots, and onion. Keep the carrots at a 3cm size while the onion 1cm cubes.
2. In a pan large enough to hold the soup add a little cooking oil, and the onions and carrots. Fry on a low heat for approximately 4-5min. If you choose to use sage, the chop into thin slivers and add to the last few minutes of frying the onions and carrots. 
3. Then add the rinsed lentils, stock cube and water. Bring to a boil and then turn down so it's simmering. 
4. Leave to simmer for 30minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper if you find necessary.  Then blend in a blender. 
5. If you have chosen another herb than sage, then chop it to a desirable size, and add this to the blended soup. And serve. 

A simple dinner or lunch with lots of goodness in it.

Smokey beluga lentil soup

Just the name beluga makes me think of this soup as luxurious. I love soups, they are so easy and so versatile. They are prefect to freeze and keep as an easy meal mid week or during the weekend for lunch. Also my soups always use what I have handy at home, so I feel its an economical dish to boot. I served this soup warm but you could easily serve it cold too, because of all the spices used in it, it will still pack a punch in flavor. Lentils are a great source of protein, and turmeric is a highly medicinal spice. 

Ingredients needed for 5 large servings: 

3 dl beluga or other brown lentil 

400-500 ml water

1/2 leek

1 tsp smoked paprika powder

1 tsp curcuma powder

1 sweet potato

4-6 shittake mushrooms or button mushrooms 

1/2 courgette 

5 cherry tomatoes 

1-1,5 vegetable stock cube

drizzle of cooking oil 

1. Peel and slice the sweet potato 
2. Rinse the lentils 
3. Chop the courgette into small cubes, slice the mushrooms and leek
4. In a large soup pan add a drizzle of cooking oil and the courgette, shittake and sweet potato. Fry on a low heat for half a minute. Add the curcuma and smoked paprika powder. 
5. Add the lentils, tomatoes, water and crumble the stock cube into the soup.
6. Allow the soup to simmer for 30-40min. 

Simple vegetable broth

I love soups during the autumn, winter and spring and come to think of it also during the summer. Soups are so versatile, thick, broth like, chunky, smooth. I love using what ever I have available to make a new soup. The season dictates the vegetable content and beans, lentils, and other proteins can add heartiness and a filling aspect.

For this soup I happened to have some beautiful French flagole beans, Chinese cabbage and sweet potato.

Ingredients for a soup of 5 large servings:
1 yellow onion
1 courgette
3 dl 8 hour water soaked beans
6 halved cherry tomatoes
2 celery stalks
1 sweet potato
1/3 fresh chilly fruit
1/3 Chinese cabbage
1,5 bio stock cubes (make sure they don't contain lots of E numbers and other un-natural preservatives)
500 ml water
salt & peper

1. Begin by cooking the flagole beans for 30min, unless you decide to use tinned beans then you can skip this step. The beans need not cook fully through as they will continue to cook in the soup.
2. Peel and chopping the onion, into cubes. 
3. Chop the celery stalks into bite size chunks, and chop the chill finely. 
4. Place the onion and celery in a large soup pan and fry with cooking oil. 
5. While frying the onion and celery, peel the sweet potato and chop into cubes. Cut the Chinese cabbage into larger chunks, each individual layer of the cabbage will loosen and separate in the soup so cutting large pieces initially are better. 
6. Once the onion has softened and glazed over, add the other chopped vegetables and then pour over the water and crumble the stock cube in. Allow to simmer for 20-30minutes. You want the beans to retain their from and the vegetables to have gone soft not completely mushy. Season to taste. 

I served this soup with a Dollop of pesto but it doesn't necessarily need it. It's a very mellow soft tasting soup that ends with a certain sweetness. 

Chunky vegetable green lentil chorizo soup

I love having some 'basic' vegetables at home because it allows you to make up loads of new recipes playing around with new ingredients, spices and ultimately flairs and textures and the basic veggies make it so much easier cause they are the silent pillars to these dishes. Also these silent players make it possible to throw a new dish together without having to do a major shopping tour. This soup came from 'use what ya got' and I had green lentils and a small piece of dried chorizo sausage and my basic veggies (celery, onion, paprika, carrots, fresh chill). 

This dish can be made vegetarian* by replacing the chorizo with smoked paprika powder and smoked tofu. 

Here is what you will need: 

1/2 fresh chili 

1 dl dried green lentils (or puy or beluga lentils) 

2 stalks of celery

1/4 celeriac or 1/2 parsnip

1/2 medium red, yellow green paprika 

1 yellow onion 

2 medium sized carrots 

600 ml water

1 vegetable or chicken stock cube

salt, pepper

drizzle of cooking oil 

1. Peel the carrot and roughly chop
2. Peel and chop the onion
3. Wash the celery stalks and chop into bite size, do the same for the paprika only chop into a slightly larger size as this cooks through faster than the rest of the veggies.
4. Peel the celeriac or parsnip and chop roughly
5. Slice the chorizo into as thin slices as you possibly can, this component is all about extracting all the yummy flavours of the sausage. 
6. Wash and drain the lentils. 
7. Drizzle the cooking oil into a large soup pan and fry all the vegetables for a few minutes, just slightly softening the onion and celery. Season with salt & pepper*. 
8. Add the lentils, chorizo, water and stock cube to the pan and bring to a boil slowly. 
9. Allow to simmer on a low heat for somewhere between 35-45 min. You want to have the lentils cooked through but not too mushy.

* If you decide to go vegetarian this is when you add the smoked paprika power. Allow the frying process to continue a moment longer so that the spice has time to open up and coat all the veggies. 

Yellow Lentil Turmeric Soup

This is a really simple soup. Just throw all the ingredients into a large soup pan and cook and viola! Filling and healthy, could it get any better?

Turmeric is one of those spices that is up there on the super food list. Among other things it has strong anti-inflammatory properties.

Ingredients for 6 servings:

2 carrots
2 stalks of celery
1 dl yellow lentils
1 dl brown/orange (mountain) lentils - this could be replaced with regular brown lentils
1 tbsp tumeric
1 onion
1 red or green paprika
1 vegetable stock cube
1/2 tbsp coconut or other cooking oil
500 grams water
salt + pepper

1. Begin by chopping up all the ingredients. Then fry off with the turmeric and oil in a large soup pan. 
2. Once the vegetables have been softened slightly and the turmeric covers all add the water and stock cube. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 30min. 
3. Taste the soup after 30 min, add salt + pepper and allow to cook for another 10min. 
4. The consistency you want at the end is smooth without using a blender. 

Smokey Vegetable Broth Soup

Yes it's been a while. I am sorry for that because I have missed this creative outlet. Anyhow I am back and I intend to continue posting frequently.

This is a soup that has a smokey flavour to it bringing warmth and feel good. It's a great lunch or dinner option during autumn or winter as it's based on late autumn/winter veggies. You could adjust the vegetables according to your own preference. I chose these as I like this combination and flavour.

Soup for 4: 

1/2 Celeriac

1 medium sized sweet potato

1 red + 1 green paprika 

1 whole leek 

1/2 fennel bulb

12 cherry tomatoes (I buy them on their stalk as this usually gives them more flavour)

500 ml water

1 tbsp coconut oil 

1 vegetable stock cube

1/2 tbsp smoked paprika powder

salt + pepper

fresh flat parsley to serve

drizzle of cold pressed olive oil

1. Begin buy peeling the sweet potato and celeriac, this is best done with a knife and you will loose a lot of flesh not much to be done about that sadly. Chop both these into approx. 2 cm cubes.
2. Wash the fennel bulb and paprikas, chop into approx. 2 cm cubes. This soup is best with chunky veggies. 
3. Slice down the length of the leek and open up the layers so that you can wash away any dirt that has collected. The chop into 2 cm slices. 
4. Add the coconut oil to a large pan and the some paprika powered and all the veggies, lightly fry the veggies for 2-3min.
5. Then the water and the stock cube. Stir and allow to simmer on a low heat for 20minutes. Then taste and salt and pepper. You want soft veggies and a light broth. 
6. Serve with a small bunch of parsley and perhaps a drizzle of cold pressed olive oil. 

Butternut squash sage soup

Sage is one of those herbs that is underrated, and one of which I never use. However, it's full of flavour. Soup for the soul.

1 butternut squash
1 veggie or chicken stock cube
2 sage leaves
600 ml water
salt & pepper
1 medium yellow onion
2 tsp coconut oil (flavourless)
salt & pepper
pinch of dried chilli

1. Dice the onion and fry in the coconut oil. Add the pinch of dried chilli and the sliced sage. Fry till onion has begun to soften. 
2. Peel the squash and cut into 3cm cubes and add to the frying onion mix. Fry for a couple of minutes. Basically this allows all the flavours to combine or rather marriage. 
3. Add the water & stock cube and bring to a boil then lower heat to a slow simmer.
4. Boil for around 20min. Till the squash can easily be poked through with a fork or knife. 
5. Blend to make a smooth soup. You can add a little more water if the soup seems to thick. If the soup is too thin then allow the soup to continue boiling on a low heat for another 10-15min. 
6. Season with salt & pepper and taste, add more sage if you want a stronger flavour. 

Miso, tofu, buckwheat noodle soup

Simple dish with humble flavors. Even my hubby whom dislikes tofu loves this use of it. Basically it's the classic miso soup with add ons.

If you can find 100% buckwheat noodles then your creating a gluten free dish. 

Dinner or lunch for 2: 

1/2 courgette 

2-4 stalks of fresh spring onions

handful of fresh coriander/cilantro leaves 

3 tbsp heaped miso paste 

800 ml water 

7-8 shiitake mushrooms 

200grams plain or smoked tofu 

1/2 or 3/4 pack of buckwheat noodles 

* optional: flakes of dried nori (dried seaweed)

1. Bring the water & miso paste to a boil, whisking the miso to loosen the paste. 
2. Meanwhile, chop the courgette, tofu, shiitake and the white ends of the spring onions into blocks. of 2x2cm.
3. Add the veggies + tofu to the water & miso.
4. Cook on a low simmer for 10min.
5. Bring water to boil for the noodles. Cook according to the noodle package, taking off 1min of the cooking time as they will continue to cook when in the soup. I usually add a little oil to the noodle water as they usually easily stick to each other once they come out of the water. 
6. Sieve the noodles. taste the soup. Place the noodles in the bottom of the bowls then top with the soup.
7. Finally add the green ends of the spring onions and the coriander leaves. 

Creamy coconut, Thai flavored pumpkin soup

This is a simple variation on the No Fuss Pumpkin Soup recipe only here I add some Thai green curry paste and coconut milk.

Firstly follow the simple base recipe here, follow link below, then when you get to the stage of adding water before you blend the roasted pumpkin and onion, instead add 2 tbsp of Thai green curry paste and 400 ml of coconut milk:

http://meandmyfood.blogspot.nl/2011/11/no-fuss-roasted-pumpkin-soup.html

Leek & onion soup

Leek & Onion soup, much like French onion soup really. And just as delicious. Of course the original French onion soup is made with beef stock which gives it the deep sweet flavor. This soup does not have that same deep sweet flavor as I used chicken stock, you could also use vegetable keeping it strictly vegetarian.

Sweet potato barley soup

Another of my favorite winter soups. Barley and sweet potato are a perfect union. You can really use what ever veg you have in your fridge. Soups are always a great way to use up old veggies.



Recipe for 8 servings

8 button mushrooms
2 medium sweet potatoes
2 stalks of celery
2 dl pearled barley
1/3 of a broccoli head
1/2 fennel bulb
a few stalks of fresh parsley
2 stock cubes - chicken or veggie
salt & pepper
drizzle of cooking oil or coconut oil (my new favorite cooking oil - just make sure you use the flavourless version)
6 dl water

1. Chop all the veggies into chunks. 
2. Drizzle some cooking oil into a big pot and slowly fry the veggies, on a low heat for a few minutes. You just want to give them a little time to open up in flavor. 
3. Add the stock cube & water
4. Add the barley
5. Allow the soup to simmer, on a low heat for 30 min. Leave the lid half ways on.  
6. Taste, add salt & pepper and add the stalks of the parsley, save the leaves for last minute garnish. 
7. Allow the soup to simmer another 12-15min. taste again and add more seasoning if need be. 
8. The barley should be soft & bouncy while the veggie soft-ish. 
9. Once you are content with the taste & consistency pour the soup out into bowls and add the fresh parsley

Chorizo Black Bean Soup

This time of year has turned into soup making season for me. When I was a kid I always thought soup was boring and wouldn't keep me full long enough. Just goes to show how life brings about new opinions. I now love soup. For all the warmth, diversity and last but not least for the long lasting contentment it can bring. I also just love that really you can create an amazing dish that gets better the day after with boring old, saggey veggies and leftovers.

Here is a new recipe I made up because I had fresh chorizo, chickepeas and black beans in the fridge. Left overs from Huevos Rancheros....see recipe in an earlier post (well worth the time & effort).

You could skip the chorizo and replace it with smoked tofu as long as you make sure to add lots of Spanish smoked paprika powder. Same stuff they put in chorizo that brings that amazing orange/red color and smokey flavor.

My take on Pea Soup

I have come to understand that almost all Europeans as well as Americans have their own version of slip green pea soup.

Here is mine.

It's really simple.

The shimps are optional.

2 dl dried split green peas
2 celery stalks
1 leek
2 medium sized carrots
6 dl water
1-2 veggie or chicken stock cubes
salt & pepper
1 tbsp cooking/frying oil
drizzle of olive oil to top finished soup
shrimps - optional

1. Peel and chop the carrot into larger chunks, they will become soft during the cooking process so chopping small will make the too mushy. Do the same for the leek (wash carefully in-between the leaves) & celery. 
2. Put all the ingredients in a large pot and bring to a slow boil. 
3. Then lower the heat so that your soup is simmering not boiling. 
4. Allow to cook for 20min. Then skim off the top layer of foam that gathers at the top of the soup. 
5. Taste, season if needed. Allow to cook until the peas have become soft and mushy. This should take another 15-25min.

Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on-top of each serving of soup and add a few pre-cooked shrimps if you like. 

Sweet potato, broccoli & barley soup

This is a really hearty and warming soup. Perfect for these winter days & nights.

The best part is you can make a big batch and eat it for lunch or dinner several times! That will make many home cookers happy not to have to think of a new dish & go shopping for it.

You could replace the sweet potatoes for pumpkin or regular potatoes, you could skip the celery if you're not a fan, you could add courgette. Basically its one of these soups that you use what you have in the fridge, really.

Dhal inspired soup

This is one of those soups that takes no time or energy to make, its simple but it fills and it's comforting. As the title suggests it makes me think of dahl just because it's so thick and because of the use of indian spices.

Farro vegetable soup with a mirror of herbal oil

I am in a bit of a soup making period at the moment. Perhaps it's to do with the rainy, grey weather out, the soups warm me up instantly, they comfort and their's always the promise of a thick slab of sour dough bread along side with millions of various toppings, cheese being almost always my first choice.

I have wanted to cook farro for a long time and I have seen lots of various uses of it in recipes. Somehow though I liked putting it a soup most, as its a chewy, puffed up grain that adds body to an otherwise soft mushy vegetable soup. Farro is basically a grain, I used a pearled farro instead of a whole grain as its what mostly recommended in the various recipes I have read up on using farro.

The herbal oil was inspired by seeing a french chef adding pesto to the top of a vegetable soup. I am a pesto freak so as I had some fresh herbs at home, namely parsley & bail I wanted to give this a try.