Monsoon Supper
The weather is still hot, humid and sultry. It’s not exactly the weather for a hot soup. But towards the evening when temperatures dip a wee bit in this monsoony weather, one could do with a bowl of hearty soup. Clear soups are clearly the order of the day-they help keep the calories at bay. But sometimes, one can sneak in a bit of cream (maybe the low fat variety) and cheese to make a good soup. Like in the good old days. Teamed with a crisp toast, or even just a slice of bread, garlic or otherwise, it can be a full meal.
Canned soups and dehydrated soup powders are great when convenience calls-but watch the sodium levels-which are usually high.
Once you get to make your own home made soup,packaged soups will never taste the same!
I am sharing 2 of our favorite soup recipes here-either of these along with a macaroni salad and veggie cutlets is the menu for Dinner Tonight!
Tomato Basil Soup/Cream of Spinach Soup
Vegetable Cutlets
Macaroni Salad
Garlic Bread
Mango Delight
Tomato Basil Soup
6 tomatoes
4 cups stock
1 small onion sliced
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons corn flour, dissolved in ½ cup stock
6-8 fresh basil leaves
2+1 tablespoons fresh cream
2 tablespoons grated cheese (cheddar)
½ teaspoon oregano flakes
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Salt to taste
2 cups water
Put the water to boil, and then place tomatoes, onions, garlic in it for about 10 minutes. Turn off gas, remove tomatoes, cool, and remove skin. Drain the onion and garlic. Chop tomatoes. Blend together the chopped tomatoes, garlic and onion. Place pureed mixture in a stew pan. Add the stock, bring to a boil. Add brown sugar, salt, pepper and oregano flakes and corn flour .Simmer for 10-15 minutes, till it thickens slightly. . Add the cheese, cream and basil leaves. Cook on low heat for 5-7 minutes.
Pour into bowls. Add a swirl of cream and a dash of grated cheese before serving.
Cream of Spinach Soup
1 bunch of spinach leaves, washed and stemmed and cut (approx 4 cups of cut leaves)
2-3 cloves garlic
1 small onion, chopped
4 cups stock
2 tablespoons corn flour dissolved in ½ a cup of stock
2 tablespoons cream
1 cube bouillon (veg or chicken)
½ cup grated cheese (cheddar or any other)
½ cup grated carrot
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Salt to taste
Place the washed spinach in a wok along with the onion and garlic. Add ½ a cup of water-cook till tender. Cool and blend to a purée. Heat the stock in a medium saucepan.Add the bouillon cube, salt, pepper and pureed spinach. Cook till it boils. Add corn flour, cook on medium heat till soup thickens a little. Add cream, grated carrot and cheese. Simmer for 4-5 minutes on low heat.
Serve hot.
Veggie Cutlets
4 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled and grated or mashed
1 cup mixed boiled vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans)
2 slices fresh bread, dipped in water for a few seconds and then water squeezed out by pressing the bread between the palms of your hand
½ cup gram (chana) dal, boiled till tender
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon fennel powder
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons mixed cilantro and mint leaves, washed and chopped
1 cup breadcrumbs
Coarsely mash the boiled vegetables, and mash the gram (chana) dal.Mix together the mashed potatoes, vegetables,gram dal, spices,salt green herbs and bread. Shape into patties, and form them into a desired shape. Roll in breadcrumbs to coat.
Deep fry till golden brown.Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil before serving.
Macaroni Salad
2 cups macaroni (any type) boiled in salted water, al dente
1 cup mixed boiled veggies (beans, peas, baby corn)
1 tablespoon grated carrot
½ cup peeled and diced cucumber
¼ cup chopped celery stalk
2 eggs hard boiled and chopped
¼ cup spring onion, include stems
¼ cup boiled/grilled chicken/turkey cubes (optional)
¾ cup dressing*
Mix all ingredients and add dressing. Chill.
Dressing:
1 cup cream cheese, unflavored
Milk to blend
¼ -1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
1-11/2 teaspoon mustard paste
Salt to taste
Place cream cheese in glass bowl. Add a little milk and seasoning.Blend with a hand whisk, till smooth.
Mango Delight
1 packet strawberry jelly, set as per instructions
½ cup condensed milk
½ cup peeled, diced ripe mango
Blend all these ingredients in a blender till smooth. Re-set in individual goblets/ramekins. Top with vanilla ice cream Chill.
Canned soups and dehydrated soup powders are great when convenience calls-but watch the sodium levels-which are usually high.
Once you get to make your own home made soup,packaged soups will never taste the same!
I am sharing 2 of our favorite soup recipes here-either of these along with a macaroni salad and veggie cutlets is the menu for Dinner Tonight!
Tomato Basil Soup/Cream of Spinach Soup
Vegetable Cutlets
Macaroni Salad
Garlic Bread
Mango Delight
Tomato Basil Soup
6 tomatoes
4 cups stock
1 small onion sliced
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons corn flour, dissolved in ½ cup stock
6-8 fresh basil leaves
2+1 tablespoons fresh cream
2 tablespoons grated cheese (cheddar)
½ teaspoon oregano flakes
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Salt to taste
2 cups water
Put the water to boil, and then place tomatoes, onions, garlic in it for about 10 minutes. Turn off gas, remove tomatoes, cool, and remove skin. Drain the onion and garlic. Chop tomatoes. Blend together the chopped tomatoes, garlic and onion. Place pureed mixture in a stew pan. Add the stock, bring to a boil. Add brown sugar, salt, pepper and oregano flakes and corn flour .Simmer for 10-15 minutes, till it thickens slightly. . Add the cheese, cream and basil leaves. Cook on low heat for 5-7 minutes.
Pour into bowls. Add a swirl of cream and a dash of grated cheese before serving.
Cream of Spinach Soup
1 bunch of spinach leaves, washed and stemmed and cut (approx 4 cups of cut leaves)
2-3 cloves garlic
1 small onion, chopped
4 cups stock
2 tablespoons corn flour dissolved in ½ a cup of stock
2 tablespoons cream
1 cube bouillon (veg or chicken)
½ cup grated cheese (cheddar or any other)
½ cup grated carrot
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Salt to taste
Place the washed spinach in a wok along with the onion and garlic. Add ½ a cup of water-cook till tender. Cool and blend to a purée. Heat the stock in a medium saucepan.Add the bouillon cube, salt, pepper and pureed spinach. Cook till it boils. Add corn flour, cook on medium heat till soup thickens a little. Add cream, grated carrot and cheese. Simmer for 4-5 minutes on low heat.
Serve hot.
Veggie Cutlets
4 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled and grated or mashed
1 cup mixed boiled vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans)
2 slices fresh bread, dipped in water for a few seconds and then water squeezed out by pressing the bread between the palms of your hand
½ cup gram (chana) dal, boiled till tender
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon fennel powder
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons mixed cilantro and mint leaves, washed and chopped
1 cup breadcrumbs
Coarsely mash the boiled vegetables, and mash the gram (chana) dal.Mix together the mashed potatoes, vegetables,gram dal, spices,salt green herbs and bread. Shape into patties, and form them into a desired shape. Roll in breadcrumbs to coat.
Deep fry till golden brown.Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil before serving.
Macaroni Salad
2 cups macaroni (any type) boiled in salted water, al dente
1 cup mixed boiled veggies (beans, peas, baby corn)
1 tablespoon grated carrot
½ cup peeled and diced cucumber
¼ cup chopped celery stalk
2 eggs hard boiled and chopped
¼ cup spring onion, include stems
¼ cup boiled/grilled chicken/turkey cubes (optional)
¾ cup dressing*
Mix all ingredients and add dressing. Chill.
Dressing:
1 cup cream cheese, unflavored
Milk to blend
¼ -1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
1-11/2 teaspoon mustard paste
Salt to taste
Place cream cheese in glass bowl. Add a little milk and seasoning.Blend with a hand whisk, till smooth.
Mango Delight
1 packet strawberry jelly, set as per instructions
½ cup condensed milk
½ cup peeled, diced ripe mango
Blend all these ingredients in a blender till smooth. Re-set in individual goblets/ramekins. Top with vanilla ice cream Chill.
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