A melange of aromatic textures, flavours, colours, fibre, spices, vegetables, proteins and fats, a bowl of soup is not only a tasty way to soothe your soul but also healthy and nourishing.
Let’s look at some interesting soups you can prepare at home this season as you cosy up with your loved ones.
KASHMIRI SOUP - MURG BADAM SHORBA
By Chef Ravinder Singh Panwar, Executive Chef, Westin Hyderabad Mindspace
Ingredients
* Chicken winglets (blanch): 2 kg
* Almond (blanched, deskinned and pureed): 125 gm
* Sunflower oil: 80 ml
* Green cardamom: 5 nos.
* Cloves: 5 nos.
* Cinnamon bark: 1 no.
* Bay leaf: 4 nos.
* Khas ki jad (vetivier roots): 10 gm
* Black pepper corn: 5 gm
* Onions (chopped): 150 gm
* Ginger–garlic paste: 25 gm
* Green chilly (slit): 20 gm
* Fresh coriander roots: 100 gm
* Cream: 30 ml
* Salt to taste
Garnish Ingredients
* Almond slivers (light toasted): 30 gm
* Fresh coriander leaves (chopped): 10 gm
Method of preparation:
1. Take 3 litres of water and add the blanched chicken winglets.
2. Give it one boil and simmer for another 7–8 hours.
3. Your chicken stock is ready. Now, strain it and keep it aside.
4. Heat oil; to it, add whole spices and let them crackle.
5. Add chopped onion, cook on slow flame to a golden brown colour.
6. Add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté well to a light brown colour
7. Add the chicken stock and the slit green chilies and fresh coriander roots.
8. Give it one boil and simmer on slow flame for another 45 minutes.
9. Turn off the flame and strain through a conical strainer.
10. Reheat the soup; to it, add the cream and give it a boil.
11. Check the seasoning.
12. Add saffron (optional) to it with almond slivers and chopped coriander.
13. Your soup is ready to serve.
BASIL BOTTLE GOURD SOUP
By Nidhi Nahata, Founder, Justbe Resto Café, Bangalore
“A vegetable that’s is mostly avoided by all age group, bottle gourd makes for an excellent detox and alkaline soup, which helps reduce acidity and is rich in iron, Vitamins C & B-Complex as also sodium and potassium.”
Ingredients:
* Chopped unpeeled bottle gourd (dudhi): 2 cups
* Basil leaves: 10–12 nos.
* Garlic: 2 cloves
* Onion (medium-sized and coarsely chopped): ½
* Black pepper (kali mirch) powder: ½ tsp
* Water: 1 cup
* Rock/pink/sea salt: 1 tsp
* Fresh coriander leaves: 1 tbsp
* Thick coconut milk: 1 tbsp
Method of preparation:
1. Roughly grate the bottle gourd with its skin on. Steam it for 4–5 minutes until soft and blend in a blender with basil leaves, onion and pepper and garlic cloves.
2. Pour the above mixture into a saucepan and add a cup of water and salt, as per taste.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with coriander.
5. You could swirl some thick coconut milk into the soup for presentation as also to add flavour.
CURRIED PUMPKIN SOUP
By Chef Kailash Gundupalli, Director Culinary, Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre
Ingredients:
* Garlic (crushed): 10 gm
* Onion (thinly sliced): 50 gm
* Olive oil (cold pressed): A dash
* Leek (Chopped): 20 gm
* Celeriac (cut into small strips): 20 gm
* Curried Madras powder: 20 gm
* Pumpkin flesh (diced): 350 gm
* Marjoram (freshly chopped): ½ tsp
* Chives (chopped): ½ tsp
* Natural bifidus yogurt (with 10% fat content): 60 gm
* Salt to taste
* Freshly ground pepper to taste
Method of preparation:
1. Brown garlic and onion in oil.
2. Rinse vegetables in water and let them rest for a few minutes; then, drain. (This step is to eliminate their acidity.
3. To the above, add the Madras Curry Powder.
4. Add vegetables and the pumpkin to the garlic and onion.
5. Add the bouillon and cook for 30 minutes at medium heat.
6. Puree the ingredients either by mashing or in a blender.
7. Season with salt and pepper, as per taste.
8. Add the marjoram and chives to the yogurt; add it to the soup.
9. Serve with garlic crostini.
CREAMY SPINACH AND BACON SOUP
By Vanshika Bhatia, Chef and Founder, Petite Pie Shop
“The changing weather is perfect for this hearty soup. It’s a one-pot meal and the best thing is that it can be made vegetarian or vegan (by removing the bacon and substituting milk for any plant-based milk of your choice). In this case, the crunch can be brought by garnishing with roasted almond flakes or roasted pine nuts.”
Ingredients:
* Bacon: 4 strips
* Spinach (chopped): 500 gm
* Garlic (minced): 3–4 cloves
* Onion (medium-sized and minced): 1 no.
* Milk: 200 ml
* All-purpose flour: 1 tbsp
* Oil (as preferred): 1 tsp
* Butter: 1 tsp
* Chicken or vegetable stock: 500 ml
* Salt to taste
* Pepper to taste
Garnishing ingredients:
* Fresh cream
Method of preparation:
1. In a large saucepan, heat oil.
2. Cut the bacon into small bite size pieces and sauté them till crispy. Then, drain the oil from half of them and set aside.
3. In the same pot, which has the oil from bacon and half of the bacon, sauté minced onion and garlic for about 30–60 seconds or till golden brown.
4. Now, add the chopped spinach and sauté till the spinach wilts. Make sure not to overcook the spinach so that it remains green.
5. Blend this mixture till it becomes a puree. (Be careful as it will be hot.)
6. To the same pot, add a spoon of butter and flour and mix.
7. Cook till the flour becomes a warm golden.
8. To the above, add the Spinach paste and whisk vigorously so that there are no lumps.
9. Add the chicken or vegetable stock and boil till it thickens. You may substitute the stock for water and 1 stock cube. Keep whisking so that it doesn’t form lumps.
10. Add milk and cook for a few more minutes till the soup’s consistency is thick.
11. Season with salt and pepper, as per taste.
12. Garnish with the crispy bacon bits and a drizzle of fresh cream.
