Dear All,
Over the last few weeks we have been working on a new website offering some great features such as an alphabetic index, print button, contact me by email and the best of all: the option to add your recipe too!
I hope to switch over within the next two days which might bring some inconvenience. Truly hope you will enjoy it as much as I already do, and can’t wait to receive your first recipe 😉
Have a great day,
Claire
Talk Soup (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Serves 4-6
Nothing beats the taste of seasonal produce! Even though peppers are available year-round, they do seem sweeter and are so plentiful in summer. The combination of this soup: the sweet roasted peppers with the tangy, salty feta and chives on top, is utterly delicious.
Ingredients
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 red onion, choped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
6 red peppers
5 cups/1.25 L vegetable stock
1 can/400g of Chopped Tomatoes
Salt
Black pepper, coarsely ground
Pinch of ground paprika
Chives, cut into small pieces
50g of Feta Cheese, crumbled
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 400°F/ 200°C. Place the whole peppers on a baking sheet and roast uncovered, turning as needed for approx. 30 minutes until skin is just about blackened on all sides.
Place the peppers in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap or place in paper bag and seal. Let the peppers stand and cool off for 10 minutes.
In the meantime chop the onion, mince the garlic and get the vegetable stock ready. Now that the peppers have cooled off, peel off the skin and remove the top and the seeds.
Heat the olive oil in your stockpot over medium heat, sauté the onion and when they are about done add the garlic. Once translucent, add the roasted peppers and the can of chopped tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the vegetable stock, cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and let the soup cool down for a few minutes. Purée the ingredients with a hand blender in the stockpot or puree in batches in your blender.
Return the soup to a clean pan and season to taste with salt, ground paprika and coarsely ground pepper.
When ready to serve, bring back to a simmer and ladle in to bowls. Sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese and chives on top.
Bon Appetite 😉
Serves 6
A few weeks ago we landed in Marrakech, where the evening temperature was 118F/48C degrees! Needless to say that this chilled soup was the perfect dish to cool down on. It is very easy to prepare and not only a nice starter but also a great, healthy snack in between meals.
Ingredients
3 cups/750ml of orange juice
2 cups/280gr of carrots, washed & finely grated
½ cucumber, peeled & finely grated
1 tbsp. of raw cane sugar
a pinch of cinnamon
Preparation
Wash and finely grate the carrots, peel and finely grate the cucumber and mix together in a bowl. Pour in the orange juice and mix in one tablespoon of sugar and a pinch of cinnamon. Refrigerate the soup for at least two hours before serving. The soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Bon Appetite 😉
Serves 6-8
I’m totally smitten with the Moroccan kitchen! After having travelled through Morocco’s mountains, desert, valleys and coast, been welcomed by amazing people, and tasted so many delicious dishes and soups, I’m happy I can finally share some great new recipes.
Today I like to start with Harira, one of Morocco’s most famous soup recipes. To master this soup, I did a cooking class at Atlas Kasbah, an amazing ecolodge in the region of Agadir. Hayat, the Berber chef, and Mbark gave me a great class and if you ever have the opportunity please, go and visit Hassan’s beautiful Kasbah.
Harira is traditionally served in nearly all households to break the fast at sunset during the month of Ramadan. However, a lot of families also enjoy this hearty soup year-round.
The soup requires some preparation and cooking time but if you have a pressure cooker you will be able to speed up the process.
Ingredients
100gr/ 4 ounces uncooked meat (lamb, beef or chicken), cut into 1 inch cubes
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
½ cup/15gr of coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
½ cup/15gr of parsley, finely chopped
2 celery stalks with leaves, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely grated
1 tomato, finely grated
1 cup/190gr of chickpeas, soaked overnight
1 cup/170gr of fava beans, soaked overnight
1 cup of lentils/200gr, soaked overnight
2 tbsp. uncooked rice
3 tbsp. of tomato paste
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground paprika
½ tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. white pepper
1 tbsp. salt
1 cup/150gr flour, dissolved in 2 cups/500ml (extra) water
Dates
Preparation
The day before:
Wash the chickpeas, fava beans and lentils and soak overnight. Rinse well before using the next day.
The day of cooking:
Pick all the leaves of the parsley and coriander (cilantro) and chop finely. Chop celery stalks and leaves finely. Grate the tomato and onion finely and dice the meat into 1 inch cubes.
Heat the tablespoons of vegetable oil in a pressure cooker. If you don’t have a pressure cooker please, read the stockpot method below for adjusted cooking time and water.
Cook the meat for a few minutes until brown on all sides. Stir in the grated onion and tomato. Add all the celery and only half of the parsley and coriander. Stir in the tomato paste, chickpeas, lentils, fava beans, salt, pepper and all other spices.
Add 2L/8 cups of water and close the pressure cooker so it can work its magic! Cook for 45 minutes on medium heat and remove from heat and carefully release the pressure.
Stir in the rice and cook for another 30 minutes with pressure. While the soup is cooking mix 1 cup of flour with 2 cups of warm water. Whisk till all flour is dissolved and it has a smooth texture.
Remove lit from pressure cooker, pour the flour mixture into the boiling soup. Make sure you keep stirring continuously while the soup is thickening. The soup has a velvety consistency but not over thick. You can make it as thick or thin as you like by not adding all the flour mixture or adding some more water.
Cook the soup for another 15 minutes; stir in the left over half of the coriander and parsley and season to taste.
Serve with flatbread, a wedge of lemon and dates on the side, an amazing combination.
Cooking Harira in a regular Stockpot:
Double the suggested cooking times and add approx. 4 cups of warm water after the first hour of cooking.
Bon Appetite 😉
Serves 6
Looking for a cool and refreshing summer soup? Then look no further. This velvety smooth and chilled soup is the perfect summer starter. It’s very easy and quick to prepare and allows you to store in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
Ingredients
2 large ripe avocados
500 ml/2 cups Chicken stock or Vegetable Stock
Juice of one Red Grapefruit
1 clove of garlic, peeled
2 tbsp. of yoghurt
sea salt
black pepper, coarsely ground
mild chilli powder
Preparation
Cut the avocados in half lengthways and twist to separate into two. Remove the stone and with a spoon, scoop out all the flesh of the avocado.
Place the avocado flesh , chicken or vegetable stock, crushed garlic, grapefruit juice and yoghurt into the blender or food processor.
Purée until smooth, taste and season with salt, black pepper and mild chilli powder.
Refrigerator for a minimum of two hours. Serve chilled and with a colorful garnish on top.
Bon Appetite 😉
Serves 6
Summertime and the livin is easy! This soup is a berries explosion and great to serve in the midst of summer. Berries are low in calories, high in fiber and contain lots of vitamins. Now is the time to buy fresh berries or to pick-your-own in the garden or on berry farms. If you can’t buy the berries fresh at this time of year on your side of the continent, check-out the frozen section of the grocery store as a good alternative.
Ingredients
150gr/ 1 cup Blackberries
150gr/ 1 cup Raspberries
200gr/ 1 cup Strawberries
250ml/ 1 cup Red Fruit Juice of your choice
250ml/ 1 cup Vanilla Yoghurt (organic low fat)
Preparation
Wash the berries thoroughly and purée in your blender. Add the red fruit juice and the vanilla yoghurt and turn on the blender for one more minute.
Pass the mixture of berries, juice and yoghurt through a sieve to remove the hard bits. Discard the hard bits that remain in the sieve. Chill the soup of berries for a minimum of 2 hours before serving. This soup is perfect to make a day in advance and can be stored in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
Bon Appetite 😉
Serves 4
This week I like to share my recipe for a very tasty and nutritious chowder. The potatoes, vegetables and chunks of cod make it a rather filling soup and for us a perfect summer meal. I don’t use any cream or milk in this chowder, which makes it perfectly suitable for anyone who has lactose intolerance too. The combinations of ingredients makes it a very natural, healthy and flavorful dish, enjoy.
Ingredients
2 tbsp. butter
2 white onions, diced
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 carrots (medium-sized), peeled & diced
2 potatoes (medium-sized), peeled & diced
2 red peppers, diced
500g fresh or frozen cod, boneless and skinless
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 L/4 cups vegetable or fish stock
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried thyme
3 bay leaves
salt
black pepper, coarsely ground
fresh leaf parsley, chopped
Preparation
Melt the butter on medium heat in your stockpot. Sauté the onions and when they are about done add the garlic, ground cumin and dried thyme. Once translucent add the diced carrots, potatoes and red peppers. Stir and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes until lightly golden and soften.
In the meantime, lightly season the cod fillets with salt and black pepper and set aside.
Add the chopped tomatoes, bay leaves and stock to the diced vegetables. Stir, cover and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Lay the cod fillets on top of the vegetables and cover the stockpot. Simmer for a few minutes until the fish is just cooked through. Before serving, remove the bay leaves, and season the soup with salt and pepper.
Ladle the soup into the bowls and place flakes of the cod on top of the soup. Sprinkle the fresh leaf parsley and serve immediately.
Bon Appetite 😉
Serves 3
Last week we moved to a new house, the fourth time since 2008. I love the exciting live we life, love the house but with a family of five, it’s quite a schlep!
To make sure we get the right nutrition in hectic times, this vegetarian soup is perfect. It truly is a superfoods soup containing lots of protein, minerals and vitamins. It’s not only healthy but simple delicious too.
So if you are busy but still want something good: this is the answer. Enjoy.
Ingredients
3 bundles of soba (buckwheat) noodles
1 tbsp. of sesame oil
2 shallots, minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp. of ground ginger
3 cups/ 750ml Dashi Stock
2 tbsp. White Miso
½ block of firm Tofu, diced
2 Green Onions/Scallions, finely sliced diagonally
1 Carrot, thinly sliced
1 cup/ 155g frozen or fresh Edamame
100g /6 Shiitake Mushrooms, cut into big chunks
2 tbsp. of Soya
Preparation
Set a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the sesame oil and heat for 1 minute. Sauté the shallots and when they are about done add the minced garlic. Once translucent add the sliced carrot and one teaspoon of ground ginger. Toss the ingredients until the carrots are covered with shallot, garlic and ginger and cook for a few minutes.
Add dashi stock to pot and bring to boil. Once boiling reduce the heat, and add the edamame, shiitake mushrooms and tofu. Simmer for 5-7 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a separate pot of water to a boil. Add the soba noodles and cook until tender. Drain with a colander and run under cold water, set the noodles aside.
Scoop out one ladle of soup and dissolve 2 tablespoons of miso in it by whisking it to a smooth consistency. If you try to dissolve the miso in the soup directly, it might clump together.
Once the miso is dissolved return it to the broth and simmer for a few minutes. Be careful not to boil the soup after adding the miso.
Season the soup with some soya. Divide the soba noodles among the bowls, ladle soup on top and garnish with green onions. Serve immediately.
Bon Appetite 😉
Serves 4
Ramen is an enormously popular noodle dish in Japan. True comfort food, which is sold on every corner of the street, freshly prepared or in an instant form. In Tokyo you will even find a museum ‘Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum’ which is completely dedicated to the history of ramen and the big success of instant ramen.
Ramen noodles are in generally made of wheat flour and if you can get your hands on fresh ramen noodles, scrumptiously delicious. The taste of the ramen depends on the soup you serve them in. In this recipe I used my grandmothers chicken soup recipe, which you will be able to find on the site as well. If you are in a rush then please, choose the best chicken stock base you can find in your supermarket.
Ingredients
1,5L/6 cups Chicken Stock
4 tbsp. White Miso
300g /2 cups shredded Chicken
326g/2 cups of Corn
250gr/8 cups of Spinach
4 Eggs, cooked, peeled and sliced in half
4 servings of Ramen Noodles
2 tbsp Soya Light
1 tbsp Sesame Oil
1 tbsp Sesame Seeds, roasted
3 green onions, sliced
Preparation
Heat the chicken stock in a pot. Once boiling reduce the heat simmer for a few minutes on low heat.
Scoop out one large ladle of soup and dissolve 4 tablespoons of miso in it by whisking it to a smooth consistency. If you try to dissolve the miso in the soup directly, it might clump together.
Once the miso is dissolved return it to the broth and simmer for a few minutes but be careful not to boil the soup after adding the miso.
Boil the eggs and cook for 5 minutes. Rinse them with cold water and allow the eggs to cool down before peeling and slicing in half.
Heat one tablespoon of sesame oil in your frying pan and add the corn. Stir and fry the corn for a few minutes and set aside.
Boil salted water and blanch the spinach for 2 minutes until just wilted. Drain immediately and set aside.
Roast one tablespoon of sesame seeds in your frying pan and set aside.
Slice the green onions and set aside.
Last step of the preparation is to cook the ramen noodles. If you have fresh ramen noodles you will only needs to cook for 1 minute, drain and rinse with cold water.
Take four large serving bowls and place the ramen noodles in each bowl. Now top the ramen with spinach, corn, shredded chicken and egg. Sprinkle the roasted sesame seeds and the green onion on top.
Bon Appetite 😉
It’s Miso time! Being surrounded by wonderful Japanese friends, I have been inspired to cook many different Japanese dishes. Soup is one of the vital components of a Japanese meal and is served with nearly 
every meal in the day. I have been over the moon with Miso soup: so easy to prepare and so versatile. It has a rich taste and great nutritional benefits.
If you will visit your local Asian/Japanese store, you will be able to find many different types of Miso. White miso, red miso and a blended type of miso. The darker the colour, the longer the fermentation process, the stronger the taste will be. My favourite is the white miso which has a light and slightly sweet taste.
To make miso soup you will be needing dashi as well. Dashi is a very popular basic stock which is used in many different Japanese recipes. Dashi is often made of seaweed, vegetables and fish flakes and sold in jars or sachets. If you like to avoid fish in your miso, you can buy a vegan dashi.
Today I would like to start with the traditional miso soup, which has been a favourite in Japan for many centuries. Next week will move on to a more rich and hearty miso and hope you will join the miso experience!
Ingredients
1 L Dashi Stock
3 tbsp. White Miso
½ block of firm Tofu, diced
2 Spring Onions, finely sliced
1 tbsp. Wakame (dried seaweed)
Preparation
Soak 1 tablespoon of Wakame in cold water and let it soak for 4-6 minutes. Heat 1 liter of water in a pot and add the dashi granules/powder. Bring the dashi stock to boil.
Once boiling reduce the heat, add the diced tofu and drained wakame and simmer for a few minutes on low heat.
Scoop out one large ladle of soup and dissolve 3 tablespoons of miso in it by whisking it to a smooth consistency. If you try to dissolve the miso in the soup directly, it might clump together.
Once the miso is dissolved return it to the broth and simmer for a few minutes. Be careful not to boil the soup after adding the miso: it can become gritty, kills the aroma and some say, healthful enzymes.
Top with a sprinkling of spring onions and serve hot or cold.
Bon Appetite 😉
I Love Soup 