Moroccan Carrot Soup

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 😉

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Avocado Soup

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 😉

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Soup of Berries

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 😉

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Cucumber Soup/Jalik

Serves 4-6

Cool down with this traditional Middle Eastern cold soup. It is a perfect starter on a hot (summer)day.  This cucumber soup is very refreshing, light and the fresh herbs will linger on your taste buds. Great to serve in a small glass.

Ingredients

2 cucumbers, seeded, peeled and coarsely chopped

750ml/3 cups of plain low-fat yoghurt

3 tbs. of finely chopped dill

3 tbs. of finely chopped mint

1 tsp. of garlic powder

½ lime, juice

Salt & pepper

Olive oil to drizzle on top

Preparation

Peel the cucumbers, cut in quarters lengthwise, scoop out the seeds. Chop the cucumbers and sprinkle with salt, let it stand for 15 minutes and drain well.

In a blender or food processor, combine the chopped cucumbers, lime juice, mint, dill and garlic. Season with salt and if you like some black pepper and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

When ready to serve, drizzle some olive oil on top and garnish with the fresh herbs.

Bon Appetite 😉

Pea & Mint Soup

Serves 4-6 

Spring is finally here and what better way to celebrate than with this delicious Pea & Mint Soup. I love this soup, the taste is fantastic, and so easy to make.  Whether you use frozen or fresh peas, you simply can’t go wrong. A nice extra is that you can also serve this soup cold on a hot summer day or as an amuse.

Ingredients

3 tbsp. butter

1 white onion, diced

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

1 leek, finely chopped

750g fresh and shelled peas or frozen peas

75g fresh mint leaves, washed and roughly chopped

1.2 L vegetable stock

100ml half-fat crème fraîche

salt

black pepper, coarsely ground

Preparation

Melt the butter on medium heat in your stockpot. Sauté the onion and leek for 10 minutes or until soft but not brown. When they are about done add the garlic and cook for a further 3 minutes.

Add the peas and the chopped mint leaves. Pour in your stock and bring to boil. Once boiling reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let the soup cool down for a few minutes. Then purée the ingredients with a hand blender in the stockpot or puree in batches in your blender.  Return the soup to a clean pan, add the 100ml  half-fat crème fraîche and season to taste with salt and coarsely ground pepper.

When ready to serve, bring back to a simmer and ladle in to bowls.  Garnish with a few leaves of mint, and if you like a swirl of the crème fraîche.

Bon Appetite 😉