SPANISH CHORIZO & CHICKPEA SOUP

The chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is a legume and is one of the earliest cultivated legumes: 7,500-year-old remains have been found in the Middle East. Other common names for the species include garbanzo bean, ceci bean, sanagalu, channa and Bengal gram. The name "chickpea" traces back through the French chiche to cicer, Latin for ‘chickpea’ (from which the Roman cognomen Cicero was taken). There are two main kinds of chickpea: 1) Desi, which has small, darker seeds and a rough coat, cultivated mostly in the India, Bangladesh, parts of Pakistan, Ethiopia, Mexico and Iran and 2) Kabuli, which has lighter coloured, larger seeds and a smoother coat, mainly grown in Southern Europe, Northern Africa, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Chile, also introduced during the 18th Century to India. There are many health benefits to eating chickpeas. Their high protein content is perfect for those wishing to replace red meat in their diet. Chickpeas are also high in fiber and help to lower cholesterol.

Serves 4
75 minutes
582 kcal per serving


Ingredients

• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 150 g chorizo Iberico, chopped
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 500 g fresh spinach, washed
• 8 fresh tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
• 410 g tinned cooked chickpeas
• 1,3 l chicken stock
• 55 g pata negra or prosciutto, finely chopped
• 2 eggs, hard-boiled

Method

1. Put the olive oil into a large pot and add the chorizo.
2. Allow to heat up and cook for a couple of minutes until the fat comes out of the chorizo, then add the onion, garlic and celery.
3. Turn the heat down and cook slowly for 15 minutes with a lid on and without coloring the onions.
4. Take off the lid, then add your spinach, tomatoes, chickpeas and chicken stock.
5. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for around 40 minutes.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then remove from the heat and stir in the pata negra.
7. Divide into bowls and grate some hard-boiled eggs on top.

PUMPKIN SOUP

References to pumpkins date back many centuries. The name pumpkin originated from the Greek word for "large melon" which is "pepon." "Pepon" was nasalized by the French into "pompon." The English changed "pompon" to "Pumpion." American colonists changed "pumpion" into "pumpkin." Pumpkins and squash are believed to have originated in the ancient Americas. The early Native American farmers roasted pumpkin strips over campfires and used them as a food source, long before the arrival of European explorers. It is said that Columbus carried pumpkin seeds back with him to Europe. There they were used to feed pigs, but not as a human food source.

Serves 4
50 minutes
338 kcal per serving

Ingredients

• 1 small pumpkin, around 1 kg
• 1 white onion, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 2 tbsp clear honey
• 3 tbsp virgin olive oil
• 500 ml chicken stock
• 200 ml dry white wine
• 150 ml double cream
• 1/2-1 lemon, juice only

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220 °C.
2. Peel the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds.
3. Dice the flesh into large cubes and put in a roasting tray.
4. Scatter around the onion and garlic and tuck in the rosemary sprigs.
5. Drizzle over the honey and olive oil and roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender and golden.
6. Baste half way through to stop the honey catching on the bottom of the tray.
7. Meanwhile bring the stock to the boil.
8. When the vegetables are cooked, put in a blender with the hot liquid and white wine.
9. Blend until smooth before adding the cream and lemon juice, then return to the pan.
10. Ladle the soup into bowls, topped with a pinch of cracked black pepper.

POTATO SOUP WITH CORN & BACON

Vinegar, which is a liquid consisting mainly of acetic acid and water, has historically had a great variety of industrial, medical, and domestic uses, some of which (such as a general household cleanser) are still promoted today. It has a legacy that goes back to ancient times and was first written about in Babylonian times circa 5000 B.C.E.. It is even mentioned twice not in a mere ancient cookbook but in the mother of all books, the Bible. Hippocrates prescribed a watered-down vinegar drink to his patients. Caesar’s army, drank it too; although as a preventative medicine, not as a palliative. The name comes from the simple compounding of 2 words by the French and probably not uttered pleasantly. When a cask of wine got a crack in it and became exposed to air they most likely uttered vin aiger which means sour wine.

Serves 4
40 minutes
326 kcal per serving
 
 
Ingredients

• 4 potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 1 leek, finely sliced
• 1 celery stalk, finely diced
• 4 dl milk
• 2 chicken stock cubes
• 3 dl water
• 3 bay leaves
• 4 dl frozen corn
• 0,5 dl cooking cream
• 1-2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1/2 package bacon, cut into pieces
• 1 large tomato, finely diced
• 4 tbsp grated low-fat cheese

 
Method

1. Fry the leek and celery stalk with a little olive oil in a pan.
2. Add the potatoes, milk, stock cubes, water, bay leaves and corn.
3. Let everything cook on medium heat until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
4. In the meantime fry the bacon crispy in another pan.
5. When the potatoes are ready add the cream and season with salt and the white wine vinegar.
6. Pour the soup into soup bowls, then sprinkle with the bacon, tomato and grated cheese.

ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH PARMA HAM GRISSINI

Asparagus officinalis has long been recognized for its medicinal propertiesis. It is a good source of vitamin B₆, calcium, magnesium and zinc, and a very good source of dietary fibre, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, folic acid, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese and selenium,as well as chromium. Stem thickness indicates the age of the plant, with the thicker stems coming from older plants.

Serves 2
20 minutes
340 kcal per serving


Ingredients

• 250 g green asparagus
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 tbsp butter
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 4 dl vegetable broth
• 1/2 dl cream, 15%
• 1/2 dl whipping cream
• 2 sesame grissini, à 18 g
• 4 slices parma ham

Method

1. Break off and discard the lower, woody part of the asparagus.
2. Cut the stalks into about 1 cm long pieces, saving the tips for later.
3. Sauté the asparagus and onions gently in butter without browning.
4. Add the wine, broth and cream and simmer for about 10 minutes.
5. Blend the soup with a hand blender until smooth.
6. Cook the asparagus tips in salted water for 2-3 minutes.
7. Wrap the parma ham around the grissini.
8. Whip the whipping cream and fold into the soup before serving.
9. Add the asparagus tips and serve with the parma ham grissini.

PRAWN NOODLE SOUP

Serves 4
30 minutes
295 kcal per serving


Ingredients

• 125 g rice noodles
• 4 shallots, sliced
• 2 tsp oil
• 2 tsp lemon grass, chopped
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 2 dl coconut milk with low fat
• 2 dl water + 1/2 vegetable stock cube
• 3-4 tsp red curry paste
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 450 g peeled shrimp
• 1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
• Thinly sliced ​​fresh red chilli for garnish

Method

1. Place the rice noodles in a bowl. Pour in boiling water and allow to stand 4-5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, sauté the onions in the oil in a wok over low heat.
3. Add the lemongrass, ginger, coconut milk, water, vegetable stock cube, curry paste and fish sauce.
4. Heat until almost boiling.
5. Stir in the prawns and chopped coriander and cook for a few minutes.
6. Stir in the drained noodles and let them warm up.
7. Divide the soup into four warm serving bowls and garnish with slices of chilli and chopped coriander.

LEEK, POTATO & ROCKET SOUP

Serves 4
45 minutes
399 kcal per serving


Ingredients

• 60 g salted butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 3 large leeks, chopped
• 900 ml warm chicken stock
• 150 g rocket leaves, roughly chopped
• 150 ml double cream
• Sald and white pepper

Method

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the onion, potatoes and leeks and stir to coat the vegetables in butter.
2. Continue to fry over a medium heat for about 10 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
3. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook, covered, for 20 minutes.
4. Pass the soup through a food mill and return to the rinsed-out pan.
5. Add the rocket to the pan and cook, uncovered, over a medium heat for a further 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Stir in the cream into the soup, season with salt and pepper and ladle into warmed soup bowls and serve immediately.

POTATO CHEESE SOUP WITH TAPENADE

Serves 4
30 minutes
330 kcal per serving


Ingredients

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 7 dl vegetable broth
• 500 g floury potatoes, cut into pieces
• 5 dl milk
• 80 g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 1 bunch parsley
• 1 dl pitted black olives
• 4 sundried tomatoes in oil

Method

1. Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil for a few minutes.
2. Add the broth and potatoes, then cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
3. Add the milk and then blend it.
4. Add half of the grated cheese and stir.
5. Mix the parsley, olives and sundried tomatoes in a food processor.
6. Serve the soup with a dollop of the tapenade and sprinkle with the remaining cheese on top.

 

CANJA - PORTUGUESE CHICKEN SOUP

Canja de galinha, or simply canja, is a popular chicken soup of Portuguese and Brazilian cuisine and is usually consumed by Brazilians and Portuguese when they have a cold. It is widely believed to help a person overcome colds, digestive problems, and other mild forms of sickness.

Serves 4
1 hour
120 kcal per serving


Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken with skin
• 1 onion, peeled
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 1 dl rice
• 4 mint leaves (optional)

 Method

1. Put the whole chicken, onion, chicken stock cube and salt in a pan and add enough water to cover the chicken, then cook for approximately 30 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken.
2. When the chicken is cooked remove it from the pan and place it on a plate. Discard the onion and save the broth.
3. In another pan cook the rice according to the pack instructions with 2 dl of the broth.
4. While the rice is cooking shred the chicken meat into bite-size pieces, then place into four deep bowls.
5. Add the cooked rice, mint leaf and finally as much broth as you like.

GAZPACHO

Gazpacho has ancient roots. There are a number of theories of its origin, including as an Arab soup of bread, olive oil, water and garlic that arrived in Spain and Portugal with the Moors, or via the Romans with the addition of vinegar. Once in Spain it became a part of Andalusian cuisine, particularly Córdoba and Seville, using stale bread, garlic, olive oil, salt, and vinegar, similar to ajoblanco.

Serves 2
393 kcal per serving


Ingredients

• 300 g tomatoes
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 cucumber
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 2 garlic clove
• 4 slices of bread
• 6 tsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp white or red wine vinegar
• 1/2 - 1 tsp chili powder
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Cut the tomatoes and bell pepper into pieces.
2. Half the cucumber lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon, then cut the cucumber into pieces.
3. Finely chop a bit of the bell pepper and cucumber and set aside.
4. Crush the garlic in a garlic crush and cut the onion into pieces.
5. Mix everything in a mixer with the bread, olive oil and vinegar, then season with salt and pepper.
6. Strain the soup and keep it in the fridge until served.
7. Before serving whisk the soup quickly and top with the finely chopped bell pepper and cucumber.

MEXICAN CORN SOUP

Maize, from Spanish: maíz after Taíno mahiz, known in many English-speaking countries as corn, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The Olmec and Mayans cultivated it in numerous varieties throughout Mesoamerica. Beginning about 2500 BC, the crop spread through much of the Americas. After European contact with the Americas in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, explorers and traders carried maize back to Europe and introduced it to other countries.

Serves 4


Ingredients

• 2 tbsp corn oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
• 450 g sweetcorn kernels, thawed if frozen
• 750 ml chicken stock
• 250 ml single cream
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 red pepper, seeded and cut into small dice, to garnish

Method

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the onion and red pepper for about 5 minutes, until soft.
2. Add the sweetcorn and sauté for 2 minutes.
3. Carefully tip the contents of the pan into a food processor or blender.
4. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides and adding a little of the stock, if necessary.
5. Put the mixture into a saucepan and stir in the stock.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper, bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
7. Gently stir in the cream. Serve the soup hot or chilled, sprinkled with the diced red pepper. If serving hot, reheat gently after adding the cream, but do not allow the soup to boil.

ASIAN CHICKEN AND NOODLE SOUP

Serves 4
20 minutes


Ingredients

• 85 g egg noodles
• 1 1/4 liter of chicken or chicken broth
• 1 tbsp mirin or white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 cm piece of fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• 2 chicken breast fillets, cut in thin slices and seasoned with salt
• 2 bok choy, with leaves separated
• Sweet chilli sauce, to serve

Method

1. Soak the noodles in boiling water for 1 minute, then drain them and set aside.
2. Heat the broth in a large saucepan until simmering, then add the mirin, soy sauce, ginger, chicken and noodles.
3. Let the soup simmer for 5 minutes or until the chicken is tender and the noodles cooked.
4. Add the bok choy and simmer the soup for another 2 minutes or until bok choy leaves have softened.
5. Pour the soup into deep bowls and serve with sweet chili sauce.

LENTIL SOUP

Serves 4
50 minutes
390 kcal per serving


Ingredients

• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, sliced
• 3 dl red lentils
• 15 dl water
• 2 vegetable stock cubes
• 1 dl couscous
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1-2 cm ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt and pepper
• Bread, to serve

Method

1. Peel and chop the carrots, then wash and slice the celery stalks.
2. Boil the broth, then add and cook the carrots, celery and lentils for approx. 10 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat. Mix in the couscous and allow it to swell for about 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, peel and chop the onion, then peel and finely chop the ginger.
5. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onions first until it´s soft.
6. Mix in the ginger and spices and cook for a few more minutes, then add in the soup and simmer for a few minutes.
7. Season with lemon juice. Add more spices and stock if necessary.
8. Serve the soup with the bread.

ROASTED RED PEPPER SOUP

Serves 6
1 hour 50 minutes
90 kcal per serving


Ingredients

• 4 large red peppers
• 4 ripe tomatoes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 liter vegetable stock
• 1 tsp sweet chili sauce
• Parmesan and pesto, for garnish
• Crusty bread, to serve

Method

1. Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and membranes.
2. Place the peppers, skin sides up, on a baking dish and grill until blackened.
3. Place the peppers in a plastic bag to cool, then peel and chop.
4. Cut a small cross in the bottom of each tomato, then put them in boiling water for 1 minute.
5. Remove the tomatoes from the pot, cool under running water, then pull the skins off.
6. Cut the tomatoes into half, scoop out the seeds with a spoon, then chop coarsely.
7. Heat the olive oil in a big saucepan, then add the onion and fry on medium heat for 10 minutes until very soft. Stir often.
8. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
9. Add the peppers, tomatoes and stock.
10. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
11. Blend the soup in a food processor or blender, then pour it back into the saucepan.
12. Heat gently and stir in the chili sauce.
13. Top individual serving with sliced parmesan and pesto and serve with crusty bread.

SOPA DA PEDRA - PORTUGUESE STONE SOUP





Stone Soup is an old folk story in which some travellers come to a village, carrying nothing more than an empty cooking pot. Upon their arrival, the villagers are unwilling to share any of their food stores with the hungry travellers. Then the travellers go to a stream and fill the pot with water, drop a large stone in it, and place it over a fire. One of the villagers becomes curious and asks what they are doing. The travellers answer that they are making "stone soup", which tastes wonderful, although it still needs a little bit of garnish to improve the flavour, which they are missing. The villager does not mind parting with a few carrots to help them out, so that gets added to the soup. Another villager walks by, inquiring about the pot, and the travellers again mention their stone soup which has not reached its full potential yet. The villager hands them a little bit of seasoning to help them out. More and more villagers walk by, each adding another ingredient. Finally, a delicious and nourishing pot of soup is enjoyed by all.

Serves 6


Ingredients

• 250 g red kidney beans
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 125 g bacon, cut into pieces
• 125 g chorizo
• 4 potatoes, peeled and diced
• 4 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 turnips, peeled and diced
• 1 small head savoy cabbage, shredded
• 1 can (400 g) chopped plum tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 liters chicken stock
•  Fresh coriander, chopped

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a big pot over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the bacon, chorizo​​, potatoes, carrots, turnips, tomatoes, bay leaf and stock.
4. Raise heat, bring to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
5. Pick up the bay leaf and discard.
6. Remove the chorizo ​​and cut into centimeter-sized pieces.
7. Put back in the pot, add the kidney beans and coriander and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes so that everything is heated through.
8. Pour into warm soup bowls and serve immediately.