TASTY & HEALTHY EATING STYLES

   

SOUPS

1  1. ITALIAN     VEGETABLE     SOUP

Ingredients

1 small carrot

1 baby leek

1 celery stick

50g/2oz green cabbage

900ml/11/2 pints/3 ¾ cups vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

115g/4oz/1 cup cooked cannelloni or haricot beans

25g/1 oz. /1/5 cup soup pasta, such as tiny shells, bows, stars or elbows salt and black pepper snipped fresh chives, to garnish.

Step 1: Cut the carrot, leek and celery into 5cm/2in long julienne strips. Slice the cabbage very finely.

Step 2: Put the stock and bay leaf into a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the carrot, leek and celery, cover and simmer for 6 minutes.

Step 3: Add the cabbage, beans and pasta shapes. \stir, then simmer uncovered for a further 4-5 minutes, or until the vegetables and pasta are tender.

Step 4: Remove the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into four soup bowls and garnish with snipped chives. Serve immediately.

12. CHICKEN     AND     PASTA     SOUP

Ingredients

900ml/ 1 ½ pints/3 ¾ cups chicken stock

1 bay leaf

4 spring onions, sliced

225mg/8oz button mushrooms, sliced

115g/4oz cooked chicken breast

50g/2oz soup pasta

150ml/ 1/4 pint/ 2/3 cup dry white wine

15ml/1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Salt and black pepper

 

Step 1: Put the stock and bay leaf into a pan and bring to the boil.

 

 Step 2: Add the spring onions and mushrooms to the stock.

Step 3: Remove the skin from the chicken and slice the meat thinly using a sharp knife. Add to the soup and season to taste. Heat through for about 2-3 minutes.

 

Step 4: Add the pasta, cover and simmer for 7-8 minutes. Just before serving, and the wine and chopped parsley, heat through for 2-3 minutes, then season to taste.

13.  SWEETCORN    CHOWDER     WITH     PASTA     SHELLS

Ingredients

1 small green pepper

450g/1 lb. potatoes, peeled and diced

350g/12oz/2 cups canned or frozen sweetcorn

1 onion, chopped

1 celery stick, chopped

A bouquet grain (bay leaf, parsley stalks and thyme)

600ml/1 pint/2 1/2 cups chicken stock

300ml/1/2 pint/1 ¼ cups skimmed milk

50g/2oz small pasta shells, oil for frying

150g/5oz smoked turkey rashers, diced salt and black pepper

Bread sticks, to serve

 

Step 1: Halve the green pepper, then remove the stalk and seeds. Cut the flesh into small dice, cover with boiling water and stand for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse.

 

Step 2: Put the potatoes into a saucepan with the sweetcorn, onion, celery, green pepper, bouquet garni and stock. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes until tender.

 

Step 3: Add the milk and season with salt and pepper. Process half of the soup in a food processor or blender and return to the pan with the pasta shells. Simmer for 10 minutes.

 

Step 4: Fry the turkey rashers in a non-stick frying pan for 2-3 minutes. Stir into the soup. Season to taste and serve with bread sticks.

14.  CAULIFLOWER    AND     BEAN     SOUP

 

Ingredients

10ml/2 tsp. olive oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 onion, chopped

10ml/2 tsp. fennel seeds

1 cauliflower, cut into small florets

2 x 400g/14oz cans flagellate beans, drained and rinsed

1.2 liters/2 pints/5 cups vegetable stock or water

Salt and black pepper

Chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Toasted slices of French bread to serve

 

Step 1: Heat the olive oil. Add the garlic, onion and fennel seeds and cook gently for 5 minutes or until the onion is softened.

 

Step 2: Add the cauliflower, half of the beans and all the stock of water.

 

Step 3: Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.

 

Step 4: Pour the soup into a blender and blend until smooth. Stir in the remaining beans and season to taste. Reheat and pour into bowls. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with toasted slices of French bread.

15.  HOT     AND     SOUR     PRAWN     SOUP

 

Ingredients

450g/1lb king pawns

1 liter/13/4 pints/4 cups chicken stock

3 lemon grass stalks

10 kaffir lime leaves, torn in half
225 g/8oz can straw mushrooms, drained

45ml/3 tbsp. fish sauce

50ml/2fl oz. /1/4 cup lime juice
30ml/2 tbsp. chopped spring onions

15ml/1 tbsp. coriander leaves

4 fresh chilies, seeded and chopped salt and black pepper

 

Step 1: Shell and devein the prawns and set aside. Rinse the prawn shells, place them in a large saucepan with the stock and bring to the boil.

Step 2: Bruise the lemon grass stalks with the blunt edge of a chopping knife and add them to the stock together with half the lime leaves. Simmer gently for 5-6 minutes, until the stalks change colour and the stock is fragrant.

 

Step 3: Strain the stock, return to the saucepan and reheat. Add the mushrooms and prawns, then cook until the prawns turn pink. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, spring onions, coriander, chilies and the rest of the lime leaves. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning. It should be sour, salty, spicy and hot.

 

26. CHICKEN     AND     COCONUT      SOUP

 

  Ingredients

750ml/1 ¼ pints/3 cups coconut milk

475ml/16fl oz/2 cups chicken stock

4 lemon grass stalks, bruised and chopped

2.5cm/1 in section galangal, thinly sliced

10 black peppercorns, crushed

10 kaffir lime leaves, torn

300g/1 1 oz boneless chicken, cut into thin strips

115g/4oz button mushrooms

50g/2oz baby sweetcorn

60ml/4 tbsp. lime juice

About 45 ml/3 tbsp. fish sauce

2 fresh chilies, seeded and chopped, chopped spring onions, and coriander leaves to garnish

Step 1: Bring the coconut milk and chicken stock to the boil. Add the lemon grass, galangal, peppercorns and half the kaffir lime leaves. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Step 2: Strain the stock into a clean pan. Return to the heat, then add the chicken, button mushrooms and baby sweetcorn. Simmer for 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

Step 3: Stir in the lime juice, fish sauce to taste and the rest of the line leaves. Serve hot, garnished with chilies, spring onions and coriander.