SUNDAY POST JAN 18-27
Text by: Debina Bose
On a chilly winter afternoon nothing can soothe you better than a bowl of hot soup. Soups which are often considered nostalgia in a bowl or magic medicine come in a variety of delectable flavours and tastes. Here we sample a few soups that are delicious yet have the exact nutritional value that we require.
There’s a chill in the air, the usual coughs and colds have started doing the rounds, the scarves are out and there’s nothing like warming up to a hot bowl of soup on a cold winter day. With January being designated as the National Soup Month in the United States and considering the cold snap we are experiencing, it’s the perfect time to celebrate a warm and a fulfilling lunch with a full-blown soup.
Often considered by cooks and heath experts as a favourite digestive consolation, soup is one dish that has generations of lovers. From mama’s homemade soups to the ones available at posh Chinese eateries, soups come in varied flavours that tickle our tastebuds.
Soups and nutrients
A nourishing soup comprises healthy ingredients pureed or blended in a form that is easily digestible. It is simple to make and can be cooked in large quantities in a single pot. Soups are generally available in two varieties: clear and thick.
Soup recipes are packed with nutrients that boost our immune system in winter, nurture digestive flora in our gut, and cleanse and detoxify the body. Ingredients like mushroom, leafy greens, radish, potato and citrus are all seasonal attractions and contribute wonderful aromas to nourishing soups.
Taste the Rainbow
An addition of a pinch of salt and savoury ingredients often imparts colours to a soup and enhances its nutritional benefit. Here are some of the colourful soups that will surely tickle your tastebuds this winter.
Red: Tomato Soup: Red tomatoes that make this soup so bright and colourful besides providing your body with a wide variety of beneficial nutrients and antioxidants that help fight all those pesky winter illnesses. Orange: Carrot soup with chives and popcorn: Carrots provide a surprisingly tasty base for this soup recipe—a perfect complement to the popcorn garnish. Yellow: West African peanut soup: Prepare this vegetarian, dairy-free recipe as an enjoyable, international alternative to more traditional cream and broth-based soups. Green: Broccoli cheese soup: The pretty green colour of this soup is brought on by fresh broccoli and the addition of easy-to-melt Fontina cheese that makes for a bowl that’s hard to turn down. Blue and Purple: Kale fruit smoothie: While not quite a soup in the traditional sense, this smoothie-bowl-ready recipe utilises many of the same healthy ingredients—like kale and spinach—to provide a cold, delicious alternative to the hot stuff. White: Roasted potato garlic soup with parsley oil: The potatoes in this comforting soup are an excellent source of energy and strength-boosting potassium.
Chefspeak
“A soup can do what a medicine never can — soothe and relax you in an inexplicable way when you’re down with cold, cough and fever. It’s by far the most comforting food, not to mention, healthy and delicious too. Soups are often made with vegetables like carrot, spinach, beans, cabbage and other sprouts which increase its nutritional value. Often consumed before a heavy meal, soups act as an appetiser. It’s beneficial for people of all ages. This winter one can try simple soups like sweet corn soup, tomato soup, veg clear soup or simple yet spicy chicken soup,” says Prasenjit Som, senior chef, Taj Gateway Hotel, Cochin, Kerela.
“In winter veg clear soup forms the best digestive appetite. Soups instill natural immunity in our body as a sick or a fit man can consume soup and stay healthy. In winter the digestive capacity is generally decreased so intake of liquid food should be increased more than solid food. Hence delicious yet healthy soups form the best food supplement. Soups like cream of tomato or cream of chicken are delectable and easily digestible in winter. Sweet corn soup or chicken noodle soup are also rich is nutritive value,” says Aftab Rahaman, executive chef, HHI, Bhubaneswar.
RECIPES
CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP
Ingredients
Chopped riped tomatoes, 1 bayleaf (tejpatta), peppercorns (kalimirch), butter, flour (maida),tomato puree, sugar, salt. For garnishing add fresh cream and bread croutons
Method
Combine the tomatoes with 1 cup of water in a kadhai, add the bayleaf, peppercorns and cook on medium flame for 10 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Remove the bayleaf and discard it and allow to cool completely. Blend in a mixer to a smooth purée. Strain the purée and keep aside. Heat the butter in a kadhai, add the plain flour and sauté on medium flame for one minute. Add the prepared tomato mixture, a cup of water, tomato purée, mix well and cook for one minute. Add the sugar, salt, pepper powder and fresh cream, mix well and cook on a medium flame for two minutes. Serve hot, garnished with fresh cream and bread croutons.
LUNG FUNG SOUP
Ingredients
Spring onions, bean sprouts, minced mushrooms, water chestnuts, cabbage, french beans, carrot, cauliflower, capsicum, shredded chicken, cooked prawns, cooked pork, ajinomoto, white pepper, chicken stock, soya sauce, sugar, cornflour, two eggs, oil, salt. Spring onions and pineapples for garnishing.
Method
Heat oil, add the chopped spring onions, bean sprouts, all the other chopped vegetables, ajinomoto and salt. Stir fry for few minutes, then add the chicken, prawns and pork. After stir frying again for a few minutes remove the mixture from the heat and keep aside. Mix the chicken stock with the soya sauce, sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Next, add the cornflour water and stir continuously till the stock becomes thick. Now, add the prepared vegetable and meat mixture, stir and simmer uncovered for a minute. Remove the soup from the heat and add the lightly beaten egg to it. Keep stirring the soup continuously whilst adding the egg. Serve in soup bowls and garnish with chopped spring onions and pineapple cubes.
