WOYP Day #68 Quick & Easy Minestrone

 

We’ve had cooler days and a lot of rain these past couple of weeks and I feel Fall is coming too early! This year sees to have whooshed by.. can’t believe we are already halfway through September!!

It was pouring cats and dogs all day today and all I could think of was Soup!! My first choice was this Tomato soup but then I began to crave something more filling and hearty…in comes a family fav.. Minestrone! This is my only soup of choice whenever I visit Olive Garden.

I couldn’t thank my stars enough for making me pick up Zucchini & Spinach on my grocery run yesterday, Minestrone today was meant to be haha! And I’m always stocked on canned beans so this was easy peasy. You also get a fair share of veggies and carbs, all in one big comforting bowl...yumm!

You will need:

2 tbsp Olive oil (I use extra-virgin)
4 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into small cubes
1/2 Red onion, chopped (can use yellow or white onion)
1/2 cup Green beans, cut into 1” pieces (or smaller)
1 (8oz) can Red Kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 large Roma tomatoes, cubed
2 large handfuls of fresh spinach, washed
1/2 cup Zucchini, cut into thin discs
1/2 cup Macaroni pasta (or any small pasta)
Salt to taste
1 tsp dried Oregano
1/2 tsp Black pepper
Water as needed (or Vegetable stock if available)

Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Usually the pasta is cooked along with the rest of the ingredients but to speed things up I had the pasta cooking on one burner while I sautéed veggies on another burner.  Two pots I know, but I really needed this soup quick! :D I cooked the pasta only for 8 minutes in salted boiling water since the pasta will continue to cook in the soup. You don’t want over cooked mushy pasta!! Save the pasta water to thin the soup out. 

Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the chopped garlic and cook for 30 seconds, taking care not to burn it. Add the chopped carrots and onions. Saute until onions are soft. Now add the green beans (I used frozen) and cubed tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes are soft. Now stir in the red kidney beans and zucchini. Cook for a minute, then add plain water and pasta water (or vegetable stock) as needed and the cooked pasta. Season with salt to taste, pepper and the oregano. Remember the pasta water has salt too, so check for salt before adding more. Combine and bring to a rolling bowl on medium heat. Lower heat and simmer for 6-7 minutes. Lastly stir in the spinach and turn off heat. The hot soup will cook the spinach. 

 

 

Ladle into bowls and top with parmesan cheese if using. Serve warm. This was soooo comforting and perfect for the rainy evening. Enjoyed every bit of it though I did miss the Garlic breadsticks to dunk in the soup, hmmm that is for another day! :D 

Another version of the Minestrone here.

WOYP Day # 53 Spinach Corn Soup

We have had rainy, stormy days every now and then. Gloomy and cloud laden skies today, and plenty of rain. Though it is still warm outside, it felt like a Soup kind of day :) Spinach and Corn make a great combination in soup. This soup is light and is perfect with a sandwich to make a meal. 

Spinach Corn Soup: 
You will need: 

2 cups chopped Spinach
1/2 cup Yellow corn kernels (from a can, drained)
2 pods Garlic, finely chopped
2-2 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp Corn starch
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Black pepper powder
2 tsp light Soy sauce
Salt to taste
1 tsp Sugar
2 tsp Oil

Heat oil in a saucepan. Add the chopped garlic and sauté until fragrant but not browned. Add the chopped spinach and corn. Cook for a minute until the spinach wilts but is still green, and then add water. Stir and then add the salt, pepper, soy sauce and sugar. Combine well and bring to a boil.Add little salt at a time, since the soy sauce is also salty.  Prepare a slurry of the corn starch using little water. Add to the boiling soup and stir. This will thicken the soup. Simmer and then turn off heat. Serve hot. 

That's it! A simple and heart warming soup for any season.

Cream of Tomato Soup – Restaurant style with home-made croutons

Wishing all my readers a very happy and joyous 2012! May this year bring good, scrumptious and healthy eating :)

I had gone into an hibernation of sorts on the blogging front and decided to breathe some life into my space here which has kept me company on my culinary adventures and experiments. I made a healthy tomato soup a few weeks ago, even took pics when the sun decided to shine on us amidst the bleak gloomy overcast days, but never got around to sharing it on here. So here it is, the Cream of Tomato soup made restaurant style but within the confines of your own home kitchen. 

Cream of Tomato soup is one of the most popular soups served in almost any restaurant across India that takes pride in serving up multi-regional cuisine. Tomato soup is a crowd favorite and undoubtedly the most ordered too. Heck, even the Indian Railways serves up a thinned down, remotely tomatoey tasting version of this soup. There are a zillion versions on how to make tomato soup; this is just one of them adapted from the recipe used at our family restaurant back in the day.

The Indian version of the Cream of Tomato soup, is a thick creamy soup topped with deep fried bread croutons that make the soup taste sooo good albeit the croutons aren’t screaming healthy. Most restaurants also use food color to get the bright red soup. When you make it at home however, you get to choose to what’s in your soup and what’s not.

You will need:

For the soup:

8 fully ripened Roma tomatoes

3/4 cup onion, chopped

1 cup carrots, chopped

½ cup leeks, chopped * (see note below)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tbsp Olive oil or any cooking oil

1 bay leaf

Salt to taste

½ tsp Black pepper powder

½ tsp sugar (adj. to taste)

*Note: Leeks aren’t traditionally used in cream of tomato soup, they are not easily available in India either. I chose to use them since I had them on hand. Can substitute with chopped celery too or leave it out altogether.

Wash and chop the tomatoes into chunks. In a deep pan, heat the oil and add the bay leaf. When it begins to sizzle, add the chopped garlic and onions. Saute for 2 minutes. Now add the chopped carrots and leeks. Cook on medium heat until the carrots are soft. Now add the tomatoes and cover the pan with a lid. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked and all the veggies are done. Season with salt and pepper powder. Allow to cool completely. Remove the bay leaf and discard. 

Blend the cooled mixture until smooth. Use as little water as possible. I didn’t have to use any. Return the blended soup to the same pan and turn heat to medium. Simmer on low, if it feels too thick add little water. It should have a pourable consistency. Taste and add sugar if the soup is sour, the tomatoes impart tanginess. Adjust sugar and seasonings as required. Simmer for 2 minutes and turn off heat.

For the Croutons:

8 slices white/brown bread

1 tbsp Olive oil

½ tsp Salt

½ tsp Garlic powder

Large baking sheet

Preheat oven to 300F. Trim the sides of the bread and cut into bite sized cubes. Toss with the olive oil, garlic powder and salt on a baking sheet. Spread evenly and bake in pre-heated oven for 15-18 minutes until crisp and golden. Toss cubes once while baking. 

Store cooled croutons in an air-tight container and use as required.

Ladle hot soup into bowls, top with croutons and serve immediately. Voila! A healthy home-made soup is all yours to slurp on. I resisted the temptation to garnish my soup with cream, staying true to the healthy part. But if you don’t mind some cream in there, then go ahead and garnish it like this. This soup is so creamy and delicious the way it is, I promise you won’t miss the deep fried croutons ;) Enjoy!

Creamy Corn Chowder

A couple of weeks ago we had some very cold weather down here in Atlanta, the first cold of the Winter. I was glad to be indoors all week and resort to warm comfort food snuggled on the couch. Soups are our first choice but when we need something a little more filling, I make Corn Chowder.


Chowder is usually any thick soup, containing seafood or vegetables. The thickness comes from adding flour to the base, which is unusual in regular broth and vegetable based soups. Corn Chowder is a hearty combination of vegetables and of course a whole lot of corn kernels (white/yellow).

You will need:

2 tbsp Butter
3 tbsp All purpose flour
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
½ cup chopped carrots
1 cup Yellow corn, from a can, drained
1 ½ cups Vegetable stock or water
1 cup Whole milk, hot
¼ cup Heavy cream
¼ tsp Nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste


Heat the butter in a non stick pan. Add the chopped garlic, sauté till fragrant and then add the chopped onions. Cook for 2 minutes and add the chopped carrots. Saute for a few more minutes. Bring the vegetable stock (or water) to a simmering boil in another pan. Now add the all purpose flour and whisk continuously, to prevent the flour from burning and to allow it to cook evenly.


Slowly add the simmering stock(or water) while still whisking till a thick sauce is formed. Cook on low heat for a minute and then whisk in the whole milk and the heavy cream. Stir in the corn. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring the chowder to a boil and let simmer till the milk reduces and the chowder is creamy and thick. Turn off heat and serve while still hot or warm.

Hearty Minestrone Soup

This past Sunday was a day of sorts weather wise; the day started off with a light drizzle and slowly before we knew it was snowing. Yup heavy snow, which was a pleasure to watch. Last winter too we had snow but nothing like this! Soon there was a blanket of white everywhere...incredibly beautiful! We even went for a drive in the snow, I know, not the sanest thing to do but it was fun.

By evening the skies cleared up and it was fair weather but chilly. I whipped up this Minestrone to keep us warm, while we watched the snow melt slowly.

You will need:

2 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
3 large Tomatoes, finely chopped
1 Red Pepper, chopped into bite sized cubes
1 cup Conchos pasta (small shells)
1 can cooked Red Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed

½ cup frozen spinach, thawed

2 carrots, chopped
1 tbsp Tomato Paste
1 tsp Red Chilli Flakes (Adjust acc. to taste)
1 tsp Dried Basil

1 tsp Dried Oregano
5-6 cups Vegetable Stock
1 tbsp Olive Oil

Grated parmesan, to garnish
Salt and Pepper to taste

Bring water to a boil. Salt it and add the conchos. Cook for 8 minutes until al dente.

Heat the olive oil in a deep pan. Add the chopped garlic, red chilli flakes, dried basil and oregano. Saute for 30 seconds and then add the chopped tomatoes,carrots and red bell pepper. Cook till the veggies are soft. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the thawed spinach, vegetable stock, cooked pasta and the red kidney beans. Bring to a boil on medium heat.

Season with salt and pepper. Top with grated parmesan and serve hot.


Nothing else is more comforting than a good ol' bowl of soup!

Tomato and Basil Soup

This cold weather always makes us yearn for something warm and comforting. Nothing fits the description better than a steaming bowl of soup,that warms from within. This Tomato and Basil soup is a slow simmered soup, which brings simple flavours together.

You will need:

1 tbsp Olive oil

2 tbsp Butter

1 Onion, finely chopped

2 lbs ripe plum tomatoes

1 clove Garlic, chopped

3½ cups Vegetable stock

2 tbsp sun dried tomato paste

2 tbsp Shredded Basil

2/3 cup Heavy cream

Salt and pepper

Heat the oil and butter in a large pan. Add the onions and sauté until soft and ranslucent, but not browned. Stir in the chopped tomatoes,garlic, stock, sun dried tomato paste, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then lower heat, half cover the pan and let simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the tomatoes from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Process the soup with the shredded basil in a blender or a food processor. Then press through a fine sieve into a clean pan. Add the cream and heat through, stirring. Do not allow the soup to boil. Check the consistency and add more stock if necessary, season with more salt and pepper. Pour into bowls and serve immediately.

Garnish with fresh cream or fresh basil. I ran out of fresh basil so I made do with cilantro instead. Also I've garnished with fresh cream, a few drops of it and then run a toothpick through to get this design.

This has the refreshing flavour of fresh basil and the hint of garlic makes it scrumptious to the last sip. A sure warmer for a cold cold day!

Sweet Corn Veg. Soup

If you have eaten at an Indian restaurant which boasts of serving “Chinese” as well, then this is one item on the menu you probably wouldn’t have missed seeing.

No matter how many new soups the restaurant has on its menu, it’s always down to the tried and tested…the Sweet Corn Veg. Soup. A simple yet fulfilling soup, and a family favourite too.

With the temperatures fluctuating like crazy; one day its in the mid 60s (like yesterday) and on another its chilly in the low 40s, you can’t help but crave for comfort foods. And on a cold day there’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of hot soup. Better still, if it’s a favourite!!

You will need:

1 ½ cups Cream style corn

½ cup whole corn kernels (preferably canned,drained)

2 carrots, finely chopped

½ cup Green beans, chopped

½ tsp White pepper powder

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp Black pepper powder (we like it spicy!)

¼ tsp Ajino Motto (optional)

2 tsps Vinegar

1 tsp Soya sauce

2 tsps Corn flour (only if required)

Cook chopped beans and carrots in boiling water till done, about 6-7 minutes. To the same pot, stir in the cream style corn and the whole corn kernels. Add water if required. Stir in the white pepper powder, salt,black pepper,ajino motto (if using), vinegar and soy sauce. Bring to a boil.

The soup should be thick from the cream style corn. In case it’s very thin, dissolve the corn flour in a teaspoon of cold water, and add to the soup while stirring. This will thicken the soup. Check for seasoning and serve hot.

Serve it alongside extra soy sauce and vinegar with green chillies in it. These are common condiments served with Sweet Corn Veg. Soup.

Enjoy!

MBP – Minestrone Soup

I had come across Sia’s Minestrone Soup and had immediately bookmarked it, with the hope of trying it when it was my turn to ‘spring clean’ the refrigerator. Well, that time never came and I had forgotten the soup.

With this month’s Monthly Blog Patrol(MBP) theme being “Soups/Salads”, the first soup that came to mind almost instantly was this very Minestrone Soup. I always have this soup when we eat at Olive Garden, and it felt like a trip to OG while digging into this bowl of soup!

The original recipe may be found here. The following is with the modifications I made to the recipe.

You will need:

1 small Onion, finely chopped
1-2 pods of Garlic, finely chopped
2-3 large Tomatoes, cubed
1 Green Pepper, cubed
1 Red Pepper, cubed
1 cup Shells pasta (small shells)
1 can cooked Red Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed.
1 tbsp Tomato Paste
1 tsp Red Chilli Flakes
1 tsp Dried Basil
1 tsp Dried Oregano
5-6 cups Vegetable Stock
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a pan and add chopped garlic and onions. Saute for 1-2 minutes over medium heat. Now add dried herbs and crushed chilli flakes. Mix in chopped tomatoes and sauté till it becomes pulpy, approx 1-2 mins. Add vegetable stock or water, , red kidney beans, peppers and pasta.Continue to cook on medium heat till pasta is cooked well for about 5-10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmering boil.

Serve hot with toasted bread slices and enjoy this nutritious bowl of soup.
I added a little bit of Parmesan on top, just the way I like it!

This steaming bowl of soup is off to dear Raaga of the Singing Chef, who is hosting this edition of the MBP. This event was originally started by Coffee of The Spice Cafe.

Spicy Bean Soup – Comfort at its best!

The temp has been dropping constantly over the past week and we are almost in the 20s…brrrr...the thought of going out makes me shudder! Nothing like sitting indoors, warm and cosy, curled up on the couch with a hot bowl of hearty, spicy, chunky soup. This one is sure to warm you up from within.

You will need:

3 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup chili powder (yeah, this is where the spice is!!)
1 tbsp Corriander powder
1 tbsp Cumin powder
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried crushed red pepper, optional
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes with juices
1 (11.5 oz) can tomato juice
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
8 cups vegetable broth
2 (15 oz) cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup dried green lentils
2 zucchini, cubed
2 yellow squash, cubed
Salt to taste

Before you start, a note on the Chili powder : I bought the chili powder from a store here, because it’s a lot milder. We sure can’t use ½ cup of Indian chili powder, that would be too much to take!! So don't freak out with the quantity of chili powder mentioned above :-D

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, carrot, bell pepper, and garlic, and saute until the onions are translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the chili powder, coriander, cumin, oregano and crushed red pepper, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, tomato juice, tomato paste, and 2 tsp of salt. Add the broth, garbanzo beans, cannellini beans, and lentils. Stir in the zucchini and yellow squash. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium. Simmer, uncovered, until the lentils are tender and the mixture thickens slightly, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Season the soup to taste with more salt, if desired.

This makes a whole lot of soup, so unless you have company or a large family, I would suggest halving the recipe.

Fire up your taste buds!

Spicy Bean Soup is my entry to "Fresh Produce of the Month : Squash" hosted by Marta of An Italian in the US.

Pasta Frittata and Tomato Vegetable Pasta soup

The first time I saw Rachel Ray make a Frittata on Food Network, I was totally floored by the look of it. The thought of cutting into my food like a cake, was really fascinating. And better still was the way she slid the frittata from the pan to a flat surface, looked like a delicious savory pie! I couldn't try the one she made on the show that day because it had meat in it, but was I glad when I found a similar recipe in her "Everyday with Rachel Ray" magazine. I had no excuses not to try this one!!

Pasta Frittata: (serves: 4)

You will need:

7 large Eggs

3 oz Mozzarella cheese cubed (about 1 cup)

½ to ¾ cup Grape tomatoes halved (I used regular tomatoes cubed)

½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

2 tbsp Olive Oil

1 cup leftover cooked pasta with sauce (I used left over tri-coloured Rotini with Marinara sauce)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Beat eggs and then stir in the mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil and cook the pasta for a minute with the sauce. Now add the egg mixture and cook until the edges begin to firm up. Draw the cooked edges toward the centre of the pan letting the raw egg flow towards the edge of the pan. Continue until frittata is almost set but slightly runny in the centre, about 4 minutes. Transfer to the oven to finish cooking, about 10 mins. Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes.

Using a rubber spatula cut the frittata into wedges and serve hot or at room temp.

Want more pasta frittata....try this...Eggs and Pasta Frittata

Tomato Vegetable Pasta Soup

Another recipe from Rachel's food mag to beat the winter chill!

You will need:

2 tbsp Olive Oil

1 Zucchinni grated using the large holes of a box grater

2 carrots, peeled and grated using large holes of a box grater

1 onion, chopped

4 ribs celery, chopped

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper

4 cups veg broth

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes

1 15.5 oz chickpeas

2 jarred roasted red bell pepper, chopped

½ lb Penne

¼ cup store bought pesto

Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the zucchini, carrots, onion, celery and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 8 mins, stirring with a wooden spoon. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, chickpeas and bell peppers, cover and bring to a boil.

When it begins to boil, add the pasta and cook for 12-15 mins until al dente. Stir in the pesto which helps thicken the soup. Taste and season accordingly. Discard bay leaf and serve.

If you can't find pesto, use Tomato paste as the thickener. Stir it in with the tomatoes and broth.

I served the soup with some Cheesy Garlic Bread ...the store bought ones...it was a satisfying mini meal for a cold rainy evening.

Spicy Tomato Soup and Thyme Popovers

It is so cold outside that I feel like huddling up on the couch with hubby dear and stay there forever! Thankfully I don’t work outside so I can stay warm indoors throughout the day. Now that its winter, it gets dark awfully early. Not to forget the hunger pangs which seem to exist somewhere deep within and hit me out of the blue. One such evening, when my stomach was rumbling and it was cold, I decided to make soup. I personally detest the canned ones, which nothing in it, but rather prefer a chunky wholesome soup, with pasta …all the better.

So here’s what I made with the ingredients I had on hand.

Spicy Tomato Soup

You will need

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups marinara sauce
2 (14oz) cans Vegetable broth
1 (15oz) can Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (vary to suit your taste)
1/2 cup Shell pasta (or any small pasta)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Warm the olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic and saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the marinara sauce, vegetable broth, cannellini beans, red pepper flakes, pasta, salt and pepper. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve hot!

This surely isn't your average tomato soup. I had mine topped with a little bit of grated Parmesan..hmm good!!

Thyme Popovers

You will need

Softened butter for greasing pans, plus 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups whole milk, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Generously grease aluminum popover pans or custard cups with softened butter. You'll need enough pans to make 12 popovers. Place the pans in the oven for 2 minutes to preheat. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, salt, thyme, eggs, milk, and melted butter until smooth. The batter will be thin. Fill the popover pans less than half full and bake for exactly 30 minutes. Do not peek :)

This went well with the hot spicy soup...