[Cooksister] No beating warme sop: Wholesome soup recipes
Yoh, dis darem lekker koud nuh!
With the abundance of rain and the skies grey, dark and gloomy, there is one thing that comes to mind - a lekker bakkie warme stop.
I love soup!
Yes, it is something we have in winter but my love for soup goes way beyond winter.
I can have soup any season, any day, every day and for breakfast, lunch and supper.
I know there are so many different variations of soup, but my favourite will always be a classic beef and split pea soup.
I love the simplicity of this soup and how everything comes together so beautifully.
The flavours of this soup is heightened when it’s done the old fashion way, where it has to be bubbling away from the crack of dawn and slowly simmering for hours, filling up the house with the smell of soup.
I always start off by soaking my pulses the night before, so that they are lekker swelled up the next morning.
I scratch around in my fridge and look for whatever veggies I have, and also grab a potato, onion and a few carrots.
I grate this until fine, add it in a big pot with the pulses, add in some beef pieces or sopbene, top it up with water and let it do its thing.
Whenever I pass the pot, I give it an occasional stir or top up the water.
Then after it’s been bubbling away slowly for a few hours, you get to reward yourself by having the first cup!
That first cup just hits differently but it is so lekker, you will find yourself going for refills throughout the day.
This week I’m sharing my favourite soup recipes for you to enjoy.
Keep warm and happy cooking!
For more recipes or baking and cooking inspiration, visit my website www.sprinklesandspice.co.za or visit my social media platforms on Tik Tok or Instagram @sprinklesandspicect or Facebook Sprinkles and Spice by Farzana Kumandan.
Love, Your Cooksister
Lentil and Butternut Soup
Ingredients
¼ cup Olive oil
1 large Onion
3 grated cloves of garlic
1 cup red lentils (rinsed)
1 Butternut (peeled and cut in chunks)
2 grated carrots
1 large red pepper
1 handful parsley
1 handful celery
Dash of fresh lemon juice
2 litres water or veg stock
Salt to taste
2 teaspoon jeera (cumin)
½ teaspoon crushed red chillies
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Method
Braise the onion in olive oil until it’s translucent.
Add in the garlic and braise until the tips of the garlic start turning slightly golden brown.
Add in the spices, lentils and veg and Braise for 3 minutes.
Add in the water and reduce the heat to low.
Simmer on a low heat for 35 minutes.
Add a dash of lemon juice and salt to taste and blend with a stick blender or in a liquidiser until smooth.
Serve with a slice of lemon and a crusty or flat bread.
Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
1 x 600g country style soup mix
Freshly cut and ready to cook
2 tablespoons butter
½ onion
3 chicken fillets cubed
½ red pepper diced
2 large cloves garlic thinly sliced
1 sprig spring onion sliced (green and white)
¼ cup parsley
1 tablespoon Sprinkles and Spice Roast Chicken
1 tablespoon Sprinkles and Spice Chaat Masala
1 tsp white pepper
1 tablespoon green dhania chutney or green chilli
1 punnet mushrooms sliced
2 tins cream style corn
1 fresh cream
1 packet thick veg soup powder
1 punnet baby marrows sliced in thick chunks
Salt to taste
Method
Rinse the precut veg and add it to a pot with 1 ½ litres water.
Boil until the veg is soft and blend with a stick blender, set aside.
In a separate large pot, add the butter, onion, and chicken.
Braise until the chicken is browned, then add the red pepper, garlic, spring onion, and parsley.
Mix well and stir fry for a minute, then add the spices and chilli.
Add the mushrooms, cream style corn, and fresh cream and stir until well combined.
Add the liquidised veg, one litre water and turn up to a high heat and bring to boil.
Once it boils, add in the soup powder (mixed with cold water), and the baby marrows chunks.
Simmer for 5 minutes and serve.
Chicken and Corn Soup
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
1 finely chopped onion
2-3 chicken fillets diced into small cubes
1 teaspoon barbeque spice
1 teaspoon white pepper
½ finely chopped red pepper
1 finely chopped green chilli
1 finely grated garlic clove
1 teaspoon garlic and ginger
2 finely grated large carrots
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley and/or celery.
1 litre cold water
1 packet white onion soup powder
1 packet cream of chicken soup powder
1 packet thick veg soup powder
1 cup frozen corn
2 tins cream style corn
2 litres milk - 4 litres of milk depending on the thickness you like (I use 2 litres)
1 cup fresh cream
Method
Braise the onion in butter until golden brown.
Add the chicken, spices, pepper and chilli and braise for 5 minutes, until the chicken is golden brown.
Add the garlic, garlic and ginger, parsley/celery, carrots and corn and braise for1 minute.
Add the cream style corn, fresh cream and milk and stir well.
Mix the soup powders with cold water, until it’s smooth and lump free and add to the soup.
Stir continuously on a low heat until it boils.
Simmer for a few minutes and enjoy.
Beef and Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
1 x 500g split peas
¼ cup soup mix
2-3 blocks chicken stock or veg stock.
1 heaped tsp garlic ginger
500g -1kg beef pieces with bone
2 heaped tsp pepper or to taste*
2 all spice (pimento)
1 clove
3 large carrots
1 onion
1 tomato
1 potato
1 cup celery
1 cup parsley
Method
Rinse and soak the split peas and soup mix in boiling water, overnight, or for at least an hour.
Liquidise or pulse the veg in a food processor until fine and pulpy.
If you do not have any of the above, finely grate the veg and finely chopped the parsley and celery.
*For the stove top
On a stove top in a large pot, add all the ingredients, top up with water, and mix well. Bring to boil and simmer for 1 1⁄2 - 2 hours, stirring occasionally and top up water if needed.
*For the Instant Pot
Add all the ingredients, top up with water just below the max line, and mix well.
Pressure cook for 30 minutes on high pressure and QPR or NP depending on how much time you have.
* Add salt only if you are omitting the stock cubes as stock contains salt.
If you want a beef flavour, use beef stock.
Butternut and Chickpea Soup
Ingredients
1 tin chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
1 large butternut (save some seeds)
1 onion
1 carrot
1 large, sweet potato
½ red pepper
Handful celery and parsley
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons butter
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tablespoon Sprinkles and Spice Roast Chicken Spice
1 tablespoon Sprinkles and Spice Orange Pepper
1 cup fresh cream (added last)
Crushed chilies for garnish
Method
Peel, rinse and roughly chop up all the veggies.
In a large pot, on a high heat, add the butter and once melted, add all the veg and the chickpeas (save 2 tablespoons chickpeas aside)
Add in all the spices and braise until fragrant, golden brown, and caramelised. You want to roast all the veg to release all the flavours.
Close the lid and reduce the heat, allowing the veg to steam and sweat for a few minutes. Top with water and cook until all the veg is soft.
Once soft, liquidise or use a stick blender and blend until smooth.
Then add the fresh cream and simmer until it boils.
Serve by garnishing with air fried or pan roasted chickpeas or butternut seeds and a sprinkle of crushed chilies.
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