#90 Roasted Carrots and Coriander soup (Vegan)

A family favourite and very easy to make, I recently tried to roast the carrots for this soup before blending and the result was just great!

It is a very delicious vegetarian soup. Sometimes I use chicken stock, but this vegan version it was replaced with vegetable stock.

Don't hesitate to try this very humble, fast and easy to make, but rich in taste soup!

Products:

(Serves 5-6 )

for roasting:

700 gr carrots - peeled and coped in 3 cm pieces

1 medium onion - peeled, quartered and cut in half

1 large or 2 small garlic cloves

2 tbsp olive oil

salt

for the soup:

1.4 l vegetable stock

salt to taste

1 tbsp olive oil

1tsp ground coriander

ground pepper

a handful of fresh coriander leaves

Method:

Line a roasting pan with foil and place the vegetables. Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle some salt.

Roast in 200 C oven for 15 minutes and make sure they don't burn (very much). Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a while.

In the meantime heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan and add the ground coriander and leave to fry for 10-20 seconds very carefully it doesn't burn. Add the roasted vegetables and cover with the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, simmer for 5 minutes, stop the heat, then blend. I used a hand blender with metal stem so it can work with hot liquids.

When smooth enough, sprinkle some black pepper and adjust salt to taste.

Add the finely chopped coriander leaves, mix well, cover with lid and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Then serve.

#89 Spicy Beef and Noodles Soup Korean style

Still under Korean influence, a warming beef and noudles soup packed with vitamins and enriched with a spicy kimchi. It's a free-style recipe but i still call it Korean :)

#88 Bulgarian Steak and Rice Soup

To serve 2

2 tbsp oil
1 pork shoulder steak
1 small onion, finely chopped
½ tsp sweet paprika
½ tsp tomato puree
1.2l chicken stock
1 handful of risotto rice, washed
salt
black pepper
½ tsp dried savoury (or thyme)
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 tbsp red wine vinegar, optional

Heat the oil in a pan and cook the steak for a minute each side, just to seal the juices. Take it out on a board and chop into ½ cm cubes.
Add some more oil in the pan, if needed and sauté the onion for 3 minutes.
Add the paprika and tomato puree and stir for a few seconds.
Pour in the chicken stock and once it comes to the boil and the chopped steak. Season with salt and pepper and cook on medium heat for half an hour.
Add the washed rice and savoury and continue cooking for another 20 minutes.
When ready to serve, sprinkle the chopped parsley on top and add the vinegar, if you like a bit of sourness in your soups.

#85 Broad bean, mint and feta cheese soup

To serve 2

300g frozen broad beans
2 tbsp oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
500 ml chicken stock
4 tbsp fresh mint leaves
2 tbsp yoghurt

Heat the oil in a pan and cook the onions for 5 minutes.
Add the stock and continue cooking for another 15 minutes, or until the onions have softened.
In the meantime, heat some water in a deep pan and when it comes to the boil put the frozen beans in. Cook for 3 minutes. Rinse under cold water and keep aside.
When the onions are ready, add the beans to the soup, along with the mint and yoghurt.
Allow to cool a little and liquidize in a blender.
Reheat gently and serve.

#84 Easy Bouillabaisse

To serve 4

3 tbsp oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
½ carrot, finely chopped
½ fennel bulb, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
¼ tsp rosemary
½ tsp thyme
a pinch of saffron
½ glass of white wine
1 can of chopped tomatoes
1.6l fish stock
400g cod fillets, chopped
200g mussel meat
fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Heat the oil in a deep pan and sauté the onion for 3 minutes.
Add the rest of the vegetables and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the herbs and wine and cook for a minute, or until the alcohol has evaporated.
Add the tomatoes, pour in the fish stock and cook the soup on medium heat for 30-40 minutes.
Add the pieces of cod and cook them for 6 minutes, then add the mussels and cook for another 2 minutes.
Sprinkle some chopped parsley on top and serve hot.

#83 Mixed Dried Beans Soup

Beans - important source of proteins and fibres - have been cultivated long ago and are present in a large part of the world cuisines.
I cooked the traditional Bulgarian dried beans soup, and now this soup is a variation of the same. This time let's combine different varieties of dried beans for a more interesting tastes, colours and textures.

Serves 4:

1 cup mixed beans (including Aduki, Turtle, Blackeye, Borlotti, Butter, Cannelini, Flageolet, Haricot, Pinto, Red kidney beans) soaked overnight in cold water
1 small onion diced
1 red chilli
100 gr plum tomatoes cubed
1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp paprika (a smoked or spicy variety will enhance the taste)
2 cloves of garlic

2 tbsp fresh mint leaves
5-6 sprigs parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Rinse well the soaked beans, drain, place in a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil and discard the water. Pour water once again, bring to the boil and boil for some 50 minutes.
In another pan heat the oil, add the onion and garlic and fry for some 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until tender. Then sprinkle the paprika, mix well and cover with a dash of the beans stock. Mix until the stock and the spices is homogeneous and transfer to the soup.
Simmer the soup for more 15-20 minutes. Five minutes before removing from heat add the fresh leaves.

#82 Five Spice Black Bean Soup, Western Style

To serve 4

250g dried black beans
2 star anise
3 cm cinnamon stick
3 cloves
½ tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp Szechuan pepper
2 tbsp oil
2 cm ginger, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 red chilli, chopped
4 tbsp light soy sauce
a few drops of sesame oil

Put the black beans in a deep pan, together with the five spices, cover with water and cook on medium heat until the beans have softened, about an hour. When ready, take the spices out and discard.
In a small pan, heat the oil and fry the ginger, garlic and chilli for 1 minute. Add to the soup.
Add the soy sauce and sesame oil and transfer the soup to a liquidizer. Blend until very smooth, adding more water if the soup looks too thick.
Reheat gently and serve.

#81 Tiered Tomato and Avocado Soup

I based this soup on a recipe I found on Sunset Magazine’s website.

To serve 3

To make the avocado layer:
1 ripe avocado, peeled and chopped
1 small clove of garlic, chopped
½ red chilli, chopped
1 tsp chopped onion
100 ml chicken stock
2 tbsp yoghurt
salt

To make the tomato layer:
1 big beef tomato, chopped
½ tsp cider vinegar
salt

To finish the soup:
4 tbsp finely chopped cucumber
1 tbsp finely chopped onion
1 tbsp lime juice
salt

First, make the avocado layer. Put everything in a blender and process until smooth. Put in the fridge to cool for at least one hour.
Next, blend the tomatoes and seasonings until smooth. Allow to cool in the fridge.
In a small bowl, mix the cucumber and onion, season with salt and lime juice and put in the fridge.
When ready to serve, pour some of the avocado mixture in a clear bowl (or glass) and top with tomatoes. Add a tablespoon of the cucumber and onion mixture and serve immediately.

#80 Bulgarian Bob Chorba (Beans Soup)

Save the best for last, that's it! Some of the best recipes have been kept for the end of the 90 Soups for the Suoul Project. And one of them is the traditional Bulgarian Bob Chorba (Beans Soup).

The best variety of beans you can use should come from the Smilian village near Smolian, southwestern Bulgaria.
In case you don't have access to this variety, use a cannellini beans.
The recipe requires as well some traditional specific herbs as Mentha spicata (джоджен) and Winter savory (чубрица). To add more interesting flavours add fresh sweet basil and parsley as well.

You will need to soak the beans in cold water overnight or at least for 3 hours prior to cooking.

Serves 8-10:

500 gr beans - soaked overnight in cold water
1 carrot - diced
1 red pepper sliced
1 green pepper - sliced
2 onions - diced
salt olive oil - 4-5 tbsp


3-4 sprigs winter savoury
2 tbsp freshly cut leaves of Mentha spicata
5-6 sprigs parsley
basil leaves

Method:

On the next day rinse well the soaked beans, drain, place in a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil and discard the water. Pour water once again, bring to the boil and boil for some 50 minutes. Add the oil, salt, Mentha spicata and winter savourym the carrot, peppers and onions and simmer for an hour more.
Before serving sprinkle freshly cut parsley and basil leaves.

This will result in a white colour soup.

#79 Cold Melon Soup

To serve 4
1 Cantaloupe melon, peeled and deseeded
200 ml white wine
a few sprigs of lemon thyme

Roughly chop the melon and put it in a liquidiser. Pour in the wine and blend until smooth.
Transfer to a jug and add the whole sprigs of lemon thyme in. Leave in the fridge for 8 hours to chill.
When ready to serve, take the lemon thyme out and discard it. Pour the cold soup in glass bowls and serve immediately.

#78 Yoghurt Soup with Turkish Pasta and Dill Pesto

To serve 2
For the pesto
1 small clove of garlic
1 tbsp pine nuts
a few sprigs of dill
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the soup
300g fresh yoghurt
100 ml water
60g dried Turkish Manti, or other pasta of your choice
salt
½ tsp sumac powder

First, cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Drain and keep in a bowl.
Then, make the pesto. In a pestle and mortar, put the garlic and pine nuts, together with some salt and pound into a puree. Add the dill and olive oil, stir and set aside.
Pour the yoghurt and water in a deep bowl and stir until well mixed. Season with salt.
To assemble the soup, pour some of the yoghurt mixture in a deep plate, add some pasta and half of the pesto. Sprinkle sumac powder on top and serve.

#77 Summery Nectarines Soup

Something fresh fresh fresh for the summer days when you need to escape from heat and have something unexpected. And the best part- it's ready in a jiffy!

Serves 1:

3 necatrines - peeled and stoned
1 tbsp cream (can be double or single, or just ordinary creme fraiche or soured cream)
1 large fresh sweet basil leaf
30 ml red wine
2-3 drops balsamic vinegar
a sprinkle of ground black pepper
3-4 ice cubes

Method:

1.Process the necatrines, cream, pepper, basil, red wine amnd vinegar in a food processor.

2. Laddle in a glass and top with ice cubes.

3. Seat back, let the sunshine in and enjoy!

#76 Watercress Soup

To serve 4
3 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
300g potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 packet of watercress, washed
1.5l chicken stock
salt
black pepper
4 tbsp yoghurt (or sour cream, if you prefer)

Heat the oil in a deep pan, add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes.
Add the potatoes and chicken stock, season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Cook for 10 minutes.
Add the watercress and cook for another 5 minutes.
Take the soup off the heat and allow it to cool.
Transfer into a liquidizer and process until smooth.
Check the seasoning and thickness of the soup and add more salt and water if needed.
Reheat gently and serve with yoghurt.

#75 Special Mushroom Soup

The way of cooking I enjoy most is combining and interpreting recipes the way I feel most like it on the day.
So today's soup was not initially planned to be like this, but I changed some thing in the process.
Unlike the most popular ways to cook mushrooms with cream, add some paprika here for a bold red-coloured soup.

Lentils and Portabello Mushrooms Soup.

Serves 4:

4-6 portabello mushrooms
10-20 gr butter


1.4 l vegetable stock
150 gr green lentils
2 carrots julienned
1/2 cup sweet corn
1 tbsp paprika
1 large onion chopped
2-3 cloves garlic crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt to taste
chives to garnish

Method:

First line a tray and place the mushrooms on it. Top each mushroom with a shaving of butter and bake in the oven at 190C for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In the meantime heat the oil in a saucepan and steam the onion and garlic in it stirring occasionally.
Add the cumin and paprika, stir for a couple of seconds then add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. When boiling add the lentils, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the carrots and the sweet corn and continue to simmer for more 10-15 minutes.

When serving top with julienned baked mushrooms.

Enjoy!

#74 South Indian Chilli Water

I based this soup on a recipe I found in “Best Ever Indian Cookbook” by Mridula Baljekar, Rafi Fernandez, Shehzad Husain & Manisha Kanani

To serve 4
2 tbsp oil
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp asafoetida
10 curry leaves
1 red chilli, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can of tomatoes
150 ml water
salt

First, put the tomatoes in a blender and process until smooth.
In a pan, heat the oil and fry the spices, chilli and garlic for ½ - 1 minute. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
Add the tomatoes, water and salt and cook on low heat for another 20 minutes.
Serve very hot.

Note: If you don’t like to eat whole spices, strain the soup just before serving.

#73 Curried Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup

A wonderfully warming, light spring soup.
To make :
Serves 4-6

1 cup cauliflower
1 cup broccoli
1/2 cup carrots
1 tbsp olive oil
10 gr butter
4 tbsp ground almonds
1.2 l vegetable stock
canola oil for drizzling

cumin
salt
pepper
coriander leaves

Method:

Place the olive oil in a saucepan and sweat the carrots, cauliflower florets and broccoli florets for 10-15 minutes until tender.
Transfer to a belnder, add thhalf the vegetable stock and blend.
Heat the butter in a saucepan, add the cumin and fry for a couple of seconds. Add the blended soup, the remaining stock and the almonds.
Bring to the boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
Season with the salt, pepper and coriander leaves.
Transfer to cups and serve. Drizzle canola oil.
Additionally top with croutons or grated cheese.

#72 Lentils and Sausage Soup

To serve 4
200g puy lentils
1 small onion, finely chopped
8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
½ tsp thyme
¼ tsp rosemary
salt
black pepper
2 tbsp oil
400g Toulouse (or any other garlic and rosemary flavoured) sausage, sliced in to 2 cm pieces

Put the lentils, onion, garlic, carrot, herbs and salt in a pot, cover with 1.5l water and cook for half an hour, or until soft.
In a frying pan, heat the oil and fry the sliced sausages, 8-10 minutes. Alternatively, put them under the grill and cook until nicely browned.
Add the cooked sausages to the pot of lentils. Check the seasoning and the thickness of the soup, adding more salt and water if needed.
Serve with a nice piece of crusty bread.

#70 Chinese-Style Hot and Sour Chicken Soup

To serve 2

300 ml chicken stock
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp mirin
1 tsp Chinese cooking wine
2 cm fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into fine straws
1 chicken breast, cooked and sliced
½ can straw mushrooms, halved
¼ can water chestnuts, halved
juice of 1 lime, or to taste
1 red chilli, thinly sliced
1 spring onion, sliced

Heat the stock in a pan, add half of the ginger and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the soy sauce, mirin, Chinese wine, chicken, mushrooms and water chestnuts. Keep on low heat for 3-4 minutes.
Add rest of the ginger, chilli, spring onion and lime juice.
Serve immediately.

#68 Scotch Broth, Balkan Style

To serve 3

For the stock
300 g lamb neck fillet
20 black peppercorns
3 all spice berries
1 bay leaf
salt

To finish the soup
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 parsnip, peeled and sliced
250g potatoes, cut in 1.5 cm dice
a handful of wheat (or barley, if you prefer it more authentic)
100g frozen peas
fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

2 tbsp butter
½ tbsp mild paprika

Put the meat and seasoning in a deep pan, cover with 2l of water and bring to the boil. After 10 minutes skim off the impurities, lower the heat and cook gently for an hour and a half, or until the meat is tender.
Take the lamb out and cut it in bite-size pieces. Keep them on a plate.
Strain the stock, discard the spices and pour it back in the pot.
Bring to a gentle boil, add the vegetables and wheat and cook for 20 minutes.
Add the frozen peas and continue cooking for another 10 minutes.
Put the meat back in the pot, check the seasoning and add the parsley.
In a small pan, heat the butter and add the paprika to it. Keep on the heat for 30 seconds then add it to the soup.
Stir well and serve.

Red Pepper Soup with Aubergine and Feta Crumbles

You can never go wrong with roasted red peppers, olive oil and aubergines.
The same dish if made with thicker consistency can be served as appetizer.

Serves 4:

4 red Ramiro peppers grilled and the skin peeled
1 can peeled plum tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
4 cloves of garlic peeled and crushed
250 ml water
basil, parsley, salt, pepper

1 aubergine cut into slices
100 ml olive oil

feta cheese

Method:

Salt the aubergine slices very welll, cover with water and set aside for an hour or two. Wash and pat dry then pry in oil both sides until golden. Set aside.

Blend the grilled peppers, the tomatoes, the onion and the garlic in a blender until smooth.

Transfer to the saucepan with the oil from frying the aubergines, add the spices.
Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes until the volume reduces.
Serve sprinkled with crumbled feta and aubergines.