Winter Season Healthy Bowls Of Soups To Enjoy..!

By: Dr. Kaviraj Khialani- Celebrity Master Chef.

Soup is often referred to one of those concepts related to our menus and diets which is not only fulfilling, healthy and wholesome but also adds value, versatility and variety into our day to day cooking as well especially when it comes to the onset of the winter season.to beat the chilling thrills on a cool evening, a bowl of hot soup, well-seasoned and flavoured complete with all its essentials, be it the color combinations, the crunch or the garnish, every single ingredient has a very important role to play when it comes to soup making.

While for some soups are a little not too interesting as a concept to work with regularly, being a chef it is one of the easiest category on the menu to saute, simmer and serve
enticing and exciting bowlfuls to our valued guests and foodies. Be it the desi flavors with indian spices to add to the robust aromas of soups to the mild aromatics from global cuisines which create that perfect melange in that simmering pot of delicacy, balance is the key which needs to be kept in mind at all times.

Some of the Basic Essentials when working with Soups:

1. A good choice of ingredients: the nature and character of a well-made soup depends on the options and variety of ingredients used in making the same. Be it seasonal availability or veggies available all year round it is important to make a wise choice and use them in a proper ratio and combination.
2. A good stock to flavor: a stock has been a base and a foundation of making a good soup. A well-made stock involves a good choice of fresh Mirepoix including onions, carrots, celery, leeks, parsley etc with a touch of spice using bay leaves, peppercorns etc is a must have on hand before starting a soup recipe.
3. A well-balanced recipe: besides having best choice of ingredients and pre-preps on hand it is advisable to design a recipe which formulates the correct, accurate and wise use of ingredients in proportion to create a great taste and dining experience for our guests and for all of us.
4. An appropriate method of cooking: a soup is best made when it applies to certain methods and heat applications like being simmered and cooked appropriately to the right texture and degree of doneness for the veggies/ non-veggie components which are a part of a soup recipe. Correct quantity of liquid content, cooked correctly can make it a hit.
5. Accompaniments to go along with soups: a choice of ingredients from small cubes of fried/ toasted bread termed as croutons are an all-time favorite with for example a cream of tomato soup, similarly we usually look forward to having fried noodles with our chinese soups like Manchow, hot-n- sour soups, a bread basket, soup sticks with a cream of chicken or mushroom soup.

Here are a few of my choicest recipes to try out this winter season with soups:

Recipe-1] Clear Chicken And Veggie Soup

Ingredients:

For the stock pot:

• Water- 750ml
• Celery- 1 stalk, roughly cut
• Carrot-1/4 no, roughly cut
• Onion-1/2 no, sliced
• Bayleaf-1 no
• Peppercorns-3-4 no
• Simmer for 12- 15 mins, strain and keep aside.

For the soup:

• Oil/ butter-1/2 tsp
• Ginger- 1 tsp juliennes
• Carrots- ¼ cup sliced
• French beans- 4-5 no, cut into pieces
• Green capsicum- ½ no, cut into small cubes
• Cauliflower- 4-5 florets or broccoli can be used
• Assorted mushrooms/ fresh button- 2-3 no sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Lime juice- 1 tsp
• Fresh parsley/ basil/ thyme- 1-2 tsp for flavor
• Boiled shredded chicken-1/2 cup

Method:

1. Prepare the stock for the soup recipe and pre-prep all the ingredients for the soup and keep them ready.
2. Heat oil/butter in a pan, add in the ginger, carrots, beans and choice of vegetables as desired, add seasonings, stock and bring to a boil, simmer for 6-8 mins.
3. Once the veggies are little tender, should be crunchy to the bite and not over cooked. Add in the chicken pieces and simmer for couple of minutes, adjust liquid content and salt to taste.
4. Dish out the soup in serving bowls, garnish it with fresh herbs like parsley/basil etc and enjoy it with a splash of like juice just before relishing it. It can be served with a basket of bread rolls and butter.

Recipe-2] Herbed Mushroom And Onion Soup

Ingredients:

For the stock pot:

• Water- 750 ml
• Onion-1/2 no sliced
• Bayleaf- 1 no
• Peppercorns- 3-4 no
• Stems of fresh mushrooms- 2-3 tsp sliced
• Parsley- 1 tsp roughly cut

For the soup:

• Butter-1 tsp
• Oil-1 tsp
• Maida- 2 tsp
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh button mushrooms- 200 gms, cut into halves
• Sweet potato- ½ cup cubed
• Mixed herbs-1/2 tsp
• Chili flakes-1/2 tsp
• Milk- 2-3 tbsp.
• Fresh cream -2 tsp
• Cheese- 2 tsp grated
• Fresh assorted herbs- 1 tsp

To serve with – small bread croutons, fried.

Method:

1. Prepare the stock pot for the soup recipe and simmer for 12-15 mins and strain the liquid, keep aside.
2. Heat oil and butter in a pan, add in the sweet potato and mushrooms and saute for 15 seconds.
3. Add in the seasonings, herbs, chili flakes, maida and saute for 15 seconds.
4. Add in the liquid content/ stock and allow to come to a boil. Simmer for 12- 15 mins and cool down.
5. Using a hand blender / mixer jar process the soup and bring it back to a boil. Add some water/stock as needed and adjust the texture of the soup.
6. Once the soup is done, dish out the hot piping soup into serving bowls and garnish with saute mushrooms, swirl of a fresh cream. This is best enjoyed with some hot and crispy garlic bread on the side.

Recipe-3] Minted Green Goddess Bowl

Ingredients:

For the stock pot:

• Water- 750 ml
• Onion-1/2 no sliced
• Bayleaf- 1 no
• Peppercorns- 3-4 no
• Parsley- 1 tsp roughly cut

For the soup:

• Oil-1 tsp
• Butter-1/2 tsp
• Garlic- 1 tsp chopped
• Onion-1 small chopped
• Potato-1 small cubed
• Mint leaves- 10-12 no
• Spinach-1 bunch roughly cut
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Mixed herbs-1/2 tsp
• Chili flakes-1/2 tsp
• Maida-1 tsp
• Milk-2-3 tbsp.
• Fresh cream- 1-2 tsp
• Fresh basil leaves- 2-3 no
• Micro-greens- 2-3 tbsp. for garnish

For garnish: Fried garlic rubbed bread croutons-1 cup

Method:

1. Prepare the stock pot, simmer for 10-12 mins, strain and keep aside.
2. Clean and wash the spinach leaves and roughly cut them and pre-prep all the other ingredients as well for the soup.
3. If desired this soup tastes good with a chicken stock as well. And boneless cubes of boiled chicken also can be added into this soup with croutons at the end.
4. To start the cooking process of the soup, heat oil and butter in a pan add in the garlic and onion saute for a few seconds, add in the potato, maida, spinach, salt, pepper, herbs and chili flakes mix well.
5. Add in the stock and bring to a boil, simmer the soup for 12-15 mins, cool, add in mint leaves and puree and strain it, bring it back to a boil, simmer add milk, adjust the taste,
   texture and cook for 2-3 mins.
6. Turn off the flame, dish out the soup and garnish with little cream, micro-greens, garlic flavoured croutons, boiled diced chicken cubes for non-veg and serve hot.

Recipe-4] Mix Veg Delight Soup

Ingredients:

For the stock pot:

• Water- 750ml
• Celery- 1 stalk, roughly cut
• Carrot-1/4 no, roughly cut
• Onion-1/2 no, sliced
• Bayleaf-1 no
• Peppercorns-3-4 no
• Simmer for 12- 15 mins, strain and keep aside

For the soup:

• Oil-1 tsp
• Butter-1 tsp
• Garlic- 1 tsp chopped
• Onion-1 small chopped
• Yellow pumpkin- 1 cup cubed
• Carrot-1 small cubed
• Sweet potato- 1 small cubed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Mixed herbs-1/2 tsp
• Maida-1 tsp
• Chili flakes-1/4 tsp
• Peanuts- 2-3 tbsp. roasted and crushed
• Flax seeds/ sunflower seeds- 2-3 tsp
• Fresh parsley- 2 tsp
• Fresh cream- 1-2 tsp

Method:

1. Prepare the stock pot for the soup, simmer, strain and keep aside.
2. To start with the soup, heat oil and butter in a pan add in the garlic, onions saute for 1 minute, add in the assorted veggies for the soup and add maida and saute for couple of minutes.
3. Add in the salt, pepper, herbs, chili flake, sunflower seeds or flax seeds and mix well. Cook for 2-3 mins. Add it stock and bring to a boil, simmer and cook the soup for 18- 22 mins and then cool.
4. Puree and strain the soup and bring it back to the pan, add stock, little cream and adjust the texture of the soup, check for salt and fix up the soup for the final plating.
5. Dish out the soup into serving soup bowls and garnish it with roasted crushed peanuts/ micro-greens/parsley and cream etc and serve it with assorted cheese or plain bread rolls and butter.

Recipe-5] Soy Tofu Soup

Ingredients:

For the stock pot:

• Water- 750 ml
• Ginger-1 tsp juliennes
• Garlic- 2 cloves, sliced
• Onion-1/2 sliced
• Celery-1 stalk cut into pieces
• Peppercorns- 3-4 no

For the soup:

• Oil-1 tsp
• Spring onions-2 tbsp. chopped
• Mushrooms-2-3 sliced
• Babycorn- 2-3 sliced
• Carrot-2 tbsp. minced
• Cabbage-2 tbsp. minced
• Capsicum-2 tbsp. fine chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Tofu-3- 4 tsp, small cubes
• Soy sauce- 2-3 tsp
• Red chili sauce- 1-2 tsp
• Corn starch and water solution- 2-3 tsp
• White vinegar-1 tsp
• Spring onion greens-2-3 tsp fine chopped

1. Prepare the stock pot, strain and keep aside.
2. Pre-prep all the ingredients for the soup and keep ready.
3. Heat oil in a pan and saute the ginger, garlic, onions for a few seconds, add in the veggies of your choice and saute for a few seconds.
4. Add in the stock, sauces, seasonings to taste and bring it to a boil, simmer for 3-4 mins, add in the corn starch water solution and thicken up the soup.
5. Add white vinegar towards the end and garnish with spring onion greens as well, if preferred to make non-veg can add boiled chopped chicken towards the end as well and serve hot.

Recipe-6] Tomacino Cuppa Special

Ingredients:

For the stock pot:

• Water- 750 ml
• Carrots- 2-3 tsp chopped
• Celery-1 stalk chopped
• Onion-1/2 small chopped
• Bay leaf-1 no
• Peppercorns- -4-5 no
• Simmer for 12-15 mins, strain and keep aside.

For the soup:

• Oil-1 tsp
• Butter-1 tsp
• Maida-1 tsp
• Garlic-1 tsp chopped
• Onion-1/2 chopped
• Celery-2 tbsp. chopped
• Tomatoes-2 cups, red and ripe, chopped
• Tomato puree-2-3 tbsp.
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh basil leaves- 4-6 no
• Mix seeds- 2-3 tsp, assorted like flax, sunflower, chia etc
• Chili flakes- ½ tsp
• Fresh cream-2-3 tsp
• Parsley-1-2 tsp chopped
• Micro-greens- 2-3 tsp for garnish

Method:

1. Prepare the stock pot and keep it simmered, strain and keep aside.
2. To start with the soup recipe, heat oil and butter in a pan and saute the garlic, onion for a few seconds add in the tomatoes, maida, salt, pepper, herbs, a few assorted seeds, chili flakes, tomato puree and cook for 2-3 mins.
3. Add in the stock and bring to a boil, simmer for 12-15 mins and cool down. Puree/ blend the soup to a fine puree, strain it out and bring it back to a boil.
4. Adjust the salt as per taste, texture as desired by adding more stock if needed. Dish out the soup into serving bowls and garnish with cream, parsley and or assorted seeds to add
   that crunch into the soup along with nutri benefits. This soup goes well with a basket of assorted breads, butter and soup sticks.