Vegetable Soup Recipe
The ingredients
• ½ a bulb of Fennel
• 1 Leek
• 2 sticks of celery
• 1 onion
• 2 carrots
• ½ swede
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 300g of potatoes
• 50ml cream
• 1 tablespoon Rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoon sage
• Seasoning
• 750ml vegetable stock
- Serving: 4
- Preparation Time: ¼ of an Hour
- Cooking Time: 1/3 of an Hour
Preparation Method
1. Set up your food processor and attach the thick slicing disc to it. Use it to slice the fennel, onions, leek, celery and carrots. When done, remove the cut slices from the bowl.
2. Next, slice the swede and potatoes using the food processor.
3. Place a saucepan over a cooking stove and add some oil in it.
4. Heat the pan and add the cut vegetable slices together with seasoning to the saucepan. Cook the vegetable slices until they become soft.
5. Once the mix of vegetable slices is soft, add the slices of potatoes, swede, stock and herbs to the saucepan.
6. Simmer the soup to soften the vegetables, gently cooking them. Remove the saucepan from the cooking plate and let it cool slowly till reaches room temperature. Get rid of the bay leaves.
7. Add the contents of your saucepan into a puree or liquidizer in small quantities. Avoid creating a mess by adding just enough vegetable mix at a time.
8. Reheat the smooth vegetable soup and serve it with a scoop of double cream.
9. Place the soup in an air tight container and refrigerate for use later by simply reheating it. Top your vegetable soup with a swirl of cracked black pepper and serve alongside a warm crusty bread.
Golden Hummus
The ingredients
• 2 garlic cloves
• 540ml canned chickpeas
• 1 medium-sized sweet potato
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 large lemon
• 1 tablespoon of dark sesame oil
• 1 pinch of pepper
Preparation Method
1. Use a fork to pierce a potato and place it on a paper towel in a microwave. Heat it for 4 to 6 minutes and let it cool then cut into halves.
2. Scrape flesh off the potato using a spoon, dropping them into the food processor bowl.
3. Open the canned chickpeas, rinse its contents and drain off the fluid. Add the rinsed chickpeas to the potato.
4. Add garlic, sesame oil, pepper and salt to the potato and chickpeas. Run your food processor continuously to puree the ingredients into a smooth mixture.
5. Add the pureed mixture into a serving bowl and serve with steamed fiddleheads, cucumber rounds or crackers. Refrigerate it for up to 2 days or freeze to preserve for longer.
Simple Broccoli Soup Cream
Servings: 4
Ingredients
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 6 cups of warmed, canned chicken stock
• ½ cup of light, heavy or half-n-half cup of cream
• 3 cups of chopped broccoli stems and florets
• 1 chopped or peeled russet potato
• Nutmeg for tasty flavors
Preparation Method
1. Melt butter in a large pot and add onions. Place it over medium to high heat and stir till the onions brown.
2. Add the potato and toss with butter. Put hot stock and simmer the mixture.
3. Add broccoli into the large pot and stir as you continue to simmer your vegetable soup.
4. Next, process your mixture into a puree using your food processor. Do this once the broccoli and potato becomes tender during simmering. Great machine to do this is Braun FP3020.
5. Pour the vegetable back into the large pot and add cream and season on it to serve while still warm. Consider refrigeration or freezing to keep your vegetable soup fresh for a few days.
Classic Basil Pesto
This is a genuine Italian recipe with a summer flavor; it works for any kind of dish.
Ingredients
• 4 cups of packed basil leaves (almost two smack bunches)
• 2 or 3 garlic cloves
• ¼ cup of vegetable oil
• ½ a cup of toasted pine nuts (optional)
• 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed l or ½ a lemon (1 or 2 lemons)
• 1/3 cup of grated parmesan
• ¼ tablespoon of salt
• 1/ cup of olive oil
Preparation Method
1. Add pine nuts, basil, cheese and salt to your food processor and run it.
2. Add lemon juice and two garlic cloves through your processor’s spout as it runs. If you like garlic, you can add another one. Pulse the ingredients into a smooth and fine mixture.
3. Add oil gradually as the food processor pulsates.
4. Serve or chill.
Alternatives
You can substitute the pine nuts and basil with ½ a cup of toasted almonds and 4 cups of fresh arugula leaves or 4 cups of fresh cilantro, including stems.
You can also replace basil with two cups of sun-dried tomatoes stored in oil and patted dry.
Ways of Using Classic Basil Pesto
Feta Spread – add a ¼ cup of pesto and 200g of feta in your food processor and pulse. Use it as an appetizer or sandwich spread. In the latter case, spread feta over slices of bread and place on baking sheets in a pre-heated oven at 400F for 4 to 6 minutes; this allows the sandwich to warm and bread to toast.
Top it with sliced tomatoes or prosciutto for a better flavor.
Roasted Fish – spread the pesto over your chosen type of fish and roast in an oven. Preheat the oven at 400F and place the fish on baking sheets inside the oven. Leave it for 10 to 15 minutes to cook. Use a knife to test whether the fish is cooked or not.
Broccoli with Tomatoes – cut a bunch of broccoli into florets and steam. Halve two tomatoes and remove the seeds. Cut the two tomatoes into slices and add them into the food processor bowl. Add the ¼ cup of pesto and two tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon.
Add hot and drained broccoli and stir. Serve your soup immediately to your guests or refrigerate.
Contact Your Best Kitchen today for more soup recipes to serve your guests as an appetizer.
