Carrot Soup Recipe- Winter Warmer!

As winter approaches, its time for more Soups in our meals. I haven't experimented with a lot of soups, but when I tasted this delicious Creamy Carrot Soup at a restaurant up in the Jungfrau mountain in the Swiss Alps, I became an instant fan! It was rich and creamy, yet had a beautiful flavor, and a wonderful blend of spices that just accentuated the pureed carrot base. I knew I had to try to recreate it at home, and at the second attempt, I think I've nailed it! It has everything you'd ask for in a hearty vegetarian soup - garlic, curry powder, whipping cream, a hint of coconut milk, and garnished with fresh parsley or cilantro, this is one Creamy Carrot Soup recipe that is fit for the wintery days ahead! Off it goes to the Ultimate Fall Recipe Swap:)


Ingredients
Serves 4 to 6
Adapted from the Curried Carrot Soup recipe at Chow.com

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds carrots - peeled & sliced
1 large onion - finely chopped
6 garlic cloves - peeled
5 whole cloves
4 cups water
2 tbsp coconut milk
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
pinch of sugar
1/2 tsp curry powder (optional)
1/4 cup chilled whipping cream
fresh cilantro or parsley - for garnish

Method
Heat oil in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, garlic, curry powder and cloves and saute until onion is translucent, about 8-10 minutes.

Add 3 1/2 cups water. Cover and simmer until carrots are very soft, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Remove the cloves from broth and discard. Puree soup in batches in a blender. Return soup to same saucepan. Mix in lemon juice and sugar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Beat the whipping cream and coconut milk together. Now add this to the soup and allow to simmer for a few more mins.

While serving, transfer the Curried Carrot Soup into bowls. Drizzle some more cream if desired, and garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley.

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Gujarati Dal (Healthy Lentil Soup)

Gujarati Dal is famous for its spices, and the distinct taste of sugar; never before has sugar & spice tasted so great together! The traditional Gujju Dal is made from Tuver dal, and characteristically uses ingredients like Kokum, cloves, peanuts, sugar and methi, which give it a subtle flavor. This is one "no onion, no-garlic" recipe that will be cherished for ages, by Gujaratis(people from a state in western India) and non-gujaratis alike! It is a highly versatile recipe - you can modify it to suit your taste-buds. Healthy and filling at the same time, it can be consumed by itself as a Lentil Soup, or can be paired with rice or rotis for a complete meal. Anyway you eat it, you are sure to enjoy the taste of authentic Gujarati Dal!

Ingredients
2 cups Tuver Dal
10-12 raw peanuts
1 tsp each of mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2 tsp methi seeds(dried fenugreek)
2-3 cloves (lavang)
5-6 curry leaves
3-4 pieces of dried kokum
1 tsp ginger-green chili paste
a pinch of asafoetida (hiing)
salt - to taste
sugar or jaggery - to taste
1 tsp red chili powder
2 tsp coriander powder(dhana-jeeru powder)
lemon juice - to taste
1/2 tomato - chopped
3 tbsp coriander - chopped

Method
Take the tuver dal and pressure cook it (covered upto 5 whistles) with a little extra water to make it soft. Add the peanuts, jaggery and kokum in the cooker along with the dal.

Now take a saucepan, add some mustard and jeera seeds, black cloves, and a pinch of asafoetida. When the seeds start to splutter, add the cooked dal in the pan. Use a hand blender to make a thick soup and add water to achieve the consistency you like.

Now add salt, sugar, lemon juice(to taste), and all the dry spices. Add curry leaves, chopped tomatoes, green chili-ginger paste, half of the chopped coriander and bring the mixture to a boil. Then lower the flame, cover partially, and let it cook for another 8-10 mins.

Garnish with the remaining coriander leaves. Serve the traditional Gujarati Dal with a hot plate of Jeera Rice!

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Tofu & Basil Thai Soup

If there's one thing I love about Thai food, it is the variety of flavor in their curries. A spoonful of red, green or yellow curry paste can add such a wonderful taste to an assortment of veggies! After mastering the recipe for Veg Tom Kha Soup, I decided to try a hand at this classic Thai Soup with Basil and Tofu. Its a very simple broth made of coconut milk and flavored with all the Thai herbs like lemongrass, galangal, kafir lime and ginger, coming together with the basil, tofu and peas to make this delicious and healthy soup.

Tofu, which is generally considered to be very bland, can miraculously take on the flavor of its surrounding ingredients making it a highly versatile as well as highly nutritious part of a healthy diet. Tofu is a very good source of protein, specifically soy protein, as well as numerous other nutrients like manganese, copper, iron and omega-3 fatty acids. It is also an excellent source of calcium which can help prevent the accelerated bone loss and untimely rheumatoid arthritis. Basil comes with its own share of heart-healthy properties, and also acts as a great cleansing agent. Hence it would be a fitting entry to Susan's Beautiful Bones event, and also to Michelle's Herbal Essence!

Ingredients
1 cup firm tofu (cubed or diced)
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup peas - boiled
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2-1 cup water (or veg broth)
2 tsp green curry paste (recipe below)
fresh lime juice - to taste

Green Curry Paste
2 green Thai chilies
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp chopped shallots
1 tspn chopped galangal
1/2 tspn chopped kaffir lime rind
1 tspn chopped lemongrass
1/4 tspn roasted cumin seeds
1/4 tspn roasted coriander seeds
1/2 tspn salt

Add the green chillies to a food processor and blend. Then add the garlic and shallots. Again give a whirl on the mixer. Finally add all the remaining ingredients and blend well to form a thick smooth paste.

You can either use the recipe above or use the store-bought Thai green curry paste. I've tried the ones from Trader Joe's before and they are pretty good.

Method
In a heavy pan, add the green chilli paste with 2 tbsp of coconut milk and roast a bit. Add salt and lemon juice, then the rest of the coconut milk and water to form the base of the soup. Add half of the basil leaves, then cover and let it simmer for about 5-7 mins. Keep stirring in between to let the coocnut milk be infused with the flavor of the thai green paste and basil.

When it starts to simmer, add the boiled green peas and pieces of tofu. Now lower the heat and cook for another 7-8 mins. Check for taste and add more green chilli paste or lemon juice if required.

Finally, just before serving, add the remaining basil leaves. Top with some shredded ginger if you like and serve hot. The spicy green chilli paste adds a wonderful flavor to this Basil and Tofu soup, giving it a Thai touch. You can add more veggies like carrots, shallots, or baby corn to the soup to make it suit your taste. The Thai Green Chilli paste can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for about a week.

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Green Pea and Mint Soup - Tastes as Good as it Looks!!

I had loads of mint leaves at home after I used barely some from the large bunch I bought at the Farmer's market, and as they don't stay fresh for a long time, I knew I had to put them to good use. I searched around for some simple soup recipes, and finally decided to try it for a delicious soup, combined with peas, just perfect for detoxifying the system and enjoying the warmth of the soup in this winter chill. I have to admit I was a bit hesitant in trying the soup, but what is a chef who doesn't experiment, so I took the leap of faith and jumped right in! The result, a beautiful green-colored Pea and Mint soup, flavored mildly with onion, garlic, fennel and black pepper, and a little bit of fresh cream adding a bit to the indulgence. It serves to be a very healthy and wholesome entree on cold winter nights, and definitely puts all that extra mint to good use!!

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion - chopped
3 garlic cloves - minced
1 tbsp fennel seeds powder - roasted (optional)
6 cups water
1 lb fresh peas - boiled
1 cup fresh mint - chopped
2 tbsp half and half
2 tbsp fresh cream - for garnish
Salt - to taste
Ground black pepper - to taste

Method
Heat the olive oil over moderate heat in a large saucepan. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring, for 7-10 minutes until they are soft. Then add the fennel powder

Add the water, chopped mint and the peas to the saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, add the half and half, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little.

Now puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve hot, garnished with mint and fresh cream or croutons and feel the goodness of the taste. The soup has a lovely color and is soothing both to the eyes and the soul! Do keep in mind though that we are talking more healthy, than tasty!:) This Green Peas and Mint Soup is indeed a nice way to load up yourself with plenty of antioxidants!

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