Why soups are a winter must-have; how to whip up delicious bowls at home

Hyderabad: With the winter setting in Hyderabad, one is more inclined to make and have soup. On warm afternoons, there is nothing like a cold cucumber and mint soup or the famous Spanish Gazpacho which is also served chilled.

Types of soups

Soups are super, whether they are served hot or cold or whether they are clear or thick. Indian soups are called shorbas and are lightly spiced. Dessert soups made with fruit are popular all over the world.

Chinese are fond of their winter melon soup, Germans like their potato and meat soups, Filipinos love their lentil soup made of mung beans called mongo, and Brazilians love their queijo soup made out of cheese. There are some soups such as shark fin and bird’s nest soup that are enjoyed in some places but have been banned.

Diverse ingredients from cereals, nuts, lentils, fruit, meats, fish, shellfish, vegetables and fruit can be used to very good effect in soups and chowders to create a nourishing and hearty meal.

These are the recipes for some very popular as well as exotic and unusual soups. Vegetarians can use the vegetarian alternatives given in the recipes for the spicy Thai Tom Yum soup and the ever-popular Sweet Corn Chicken soups.

The recipe for chicken stock can be used as a hearty base for most non-vegetarian soups. Vegetarians can follow this method with fresh seasonal vegetables to create their vegetable stock, according to their own taste and the vegetables available. When in a hurry, use chicken or vegetable stock cubes dissolved in warm water. Croutons also soup up the taste of soups. They can be fried or baked.

Recipe for chicken stock

Ingredients:

1 chicken or bony pieces of chicken along with a few fleshy pieces (so one can chop this after the stock is made to add to thick soups and other chicken dishes)

2 stalks of celery or 1 teaspoon of celery powder

10-12 peppercorns

1 small roughly chopped onion

1 teaspoon salt

8 cups water

1 tablespoon oil

Method:

Fry the chicken bones and pieces in oil with the rest of the ingredients. Add water and let it first boil and then simmer on low heat for about an hour, covering it. Alternatively, pressure cook for 10 minutes. Remove chicken bones and pieces, chop the chicken and keep aside. Strain the stock and use it as required in soups and white sauce recipes.

Recipe for Croutons

The first recipe uses butter, the other uses olive oil.

Recipe 1

Butter six slices of bread. Sprinkle with garlic salt and dry parsley. Cut into cubes and spread out on a single layer in a baking tray. Bake until golden brown at 300 degrees

For about 10 minutes. Watch carefully as it can burn. Store these in an air-tight container after cooling.

Recipe 2:

6 slices bread

Olive oil

Garlic salt

Take each slice and cut it into squares. Sauté in olive oil until lightly browned. Sprinkle with garlic salt as per taste. Leave uncovered after cooking to harden and become crisp.

Tom Yum Soup

Ingredients:

3 cups of water

2 stalks of lemon grass

2 lime leaves

2 tablespoons tamarind paste

1 tablespoon fish or oyster sauce (vegetarians can use a mushroom-soya or dark Soya sauce)

1 onion (small)

1 tomato (small)

1/2 cup of shrimps. Cut into small pieces (Vegetarians can use diced mushrooms or tofu)

2 tablespoons chilli paste made of ground red chillies

2 or 3 green chillies, according to taste

Juice from 1 lime

1 bunch coriander leaves, chopped very fine

Method:

Slice the onion and tomato. Boil water. Add lime leaves, fish /soya/oyster sauce, lemon grass and tamarind paste. Mix shrimp/tofu pieces and boil. Add sliced onion and chilli paste. Boil for a few minutes till shrimp/tofu/mushroom pieces are cooked. Add green chillies and sliced tomatoes. Take it off from the heat. Mix the lime juice and fish/oyster/Soya sauce. Garnish with coriander leaves. Add salt only if required as the oyster/fish/Soya sauces all contain salt.

Sweet corn-chicken soup

Vegetarians can add grated tofu, the greens of spring onions and vegetable stock.

Ingredients:

1 can cream corn

1 cup chopped chicken (Vegetarians can use tofu or just use creamed corn and vegetable stock)

6 cups chicken stock (Vegetarians can make a vegetable stock using seasonal vegetables, celery, potatoes and onion using the same recipe as the chicken stock. Do not use tomatoes in the stock for this soup. Alternately, dissolve 2 vegetarian soup stock cubes in 6 cups of warm water and use instead)

1 bunch spring onions, chopped (for vegetarians)

2 tablespoons of corn flour dissolved in a little cold water

1/2 tsp of pepper

1 egg beaten with a tablespoon of water added (optional)

Salt to taste

Method:

In a saucepan bring the stock to a boil, reduce the heat and add the chicken (or tofu), creamed corn, green onions (if you are using this) and salt and pepper.

After cooking for 5 minutes, reduce the heat and add the cornflour mixture. It must be mixed very well with water. Cook for 10 minutes on high.

Make sure the soup is boiling and then add the egg (if you are using it) in a thin stream, either through a tea strainer or pour in slowly and use a fork to mix it fast into the soup. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring the soup continuously.

Garnish with a few drops of Soya sauce.

Make a chilli-vinegar sauce by slicing a few green chillies and adding them to white vinegar for a few hours before making the soup. Bottle and keep. This stays for a week to 10 days.

This is a very simple and fast recipe for the delicious, ever-popular tomato soup made in a pressure cooker.

Tomato soup

Ingredients:

6 tomatoes - chopped

4 cups of water

1 small onion - chopped

1 tsp of sugar

½ cup milk

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon butter

5 black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

Method:

Melt butter in a pressure cooker. Add onion and sauté till it turns light brown. Add the bay leaf and peppercorns. Put in the chopped tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add 4 cups of water and close the lid of the cooker. When the cooker whistles, lower the heat and cook further for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool down.

Use a hand mixer to blend this in the pressure cooker itself, or blend this mixture in a blender to a smooth puree. Strain through a sieve to remove the skin and seeds of tomatoes and residue from bay leaf and pepper corn.

Put the strained soup in a saucepan and heat. Add the milk and let it boil. Add salt and sugar. Serve hot. You can add cream and serve with bread croutons.

Gazpacho – cold soup

Ingredients:

3 tomatoes, chopped

2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped

1/2 small onion, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1/2 yellow pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

A few drops of Tabasco sauce

4 cups readymade vegetable cocktail juice (available in cartons) or 4 cups of vegetable stock, cooled

Croutons and parsley for garnishing

Method:

In a large glass bowl, combine all ingredients except croutons and mix gently. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to blend flavours. Serve chilled, topped with croutons and parsley.

Almond soup

Ingredients:

½ cup almonds

2 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

4 cups water

1 cup milk

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon cream

Method:

Shell and dip almonds first in hot water and then in cold water. Remove shells. Chop half the almonds fine and blend the rest with the milk in a blender.

Heat butter and sauté the chopped almonds till lightly fried. Add flour and sauté till lightly fried. Add water gradually stirring all the time till no lumps remain, then bring to a boil. Add milk mixture along with salt and pepper and bring to a boil then simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve garnished with the cream.