Cream of butternut squash & sweet potatoes with hazelnuts and crispy sage

 

 

Definitely the best one I have ever made. Not fabulously bright orange in colour, as I caramelised the edges of the vegetables to get this really deep flavour. And this I guess, is the secret of this soup and what makes it really fantastic. Sage, pumpkin, nuts - such a classic combination.

Serves 2-4

300g butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and flesh diced into about 2cm cubes (weight after peeling and de-seeding)

300g sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into about 2cm cubes (weight after peeling)

2 garlic cloves, unpeeled

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

pinch of chilli powder

5-6 tbsp olive oil

1 large shallot, peeled and diced

about 900ml vegetable stock

handful of whole hazelnuts

about 8-12 whole sage leaves

salt

freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 180C.

Place the butternut squash, sweet potatoes, garlic in an ovenproof dish and drizzle with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Sprinkle with little nutmeg, chilli, salt and pepper and roast until potatoes and squash are soft and caramelized on the edges. Remove from the oven and leave it to cool down, You can roast the vegetables night before and refrigerate them. I did it because I was baking something else and had preheated oven - it saves time and energy. 

On a low heat fry the shallot in a pan in 2 tbsp olive oil for about 10 minutes, until soft. Add roasted vegetables, and squeeze the garlic out of its skins and add to the pan. Stir and add the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for about  3-5 minutes. Remove from a heat, liquidise with a hand blender and then sieve the soup using a fine sieve and ladle - this will make it even more smooth and make sure any unpleasant bits will not end up in the soup. Season with salt and pepper.

Fry the hazelnut on a dry pan until slightly browned then remove from a pan, place on a chopping board, leave then to cool down slightly and chop roughly.

Using the same pan heat the remaining olive oil and fry whole sage leaves for about one minute, until crispy.

Place the soup in a serving bowls/soup plates, sprinkle with the hazelnuts and top with few sage leaves. Drizzle with little of the sage oil. Serve with good bread.

Peas, broad bean & leek soup with spicy croutons

Ages ago (well, in 2008) I have found very interesting recipe for peas and leek soup by British chef, author of several cook books and boss of the cookery school, well know from BBC programs Lesley Waters  (a former Head Master in Leith's Cookery School). Since then I have been making this soup on a regular basis, it became one of my favourite soups, however over the years I have modified the recipe slightly. Also this time I used bread beans, as I have a surplus from my garden and I know it seems a bit late for fresh peas and broad beans  but believe me or not last Wednesday I picked probably the last peas this year and quite a lot of broad beans are still remaining in my garden... However this soup is also delicious when made with frozen peas, and frozen broad beans are available in UK all year round (anyway these are only optional for this soup; most of the time I make it with peas and leek only). By the way, frozen peas is one of few frozen vegetables that taste as good as fresh. I always have a bag in my freezer. If you use frozen peas make sure it goes to the pan not last minute, but at the end of frying the leeks, just before adding hot stock.

Serves 2-4

4 tbsp olive oil 

2 small leeks, white and light green part, sliced

1 large garlic clove, peeled and chopped 

about 250ml fresh peas, podded

about 200ml fresh broad beans, podded

about 1 l vegetable stock, hot 

2-4 slices of stale bread, cubed
chilli powder or cayenne pepper  

salt

freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 180 C. Place cubed bread on a baking tray, drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with chilli or cayenne. Place in the oven and bake until crispy and golden. 

Heat the remaining oil in a pan, add leeks and fry until slightly browned, then add garlic and fry for one minute or so. Add hot stock, bring to the boil, low down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Then add the peas and broad beans. If you prefer to skin broad beans then you have to blanch them in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain, peel and put the peeled broad beans to the soup just for last 3 minutes.

Before serving season with salt and pepper (that depends on your stock flavours) and serve with spicy croutons.

Soup. Roast tomatoes, onion & pearl barley

 

I still go through my new cook book and even I had different culinary plans for this month for the last two weeks I have been writing my shopping lists with this book in my other hand. And to be honest - I don't mind this at all!

I already showed you some salads, breakfasts and now I think there is a good time for something warm and hearty, for example a soup. With minimum ingredients, little effort but maximum flavour and satisfaction.

Hugh recommends good chicken or beef stock, I had homemade vegetable stock and I would not swap it for meaty stock, but this is my personal choice. You can also use ready made passata (fresh tomato puree) but in my opinion passata made with roasted tomatoes it absolutely the best and it is well worth making an effort of preparing it. I made mine night before as well as the stock, so next day preparing this soup took me about 30 minutes.

Swaps? Use spelt or short grain rice instead of pearl barley. However for me the barley is what makes this soup special. 

Plus one? Add some Parmesan shaving on the top just before serving. 

Dinneeeeeeeeer's reaaaady!

Serves 4

2kg ripe tomatoes, halved
5-6 tbsp olive oil 
few springs of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
750ml vegetable stock, hot
150g pearl barley, rinsed
1 large onion, peeled and diced 
salt
freshly ground black pepper
some extra virgin olive oil for drizzling (optionally)

Heat the oven to 180C.

Place halved tomatoes in an ovenproof dish, sprinkle with chopped garlic, add bay leaves, thyme springs and drizzle with 3 tbsp olive oil. Place in the oven and roast for about an hour. Tomatoes should be soft, little wrinkly and start to caramelise on the edges. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool down. Them place in the sieve and using a ladle press all the juices. There should be only skins and peeps left on the sieve and you should get around 500-700ml of passata. 

In a pan heat 2-3 tbsp olive oil and fry the onion for about 10 minutes, over a low heat until softened. Next add the barley and mix until covered in fat. Add hot stock, passata and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the barley is cooked. 

Divide between serving plates/bowls and before serving drizzle with some extra olive oil. Serve with a piece of good bread.

Asian style vegetable & coconut soup (with chicken or tofu)

I mentioned in my last post that we were in Liverpool last week we went to Wagamama . It is one of our favourite places to eat and every time we go to the big city where they have their bar we are always tempted to go and try new things fro their fantastic menu.

I did not even know that  Wagamama  exist, until my sister who lives in Cork told me about it, also it was mentioned by one of London/Manchester placed Polish blogger. I am really grateful for this as probably I still wouldn't know about this place, as since I have moved to UK I have been living in countryside only - full of traditional pubs, but no ethnic bars or big brands. Yes, it is a big brand. Yes, it is commercial. This is fast food, and they cannot guarantee that nibbles will come before the mains or all dishes will come in the same time on one order. And yes - probably this are likely to be smooth versions of Asian (however they say they're inspired by Japanese cuisine I have seen some other inspirations) dishes more suitable for Europeans.      

In this place you will not find individual tables. There are huge wooden tables and benches to sit on and if this place is busy you are likely to be seated next to a stranger. There are no elegant serviettes, napkins or table cloths, but pieces of paper and waiter writes down you order on it.  Kitchen is open to public to yo ucan see chefs using woks. Oh, I forgot to mention - food is fantastic.

Why I like it even this is called fast food? This is fast food made with fresh and my favourite ingredients. Fresh food is being prepared within minutes using traditional Asian techniques and flavours. Also they have gorgeous freshly pressed juices - made with fruit and veg.I have tried many dishes in Wagamama, but I think my absolute number one are soups. This is also a place where I practice my chopstick skills and I am getting better at it!
 

Today I'll show you a recipe for soup that was inspired by hearty bowls of soup in Wagamama, however this recipe is not from their cookbook, that my sister gave me. I will use it another time, today it is time for improvisation. Please don't be scared by the list of ingredients, once they are chopped cooking this soup is very straight forward and takes about 10 minutes. Hope you'll enjoy it.

Serves 2

4 tbsp groundnut or sunflower oil

2 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 small red chilli, seed removed (or leave them for more heat) and finely chopped

1 walnut size piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

5 spring onions, roughly chopped (white and green part)

1 red bell pepper, sliced

6 baby corns, halved or quartered lengthwise

6 mushrooms, sliced

handful of fresh coriander, stalks and most of the leaves finely chopped, some leaves saved for garnishing
1 tbsp red Thai curry paste (I used it because I didn't have lemongrass at the time and curry paste contains it, however for vegan/vegetarian!!! check the paste out as most of them contain shrimp paste or fish sauce, but there are some vegan available too. You can use only some lemongrass instead) 

400ml coconut milk

600ml vegetable stock (I had simple, homemade: carrot, celery, swede and leek leaves)

1 chicken breast, sliced finely

150g tofu, diced into about 2 cm dice

4 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp of palm sugar 

2 tbsp roasted sesame oil  

1 lime, quartered

300g Asian style rice noodles (or egg noodles for non vegan version, I like to use  Shahe fen, wide type of noodles)
salt

First marinate the chicken and tofu. Place half teaspoon of each chopped garlic and ginger in a bowl with sugar, soy sauce and sesame oil. Mix well and divide into two bowls - place the tofu in one and the chicken in the other. Leave it for about 15 minutes.

Prepare the noodles according to the producer's instruction and divide into two warmed bowls.  Set aside.

Heat half of the oil in wok or large pan and fry the remaining garlic and ginger for about 1 minute. Add chopped spring onion (save some green bits for garnishing), baby corns, pepper, mushrooms and fry for about 2 minutes before adding chopped coriander and curry paste (lemongrass depend on what you are using). Fry for about 1 minute and add the coconut milk and hot stock. Bring to the boil and remove from a heat after about 1 minute. Add some salt if you require. 

In the meantime, when preparing the soup heat the remaining oil in the two separate frying pans. Fry the chicken and tofu until golden, this should not take more than 4-5 minutes so if you not good in multitasking then fry this when the soup is ready - it will not cool down if covered.

Divide the soup between two bowls with noodles, add chicken to one and tofu to another and sprinkle with some chopped spring onions, coriander and top with lime quarter. Just before eating squeeze the lime into the bowl.

Tomato soup with gremolata (for anniversary)

It has been two years since I started blogging. Today I would say exactly the same as last year. Although I slowed down little bit, still enjoy blogging. I hope you enjoy my posts, like the recipes and photographs and all I hope for that there will be more to come in years and you will still be here. Just want to say thank you and send you my best smile!

Today again I have for you an anniversary recipe for tomato soup. In the middle of winter you need and kick of vitamin C so why do not sprinkle warm soup with some gremolata? Enjoy! 

Serves 4-6

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and diced

tsp brown sugar

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped 

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

3 x 400g tinned, chopped tomatoes

about 1.2l vegetable stock 

salt

freshly ground black pepper

Gremolata

handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped  

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

zest of whole large lemon

To prepare gremolata mix all the above ingredients just before serving.

In large pan fry the onion on the olive oil and after few minutes add the sugar. Fry until the onion is softened and add the garlic. Fry for about 2 minutes, then add the vinegar, stir and leave it to bubble away. Then add tomatoes, hot stock, stir, bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Using hand blender whiz the soup until smooth, season with salt and pepper and serve with some gremolata on the top.  If it seems too thick you can add some more stock.

Spicy carrot & red lentil soup

Hearty soups are fantastic for winter times.  One pot, healthy, satisfying bowl of soup is the best meal when you come back from a cold weather. Especially this one is good for you – warming due to the spices and really thick and filling thanks to the lentils. It is little bit similar to a world known classic carrot and coriander soup, yet different. Hates gonna hate, as they say. And to all haters – I fart in your general direction.* And this soup helps me to fart. Good health! 

Serves 2-4

about 500g carrots, peeled and coarsely gated

about 150g red lentils

about 1.2l vegetable stock (preferably hot)

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped

2 tbsp sunflower oil

1-2 tbsp tomato pure

¼ tsp of chilli powder

pinch of cinnamon

1 tsp of ground cumin  

2 tsp of cumin seeds

salt

handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped with the stalks, few leaves to decorate the soup

2-4 tbsp of plain natural yoghurt (I used Greek Total)  

Heat the oil in the large pan, add the onion and fry for few minutes until softened. Add the garlic and fry for about one minute. Then add the spices: ground cumin, cinnamon and chilli, mix well and add the carrots and lentils. Stir, add the stock, some salt, tomato pure, stir again, cover, bring to the boil and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile fry the cumin seeds in a pan without oil (dry – roast), until fragrant. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Next add chopped coriander and boil for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and at this stage you can leave it chunky, or smooth it with blender. I prefer it 50/50, so I whiz the soup for few seconds.

Finish with some plain yoghurt, sprinkled with some roasted cumin seeds and garnished with fresh coriander leaves. It goes well with some naan bread. 

* "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"

Fresh tomato soup with bread, salami and pecorino

Once I read about a tomato soup made with fresh tomatoes on one of the Polish foodies blog. One of the comments was quite rough stating that the soup looks disgusting. Well, thought to myself, it is time to teach young generation who probably seen tomato soup out of a tin only that this is how real tomato soup looks like.   

According to my taste there is no better tomato soup than the one made with fresh, ripe, sweet tomatoes, therefore I had to make one when I was in Ginestra. Especially I gave Anna Maria a piece of the Wensleydale Cheddar in colourful wax and to say thank you she brought me full bag of her home grown tomatoes. Besides we had some old bread and some sausages to utilise, so I decide to experiment little bit.

This soup was beautiful cold or hot. I am really sorry for not giving the exact quantities, but the general idea only. You have to work it out accordingly to your taste.

 

Makes big pan


few small sausages, salami like, sliced

generous splash of olive oil from Gina  

4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

2 peperoncino peppers, crushed

one big colander filled with ripe, sweet tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped  

about 1.2l vegetable stock (I cooked mine with carrots, celeriac, onion, garlic, whole peppercorns, little olive oil salt and pepper)

stale bread, diced

salt

freshly ground black pepper 

freshly grated pecorino cheese  

In a big pan fry the bread in the olive oil until crispy, then remove from the pan and set aside. Add the sausages to the pan and fry until the fat is released. Add garlic, peperoncino, fry for a minute or so and add the tomatoes. After few minutes add the vegetable stock, season with salt and pepper, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. 

Serve with bread croutons, drizzled with some olive oil and sprinkled with pecorino cheese.

 

Asparagus, peas & broad beans soup

Last Friday I saw some fresh broad beans and peas on the market when I was buying few bundles of asparagus. Peas and broad beans in May? I do not trust them so early – I thought and I gave up the idea of buying them. Also because I realised that I have my all the times must – have in my freezer – frozen peas.

When I came back home I realised I also had some leftovers of frozen broad beans. So I made this lovely, light green soup joining spring with summer.

Serves 4-6

6-8 green asparagus spears, wooden bits removed, cut into 3 pieces

cup of frozen peas

1 shallot

tbsp olive oil

about 1.2l chicken stock (or vegetable stock, I had to cook chicken so I though at the same time I made light chicken stock using typical stock veg as well as wooden asparagus bottoms)

few small mint and basil leaves (optional)

few drops of lemon juice (optional)

salt

freshly ground black pepper

about 200g short pasta (I used mini farfalle), cooked al dente 

Boil the broad beans al dente, drain and remove the skins. If you like the skins you can skip this part.

In a pan fry the shallot in the olive oil until softened, but not browned.

Add the stock to the pan, bring to boil and add the peas. Boil for about 3 minutes, next add asparagus and boil for further 3 minutes. Next add the broad beans and boil for minute or so.

Season with salt and pepper, add lemon juice and serve with pasta. Garnish with some fresh mint and basil leaves.

This soup looks and tastes better when served immediately. When reheated it is not so tasty and veg are overcooked and do not keep their colour.

Fermented rye starter for soup

Some time ago I showed you how to make a typical Polish rolled oats sour soup. It is based on a naturally fermented starter – very tasty and healthy. Also I mentioned that my favourite one is starter made from rye flour and this is the one I am going to show you today.

You will need big jar, clay or glass jug or a bottle, clean cloth/tea towel and rubber band to secure the towel.


Makes about 1l starter (depends on its sourness I use it to cook about 2-3l of soup)

7 heaped tbsp of rye flour (not the white one, it should be wholemeal, quite rough preferably organic)
1-2 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly squished with a knife
1-2 bay leaves
1-2 allspice
few whole black peppercorns
about 900ml good quality water, lukewarm (if you do not have good water, used boiled tap water)
tsp of died marjoram (optional)

Mix water with flour thoroughly so there are no lumps left. Add rest of the ingredients, cover with the cloth, secure with elastic band and leave it in warm place.

Once a day (or every two days) mix the starter thoroughly. It should be ready within 7-14 days, depends on the temperature, type of water, flour, humidity etc.

Some people use only this sour water from the top of the starter; I think it is a waste and use all of it, together with flour and bits.

Use in exactly the same way as the rolled oats one. To find out more about this delicious soup please visit my friend's blog.

First anniversary. Spicy tomato soup with coconut milk

Today I wonder if I published my first post year ago subconsciously to avoid Valentines Day theme? This is not my day and not because I am not in love I simply think that nice gestures, flowers and romantic dinners count all year round not once a year. I think the same about food - I try to cook tasty, good looking food all year round, not only for some special events. I hope I have proofed this during last 12 months.

Year ago I was still hesitating, but today I am sure it is worth having my own space in the Internet where I can share with you a part of my life that is important for me. There are many things that make me happy: every new fan, every comment, visitor, e-mail criticising or saying thank you for making this space friendly and welcoming, where somebody can forget everyday problems for a little while. Blogging itself makes me happy. It would not be so beneficial if there was nobody to read. Therefore for all of this I just want to say: thank you. And welcome you with another hot, tasty soup.

I started with this tomato soup with cheddar dumlings year ago, because I love it. Tomato soups are one of my favourites because it give a huge amount of different twists. I think this is a dish that I should serve for an anniversary lunch with my readers. This time with oriental twist - spicy, aromatic and ideal for winter time.




Serves 4

2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp groundnut oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
about 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded (or with seeds for extra hot flavour) and finely chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp garam masala
2x400ml tinned chopped tomatoes
about 800ml vegetable stock
about 150ml coconut milk
salt

In a pan fry the shallots in the oil over a medium heat, until soften. Add the garlic, chilli and ginger and fry for about one minute. Next add all the spices, except the salt and fry for about 30 seconds. Add all the tomatoes, stock, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Next remove from the heat and liquidise with hand blender until smooth. Add 3/4 of coconut milk to the mug, add some hot soup, mix well and add to the pan, again mix well. Season with salt if needed.

Serve with some coconut milk on the top. It is really tasty with some fresh coriander on the top, but this time local delicatessen run out of it. If I want to make it more filling I add some cooked basmati rice or egg noodles. Sometimes I drink it from a mug when having a naan bread.

Celeriac, ginger & pear soup

I have got this impression that celeriac in not particularly popular in many kitchens. It is a shame because it's bitterness and strong smell can be quite intriguing. 18th century French courtesan Madame de Pompadour, mistress of Louis XV knew this and she cooked celeriac soup for him and perhaps this is why she was his favourite mistress?

Celeriac is packed with the vitamins and minerals and it suppose to keep you young and relaxed. Not even mentioning it's fame for being an aphrodisiac food. If I tell you that I cooked a soup made with this veg and another famous aphrodisiac - ginger - would you give it a go?

Inspired by "Olive" magazine (February 2009 issue) I made two versions of this soup.




Serves 4-6

2 tbsp sunflower oil
4 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
piece of fresh ginger, about inch size, peeled and finely chopped
celeriac, about 800g, peeled and diced
2 ripe pears, cored, peeled and diced
1l vegetable stock
salt
frshly ground black pepper
some chopped fresh parsley

For vegetarian version: piece of stale bread roll, diced, drizzled with little olive oil and roasted in the oven until crispy.

For meat lovers one: some bacon sliced or diced and fried in dry pan until crispy.

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the shallots, garlic and ginger and cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until softened but not browned.

Add the celeriac, pears and stock, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and simmer for about 20minutes, until the celeriac is softened.

Remove from the heat and liquidise with blender until smooth, season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with croutons for vegetarians or with bacon for meat lovers.

French? English? Onion soup

It was one of these days when I needed to eat hot, comforting soup. It was Sunday, so there was no way I could go to the shop and get some extra ingredients. Due to… Sunday, distance to the nearest shop and Sunday (lets call it this way) laziness.

I checked my freezer and found some real beef stock that I’ve made especially for classic French onion soup. Suddenly I felt this overwhelming feeling – I had to eat this soup. I have checked the list of ingredients: onions, butter, white wine (from a box, but what a hell!), piece of two days old baguette, some fresh thyme. Cheese… No Gruyere in a fridge… There is plenty of… Cheddar, typical English cheese. Ooops!

Everyone who knows little bit about the history realises what for centuries were the mutual feelings between English and French people. However not many people knows that English people have their own way to disrespect others - lets compare it to the American obscene gesture performed by showing the back of the hand, extending the middle finger. English one looks little bit different and is performed by showing back of the hand and extending two fingers – an index and middle one. Did you ever think where it comes from? In the earlier part of the millennium, when England and France were frequently at battle, the French would cut-off the English archers’ (taken as prisoners) fingers necessary for shooting an arrow. After this became known to the English archers, they would flash this gesture to the French in the battlefield, showing them that they still had their fingers and could still cause lot damage in the battle.

In my kitchen – I decided – there will not be such quarrels! I will make this classic French soup and finish it off with a crouton with most famous English cheese.





Serves 2

25g butter
about 500g white onion, peeled
tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp sugar
about 125ml dry white wine
about 600ml beef stock
2 slices of baguette
few drops of olive oil
garlic clove
some grated cheddar
salt
freshly ground black pepper


Heat the butter in a large pan and gently cook the onion, sugar and thyme until the onion is softened but not browned - about 25 minutes. Increase the heat and cook until the onion becomes dark golden, sticky and caramelised, stirring now and again to stop it catching. Add the wine and simmer for a minute or so, until most of the wine evaporates, then add the stock and bring to the boil. Season with salt and pepper, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, drizzle the bread with some olive oil and place under hot grill. When one side is golden, remove from the oven, rub each with peeled garlic, turn up side down and sprinkle with the cheese. Grill until golden and chesse is melted.

Serve the soup with the cheese croutons on top and you can garnish with some fresh thyme.

Pancotto - Italian bread soup

Probably every nation have their own way to use a stale bread. In Poland the region I come from have it's own - a soup made with bread cubes, garlic, some lard and hot water. It is very poor and not my favourite unless it is made in more expensive version - with stock and croutons fried in butter.

However my mate who spends quite a lot time in her house in Italy (in Sabina) gave me this recipe for bread soup that I fell in love immediately. It is fantastic as you can use different cheese each time and end up with completely different taste. Also it is up to you if you want to add more bread crumbs to make it thicker.

It is great for autumn and winter, served hot, this amount of garlic, chilli and fresh parsley will keep any colds away from you, but it tastes great when tepid when the temperature outside is little bit higher.


Makes 2-3

piece of stale, good quality bread (I used sourdough baguette, it is important to have good quality bread otherwise it will become mash like when cooked), about 6-8 1cm slices
generous splash of good quality olive oil (bread should be easily covered with it)
4 large garlic cloves, peeled
big handful of fresh parsley
1 finger length red chilli
2-3 tbsp grated parmesan, grana padano or pecorino cheese
about 1l vegetable stock

Heat the oil in a pan.

Process the bread until you have coarse bread crumbs.

Finely chop the garlic, chilli and most of the parsley.

In the pan fry the bread crumbs for few minutes, stirring then add garlic, chilli and parsley and fry for another 2 minutes. Bread crumbs should be golden and crispy.

Add hot stock and simmer over a low heat for about 5 minutes.

Serve in the bowls sprinkled with some cheese and the remaining chopped parsley.


P.S. Thank you for your patience - I have come back from my short break in Poland and hope to publish on more regular basis now.

Cauliflower & gorgonzola soup with pear relish

I mentioned few days ago that I had a soup crisis and did not eat the soups for weeks until I have finally found inspiring recipes. There was a recipe that really impressed me and I wanted to make this soup as soon as possible. It is a recipe for a cauliflower soup that I have found in Good Food, October 2010 issue (I have made few alterations). Very unusual, very good for Autumn, very comforting and pear relish takes it to a very exciting new level. I hope it will interest you too and you are going to make it. It is definitely worth it.


Soup

Serves 4


1 medium cauliflower
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 small yellow onions, peeled and diced
few thyme springs
bay leaf
1 l vegetable stock
200g gorgonzola
2 tbsp crème fraîche
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Remove the outer leaves from cauliflower and cut into florets, saving the stalk and chopping it into pieces.

Melt the butter in a pan add the onions and fry until translucent and soft. Add cauliflower, thyme, bay leaf, stock, little salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until the cauliflower is soft.

Remove bay leaf, crumble in gorgonzola, add and stir to combine. When the cheese is melted whizz the sup until perfectly smooth. Reheat gently.


Pear relish

2 tbsp dried cranberries
1 tbsp currants
2 firm pears
1 firm apple
75ml cider or red wine vinegar
2 tbsp caster sugar
tbsp picked thyme leaves
half tsp ground cinnamon

Soak cranberries and currants in little warm water for about 10 minutes and drain.

Core and dice pears and apples, leave them unpeeled.

Melt the butter in a small pan over a low heat, add the diced fruit and cook for 5 minutes. Next add all the remaining ingredients and cook for about 10 minutes. The relish should be shiny and slightly translucent. It did not work with mine and I was afraid of overcooking the pears and apples so I drained them. I added 2 tbsp caster sugar to the pan and left it until it turned to caramel. Next I added the drained fruit and left it to caramelised a bit.

You can keep the relish in a covered bowl in the fridge for a week.

Serve a soup with a little warm relish in the centre, sprinkled with some pepper and fresh thyme.

Food heaven.

Sour chunky cauliflower soup

I have been trough a culinary crisis recently. A soup related one. I cooked soups for my partner but did not eat them myself for few good weeks. I did not fancy any soup that I already knew; I was looking for something new, something rehashing and exciting.

Recently I saw two recipes for cauliflower soups I was excited about. These were what I have been looking for. One of them I still have not made and it is Good Food magazine recipe (I will make it though, as I have all the ingredients in my fridge now), the other one I have found on one of the Polish culinary blogs. It may sound weird to you, but believe me – if you like sour and salty taste you will love it.

It is similar to Polish soup made from gherkins from a salty brine (ogórki kiszone or ogórki kwaszone), not pickled in vinegar! I would made some of those if only I could get hold of fresh gherkins but unfortunately I have not seen them in the shops or on local market. Therefore I decided I will prepare cauliflower the same way I would do gherkins and then cook a soup. Very, very interesting. Are you afraid to try it? Should not be.



First of all you need a big, clean jar to prepare cauliflower in brine. Then in the jar place:

2 small cauliflowers cut into florets
2-3cm piece of fresh horseradish, unpeeled
2 garlic cloves, peeled
tbsp of dill seeds (suva seeds)

And just cover with warm salted water. I would think about 1 tbsp of salt for a pint of water. Leave it in warm place for 2-3 days, until it smells and the water looks bit cloudy. Remove the cauliflower from a jar, keep the water and discard dill seeds, horseradish and garlic.

In a pan boil some vegetable stock, and next add the following peeled and diced vegetables:

2-3 potatoes
2 carrots
parsnip
garlic clove

and

bay leaf
2-3 allspice
few whole black peppercorns

Boil until the vegetables are soft and add the cauliflower and salty water accordingly to your taste. The more water you add the more salty and sour the soup will be. Boil for another 5 minutes.

Chop a handful of fresh dill, add to the soup and if you like you can add some crème fraiche. Serve hot.

It is not that scary, is it?

Spicy aubergine (eggplant) & peanut soup

From "Veganomicon. The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz i Terry Hope Romero - America's best selling vegan chefs.

Serves 6-8

450g aubergines (eggplants), cut into 1cm cubes
1 tsp of salt + extra for seasoning
5 shallots, peeled and finely sliced
6 tbsp groundnut oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 hot chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2.5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1.5 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
approx. 100ml tomato pure
400ml tinned tomatoes in juice, chopped
approx. 1.2l vegetable stock
approx. 120ml natural peanut butter, smooth or chunky
approx. 200g green beans, fresh or frozen, cut into bite size pieces
2 tbsp lemon juice
chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) - optional
chopped roasted peanuts - optional


Toss the aubergine cubes with the tsp of salt in a large bowl or colander. Allow to sit 30 minutes to soften, then gently rinse the aubergine with cold running water and drain.

While the aubergine is being brined, preheat 2 tbsp of oil in a large pot and sauté the shallots for about 20 minutes until soft and lightly browned. Scoop the shallots out of the pot and set aside in a bowl.

Add 2 tbsp of oil to the pot and add the aubergine, stirring to coat with the oil. Cook the aubergine for 15 minutes until slightly tender. Transfer it to the same bowl as the shallots.

Add the remaining oil to the pot and allow it to heat, add the ginger, chilli, and fry for 30 seconds. Add cumin, coriander, turmeric, and fry for another 30 seconds, then add the onion. Stir and fry until onion is just slightly soft and translucent. Add the tomato pure and stir fry the mixture for another minute.

Add the diced tomatoes, stock, aubergine, shallots, beans to the pot, stir well and raise the heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, then lower the heat and simmer.

In a separate bowl, stir the peanut butter with ladleful of hot soup. Stir it well with the soup until creamy and the peanut butter is completely emulsified. Scrape the peanut butter mixture into the rest of the simmering soup and stir to mix.

Simmer the soup over medium - low heat, covered for about 20 minutes, or until the aubergine is very tender. Remove from a heat, add lemon juice and stir. Allow to cool down slightly before seasoning with some more salt.

Serve with some chopped coriander and peanuts.

Mushroom soup with meatballs

Serves 4

500g minced meat (I use turkey)
salt
freshly ground black pepper
chilli powder, as much as you like
2 tbsp soy sauce
500g mushrooms, sliced (I use brown ones)
2 leeks, white parts only, quartered lengthways and chopped
2 onions, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
approx. 2l of vegetable stock
200g natural spread cheese or 150ml crème fraiche
some chopped fresh parsley to garnish

Mix minced meat with salt, pepper and chilli powder and soy sauce and using your hands form 16 meatballs about walnut size. Place on a chopping board and set aside.

In a big pan fry leeks and onions in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Next add warm stock, saving about 500ml of it for later. Bring the soup to boil, gently add the meatballs, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile mix the spread cheese or crème fraiche with the remaining stock until smooth and add to the pan together with sliced mushrooms. Boil for another 5 minutes, season with salt and black pepper.

Serve garnished with some chopped parsley.

Sour oats soup

This is so Polish! It is rustic, it is traditional and making your own sour starter is actually a fun. Traditionally I make rye sour starter, but I have tried this one and I feel like this is more delicate, the flavour is not too strong. Perhaps it is better for somebody who wants to start an adventure with Polish cusine.

For sour starter

6-7 tbsp oats
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and slightly crushed
bay leaf
2-3 whole allspice
2-3 whole black peppercorns
approx. 800ml warm water
clean jar or bottle

Put oats in a food processor or mini chopper and process until you have a coarse flour. You can use a pestle and mortar if you do not have a food processor.

Mix oat flour with water, until smooth - make sure you do not have any lumps. Add garlic, bay leaf, allspice, pepper and mix well. Pour into a jar or bottle, cover with clean cloth and place in warm place. The best temperature for fermentation process is around 22 C.

Make sure you shake or stir you starter every day. Fermantation should take around 5 days. Starter is ready when it smells sour, bit yeasty, perhaps little bit like sour apple.

There are two ways of using sour starter. Some people, i.e. me use the whole lot together with flour - the soup is more thick and floury. Some use the sour water only, making sure, that all flour remains on the bottom of the jar. To do it, do not shake the starter for last 12 hours - all flour should be on the bottom of the jar by the time you have to use the starter.


Sour oats soup (vegetarian, vegan and sausage version)

makes 6

whole sour starter
handfull of dried porcini mushrooms
piece of good quality Polish sausage (such as śląska) - skip for veggie version
3-4 potatoes, peleed and cubed
onion, peleed and diced
1 tbsp sunflower oil
800ml vegetable stock
2 tbsp marjoram (optional)
salt
freshly ground black pepper

In a big pan boil whole sausage and porcini mushrooms in the stock. For veggie version skip the sausage. After about 15 minutes remove the sausage and add potatoes. Simmer until soft. Make sure the potatoes are properly cooked before adding the sour sarter, bacause potatoes will not cook in the sour environment.

Meanwhile slice the sausage and fry the onion in sunflower oil until soft and lightly browned. Add the sour starter to the pan. For a thick soup add the whole lot, if you prefer more watery soups add just the sour water form a starter.

Stir, add sausage, marjoram, and season with salt and pepper. Let it simmer for few more minutes.

You can serve vegetarian version with quartered hard boiled egg, but you can also add the egg to sausage version. For vegan soup skip the egg and the sausage. You can also add some horseradish to the bowl when serving this soup.

Beetroot soup with chunky vegetables and butter beans

Serves 4-6

1 tbsp of neutral vegetable oil (I used sunflower oil)
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 tbsp tomato puree
2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
approx. 400g beetroot, peeled and cut into chunks (try to cut them into a similar size chunks as carrots – it will allow them to cook in the same time)
3 small potatoes, peeled and diced
approx. 200g white cabbage, sliced
approx. 1.5l vegetable stock
approx. 200g butter beans, cooked (for shortcut use tinned ones)
bay leaf
2-3 whole allspice
2-3 whole peppercorns
pinch of sugar
salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice


In a big pan heat the oil and fry the onion over a low heat until softened but not coloured. Add garlic and fry for further minute before adding tomato puree and fry for one more minute.

Next add to the pan: carrots, potatoes, cabbage and beetroots, cover and cook for 5 minutes, before adding stock, allspice, bay leaf, whole peppercorns. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for further 20 minutes.

When vegetables are nearly cooked, season with salt, pepper and sugar and add butter beans. Cook for 5 minutes, add lemon juice and stir thoroughly.

You can serve this soup with some sour cream on the top, quartered hard boiled egg or garnished with some fresh thyme.

Tomato soup with cheddar dumplings

Serves 4

1 tbsp of olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
approx. 1l of vegetable stock (preferably homemade)
pinch of sugar
salt
freshly ground black pepper
fresh herbs (basil, oregano or thyme)


For dumplings

150g cheddar cheese, finely grated (or other you prefer, like gouda, jarlsberg)
egg, beaten with a fork
2 tbsp flour (you can use plain or corn flour)
freshly ground pepper
fresh herbs, finely chopped (I used thyme, you can use dried herbs)

Method

In a deep pan fry the onion over a low heat until soften. Next add garlic and fry for another minute, stirring frequently. You don't want to brown the garlic, as it will taste bitter. Stir in tomatoes, cover and boil for few minutes. Next stir in stock, cover and simmer for another 10 minutes.

In a meantime mix all dumplings ingredients in a bowl.

Take the soup out of the heat, liquidise using hand blender and add some sugar, salt and pepper - accordingly to your taste.

Put it back on low heat and using two teaspoons form cheese dumplings and add them into a simmering soup. Turn off the heat after 3 minutes. Serve in the bowls, garnished with some fresh herbs and freshly ground pepper.