Hello Everyone.
Autumn brings with it cooler days and the minute rain is forecast, I crave a bakkie warm and comforting soup.
I love soup and can happily swap out my day time cup of tea or coffee for a mug of soup instead.
Although there’s hundreds if not thousands of different variations and styles of soups, my favourite will always be a good old split pea and vegetable soup.
This soup has anything from just veggies, or added extras like split peas, beef, soup bones, chicken or chicken nekkies or even boontjies.
For the vegetables, it’s best to use a combo of onions, carrots, tomato, potato, parsley and celery as your base, but if you’re missing one or two of these ingredients, don’t stress, it still works.
Moms know, it will be the rainiest of days and your soup lussies hit hard, but you are missing a few ingredients and can’t get to the shops.
So you end up adding in the odd veg you have in your fridge, but these bietjies put together, will make the best soup ever!
Once you have all your ingredients prepped, simply add everything together to simmer for a few hours.
To speed up the cooking time, the split peas can be soaked in water the night before, allowing the pulses to soften and cook quicker.
Split peas adds a lekker thick texture, but if you prefer a creamier soup, adding a packet of soup powder for extra flavour also does the trick.
This week I am sharing a few of my favourite soup recipes and lekker breads to go with it.
Keep warm and Happy Cooking.
For more recipes or baking and cooking inspiration, visit my website www.sprinklesandspice.co.za or visit my social media platforms on Instagram @sprinklesandspicect or Facebook Sprinkles and Spice by Farzana Kumandan.
Love, Your Cooksister
Chicken and Corn Soup
Ingredients
3 tbsp butter
1 small onion finely chopped.
2 chicken fillets cubed.
1 tbsp pepper
1 tbspchicken spice
1 garlic clove grated.
1 green chilli
½ red pepper diced
1 cup frozen corn
1 large carrot finely grated.
2 tins cream style corn
1 litre milk
1 fresh cream
1-2 cups water
Cream of chicken soup powder (optional)
1 bunch chopped spring onion.
*salt to taste
Method
Braise the onion in butter until slightly golden brown.
Add in the chicken, garlic and chilli and cook until the tips of the chicken turn golden brown.
Add in the red pepper, spices, frozen corn, carrot and 2 cups of boiling water.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat and add in the cream style corn, milk and fresh cream. Stir continuously until it boils.
Mix the soup powder with ½ cup cold water and add to the soup.
Add in the spring onion and simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
* If you are adding soup powder, which can be salty, then add salt to taste*
Chicken and Veg Soup
Ingredients
1 large onion
1 cup celery
1 cup parsley
1 leek
1 turnip
1 red pepper
2 green chillies
1 large clove garlic
½ thumb-size piece ginger
1 tin cream style corn
1 thick veg soup.
500ml water
Add all the above ingredients to a food processor or blender, and blend until fine and pulpy.
Additional ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
3 chicken fillets (sliced)
1 tsp Cajun spice
Salt and pepper to taste.
1-2 punnet baby marrows sliced in chunks.
1-2 punnet small baby button mushrooms (sliced)
2 carrots peeled and roughly chopped.
Method
In a large pot, add butter, chicken and Cajun spice and braise until the chicken is well-coated in spice.
Add in the mushrooms, marrows, carrots and fine veg and top with 1-2 litres boiling water, depending on how thick you prefer your soup.
Bring to a boil while stirring continuously.
Season with salt and pepper (I do not add salt)
Once it boils, reduce the heat and simmer on a low heat for 15-20 minutes.
Red Lentil Soup
Ingredients
2 tbsp butter
1 onion
1 green chilli
2 garlic cloves
1 large carrot
½ tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 level tsp white pepper
1 level tsp smoked paprika.
50g tomato paste
4 chicken stock cubes
6 cups water
1½ cups red lentils.
Additional Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil
2 red dried chillies
1 level tsp dried mint
Method
Rinse and soak the lentils in boiled water for at least a half hour or overnight.
In a food processor, chop the onion, chilli, garlic and carrot until fine and pulpy.
In a large pot or the instant pot, braise the veg until golden brown.
Add in the cumin, turmeric, white pepper, paprika, and tomato paste.
Mix until well combined.
Add in the water, stock, and lentils and bring to a slow simmer.
If you are using the Instant Pot, be sure to deglaze the bottom of the pot.
Cover and pressure cook on high for 30 minutes with QPR.
Alternatively, on a stove top, simmer for 30-40 minutes on a low heat, stirring occasionally.
Once the lentils are soft, in a separate pot, heat the olive oil, red chilli, and mint.
Once it starts to sizzle, add it to the soup and stir well.
Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon.
Beef and Veg Split Pea Soup
Ingredients
1 x 500g split peas
¼ cup soup mix
2-3 blocks Knorr chicken stock or veg stock.
1 heaped tsp garlic ginger
500g - 1kg beef pieces with bone
2 heaped tsp pepper or to taste*
2 All Spice (pimento)
1 clove
3 large carrots
1 onion
1 tomato
1 potato
1 cup celery
1 cup parsley
Method
Rinse and soak the split peas and soup mix in boiling water, overnight, or for at least an hour.
Liquidize or pulse the veg in a food processor until fine and pulpy. If you do not have any of the above, finely grate the veg and finely chopped the parsley and celery.
* For the stove top
On a stove top in a large pot, add all the ingredients, top up with water, and mix well. Bring to boil and simmer for 1½ -2 hours, stirring occasionally and top up water if needed.
* For the Instant Pot
Add all the ingredients, top up with water just below the max line, and mix well.
Pressure cook for 30 minutes on high pressure and QPR or NP depending on how much time you have.
* Add salt only if you are omitting the stock cubes as stock contains salt.
If you want a beef flavour, use beef stock.
Creamy Garlic Rolls Farzana Kumandan
Ingredients
Garlic Rolls
Ingredients
6 Hot Dog Rolls or 1 x French baguette
4 tbsp soft butter
2 garlic pods finely grated.
1 tbsp Garlic and Herb
1 tsp mixed herbs
Method
Mix the butter, garlic, spice and herbs together until a thick-like paste is formed.
Slice the rolls into thick slices and spread on a layer of butter.
Transfer to a baking tray and air fry or oven bake on 180°C until the rolls are toasted crisp and golden.
dailyvoice@inl.co.za