Souper Day

When it is raining cats and dogs outside, I feel the urge to make soup.

I start with the stock - a few leftover chicken carcasses from the freezer. Into the pot, I add a carrot (diced) if I feel in a ‘proper’ mood, or just washed and broken, if I don’t. Then, I add: an onion or leek, treated the same way and any mix of fresh ginger and peppercorns. I go outside and pick from my garden; garlic, a bay leaf, celery leaves, parsley stalks and enough water to cover everything. I put the stockpot onto the outside BBQ gas ring and cook it for about 1 ½ hours or reduced by at least a third. I may scoop off the impurities, before I strain it, cool it and freeze it.

Cuisine magazine always has reliable recipes and here is one I have adapted this one:

Tomato Tamarind soup

• 1 x 800gm tin of tomatoes in juice
• 1 – 3 roasted red peppers (capsicum) – put over a gas flame until blackened, then remove skin and seeds -optional
• 1 roasted garlic bulb (in oven 160 degrees C – until soft, wrapped in tin foil)
• a thumb sized knob of ginger, grated
• 1 Tb tamarind pulp, swished around in a couple of Tbs of warm water, to remove the pips
• 1 ½ Tb soft brown sugar
• 1/8th – ¼ tsp only of cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp ground cumin seeds
• 1.5 litres of chicken stock - salt reduced, if you are using commercial stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and gently cook until you feel the flavour is rounded – about 30 minutes, on a medium heat. If there is too much cayenne, add a cup of rice to cook it out or if it is a bit bitter; add honey. I puree it with a stick blender then I sieve it until velvet smooth.

It is delightful to eat with naan bread or roti.

It was really, really raining today so I made one pot of stock and two different soups! Enjoy.