Soups for the soul

Orange And Carrot Soup

Ingredients:

• Oranges: 200gms
• Carrots: 150gms
• Orange Juice: 200ml
• Black Pepper Powder: 5gm
• Fennel Seeds Whole: 5gm
• Salt: As per taste
• Salad Oil: 200ml
• Cream: 20ml
• Turmeric Powder: 5gm
• Sliced Onions: 100 gm
• Leeks: 20 gm
• Fresh Herbs: 1 gm
• Garlic: 20 gm
• Method:
• Peel and cut the oranges, de-seed the wedges and remove the pulp.
• Oven roast the carrots and orange zest and wedges and set aside the pulp.
• Peel the onions, garlic and leeks; cut the fennel leaves to thin slices.
• Roast the carrots and orange zest and reduce it to a pulp along with the wedges.
• Heat the saucepan, add salad oil and when the oil is hot, add some black pepper and sliced onions, garlic, leeks and fennel leaves. Sauté till it gets light brown.
• After sautéing it for a while until light brown, add roasted carrots and orange zest, sauté it for approximately 10 minutes.
• Remove the vegetable mash and make a puree.
• Heat saucepan add the puree cook for some time and then add juice of oranges, cook for another 15-20 minutes.
• Add all spices and season the puree when it is gets thick add cream and thicken it well.
• Strain the soup into a serving bowl and serve with multi-grain bread.

— By Chef Amit Sharma, Hotel Sea Princess

PAYA SHORBA

Ingredients:

• Lamb trotters: 200 gm
• Ghee: 25 gm
• Garlic: 25 gm
• Ginger: 15 gm
• Black pepper:  1tsp
• Bay leaves: 2
• Cinnamon: 1-inch stick
• Green cardamom: 6
• Onions, chopped: 1  
• Coriander: 1tbsp
• Mint stems: 1tbsp  
• Carrot, diced: 50gm
• Yoghurt: 50gm
• White pepper powder: ½ tsp    
• Salt to taste
• Water: 1 litre
• Lime juice: few drops     

Method:

1. Heat ghee, add the whole spices and let them crackle. Saute chopped onions, ginger, carrots and garlic till onions are golden brown.
2. Add the trotters and sauté. Add whisked yoghurt, coriander stems and mint stems and cook for 5 more minutes.
3. Now add water and slow cook in a pressure cooker for 45 minutes to an hour. Add fresh coriander and limejuice for garnish.

— By Chef Amninder Sandhu, Arth

Spicy Thai Soup with Prawns

Ingredients:

Medium-Sized Prawns, de-veined and shelled; 350 gm (save the shells and heads)  
Vegetable Oil: 2 tbsp  
Water: 3 cups  
Chicken Stock: 5 cups  
Lemongrass bulb, crushed: 2 pieces  
Galangal, washed and thinly sliced: 20 g  
Fresh Cilantro, chopped: 1/2 cup  
Kaffir Lime Leaves: 4-6  
Thai Red Chilli, crushed: 2 tbsp  
Oyster Mushroom: 1 cup  
Straw Mushroom: 1 cup  
Thai Chilli Paste: 1/4 cup  
Fish Sauce: 3 tbsp  
Lime Juice: 1/4 cup  

Method:

1. Sauté the prawn shells and heads, half galangal, lemongrass, cilantro and kaffir lime leaves.
2. Add water and simmer for 15 minutes to make the seafood stock. Strain and reserve the liquid and remove the shells and heads.
3. In a mortar and pestle, pound rest of the lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves and Thai red chillies into a paste.
4. Bring the chicken and prawn stock to a simmer, add the paste and simmer for 8-10 minutes.
5. When it comes to a boil, add mushrooms and cook for 1-2 minutes or until cooked.
6. Add chilli paste and fish sauce. Stir to dissolve the chilli paste.
7. Add shrimp meat and cook just until done. Turn off the heat.
8. Before serving with jasmine rice, top the soup with limejuice and cilantro.

— Recipe by Foodhall