Apple & Carrot Soup

 The Fennel seeds &  Apple in  a Soup? Ya...its a brilliant flavor..its so creamy and rich in herbs..Have hot or cold , tastes the best.... To a company is Roasted Tomato Toasts.. 

Ingredients:

• 2-3 Carrots (sliced)
• 1 Apple (peeled and diced)
• 1 tsp Fennel seeds
• 2 Tbsp Rice (uncooked) 
• 2-3 cups Vegetable stock
• 1 small Bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp Cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp Red chili powder (optional)
• 1/2 tsp Curry powder
• 2 tsp Olive oil / Butter
• Salt & black pepper as per taste
• Fresh lemon slice

Method :

In a sauce pan with oil /butter, add fennel seeds and roast on medium heat 2-3 minutes or you get nice aroma. Add chopped carrots, apples and roast for 5-7 minutes. Add  rice, turmeric powder, red chili powder, curry powder, coriander powder, vegetable stock, bay leaf, salt , pepper and cook till all the vegetables get tender.

Puree the  vegetable & rice mix until smooth. (discard the bay leaf before making puree). Transfer this puree into the same sauce pan and simmer for 8 minutes.

Serve hot with dash of black pepper and lemon.

The tangy flavors make the good combo with this soup...

For Roasted tomato

• 2 Tomatoes
• 1/2 Capsicum
• 1 Garlic pod
• 1/2 tsp Basil (dry)
•  1-2 Tbs Olive oil
• 1/2 tsp Red chili flakes
• Salt to taste

Method: 
Roast the tomatoes in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the skin of it. Heat the pan with oil, add garlic, capsicum and roast for few minutes. Add roasted tomatoes, salt, basil, red chili flakes and mix everything well.

Toast the breads and spread roasted tomato.

This Recipe goes to Taste bud's Cooking with Fruits event.

Cauliflower & Spinach Penne Soup

During grocery shopping I saw spinach flavored penne pasta..the moment I saw & felt that I should try ...Here I have used penne pasta in the cauliflower  soup.. This is very healthy as it does not  require much oil, butter or not even cream..!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Cauliflower
• 1/2 Spinach Penne
• 1/2 cup Carrot
• 1/2 cup Potato  ( boiled & mashed)
• 1 Onion (chopped)
• 1/2 tsp Basil (dry/ Fresh)
• 1 tsp Garlic paste
• 1 tsp Oil
• Salt & Black Pepper to taste

Method:

    Heat the pan with oil, add garlic, onion and saute for few minutes. Add cooked potatoes, vegetables and penne. Bring to boil with requied amount of water. Add basil, salt and stir it well. 

Serve hot.

This goes to my event Pasta Party

Vegetable Stew

 This vegetable  stew is healthy and easy to make.. I saw this on TV, but it was made with meats..so i just thought i should try with vegetarian & indian style...It turned out really good.. its not  a soup its Stew...


Ingredients :

• 2 Potatoes
• 2 Carrots
• 1/2  green Capsicum
• 1/2  Celery stalk
• 1 Zucchini
• 1/2 cup check peas (garbanzo / kabuli chana)
• 2-3 cups Vegetable stock 
• 1 tsp Cumin powder
• 1 tsp Ginger
• 2-3 cloves
• 5-6 Black peppercorns
• Red chili powder as per taste
• Salt as per taste
• Fresh mint leaves
• Fresh Coriander leaves 

Method:
 Boil or pressure-cook the chickpeas, carrots,potatoes till they are tender.
In a pan add vegetable stock and cook till it boils. Add ginger, peppercorns , cloves. cook for few minutes. Add all boiled carrots, potatoes, chickpeas, celery, zucchini, bell papers, cumin powder, red chili powder and cook over medium heat till it come to boil. Add fresh mint leaves, salt. Cook till all the vegetables are cooked and tender.

Garnish coriander leaves and serve hot with Garlic bread...

 Note:

• Before serving you can discard the cloves, peppercorns. Also can add more vegetables spinach, tomatoes..

• You can use canned beans. We also get ready to use stew vegetables in grocery store..

This recipe goes to  Rahin's  Semi-home made Indian recipe Event.

Spinach / Palak Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch Spinach / Palak (chopped)
• 1 Onion (chopped)
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 1 Tbsp Oil
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1tsp Butter
• 1/4 tsp Cinnamon powder (less or more) (optional)
• A pinch of Nutmeg powder (optional)
• 2-3 dollop Whip cream
• 2 tsp Bread Chunks (used whole wheat)
• Salt to taste.

Method:

Heat the pan with oil add garlic and onion and fry till they turn light brown. Add chopped spinach leaves and fry for 2-3 minutes or till spinach become tender. Grind this spinach with milk and little water like smooth juice. (if u like very fine juice the strain it).

In the same pan heat the butter, add cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder and stir for minute or so (don't burn it). Add spinach juice to it and reheat it.

Serve warm with dollop of cream in the centre and roasted bread chunks.

Note: Used low fat whip cream. If you don't like cream them omit that step.Add Water / Milk as per desired consistency.

This goes to Sireesha's Soup N Juice Event.

Tomoto Soup

Ingredients:

• 4 Ripe Tomatoes


• Pepper


• Salt to taste


• Mint leaves (optional)


• ½ tsp Red Chili Powder (optional)

Method:

Put the tomatoes in boiling water for 2 min. Then immediately transfer them to ice-cold water to peel the skins. Cut the tomatoes into small pieces. In a same pan add water and boil it. Add the chopped tomatoes. Once they are tender and mushy, cool and blend the tomatoes with the help of a mixer. Sieve the blended mixture to discard the seeds.
Garnish it with a dash of butter/ cream.

Serve Hot with Garlic flavored Ciabatta

Veg Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 large red Onion (chopped)
• 1 cup frozen Corn kernels
• 1 cans Kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
• 4-5 Garlic cloves ( minced)
• 2 Jalapeno
• 1 cans vegetable stock*
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 6 Corn tortillas/ Wheat tortillas
• Cilantro
• Salt to taste

Method:

In a large pot add olive oil, onion, garlic, jalapeno and cumin seeds and stir constantly for 5 minutes. Add corn, kidney beans ,vegetable stock*, salt and cilantro. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Top soup with Tortilla strips and Cheese.

*Variation: I have added Carrot (finely chopped) and Tomato soup’s instead of vegetable stock and cooked till they get tender and grind everything in the grinder by adding little water. Again transferred this grinded paste to pan and cooked for 5 minutes or till desired consistency.