Fresh tomato soup

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: about 40 minutes
Serves: 4

2kg ripe tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 cups (500mL) vegetable stock
1-2 tablespoons tomato paste
1-2 teaspoons caster sugar
1-2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar

1. Score a small cross in the skin on the base of each tomato. Place the tomatoes into a large bowl, and cover with boiling water. Leave to stand for 5 minutes, then drain and cool. Peel the skin off the tomatoes, and chop the flesh.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, and add the onion. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very soft and golden. Add the garlic and cook a further 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, increase the heat to medium high and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add the stock, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Cool slightly, then process in batches until smooth. Return to the pan and reheat. Stir in the tomato paste, sugar and vinegar to taste. Season with salt and pepper.
Serving tip: toast thin slices of baguette on both sides. Spread some with olive tapenade, and some with creamy feta. Serve with the soup.
Recipe by Tracy Rutherford

Dhal soup with spicy croutons

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Serves: 4

1 tablespoon oil
1 large onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
6 curry leaves
2 carrots, grated
250g (1 cup) red or yellow lentils
1 litre vegetable stock or water
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup coriander leaves, chopped

Spicy croutons

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh chilli, very finely chopped (or chilli flakes)
4 slices white bread, thickly cut

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric and curry leaves and cook until the onion is transparent.
2. Add the carrot, lentils and stock. Bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft and have disintegrated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep the soup simmering while you make the croutons.
3. While the dhal cooks and you prepare the croutons, preheat the oven to hot (220°C). Remove the crusts from the bread and cut into small cubes. Put the oil in a shallow dish, add the chilli and mix well. Add the bread to the mixture and evenly coat all the cubes. Place the cubes in a shallow ovenproof dish and cook in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, turning once, until golden brown.
4. To serve, remove the curry leaves and ladle the soup into four soup bowls, garnish generously with the chopped coriander leaves and divide the croutons among the four bowls. Serve immediately.
Recipe by Cheryl Maddocks

Tuscan tomato, chickpea and bread soup

Serves: 4-6 

8 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
250g stale, firm bread (rye or sourdough is good), thinly sliced
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1kg peeled fresh tomatoes, finely chopped
400g can chickpeas

1. In a saucepan bring the stock to the boil then turn down to a simmer.
2. Meanwhile, in a frypan heat the olive oil then add the garlic and 1 tablespoon of the rosemary leaves and cook until the garlic softens. Add the bread slices to the frypan and brown well on both sides. Add the chopped tomatoes and stir well. Pour this mixture into the simmering stock and season with salt and pepper.
3. Drain the chickpeas and add to the stock. Simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes. Pour into a soup tureen or individual bowls and garnish with the remaining chopped, fresh rosemary.
Recipe by Cheryl Maddocks

Leek and potato soup

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4

3 leeks
60g butter
750g Sebago potatoes, peeled, halved and sliced
3 cups (750mL) chicken stock
1 cup (250mL) milk
1 1/2 cups (375mL) vegetable oil, approximately

1. Cut an 8cm length from one of the leeks and set aside. Slice the remaining leeks. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the chopped leeks and cook over medium low heat for 10 minutes, until soft. Add the potatoes and stock, cover and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, tilt the lid slightly and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the potato is very tender.
2. Remove from the heat. Cool slightly, and process in batches (or with a wand blender), until smooth. Return to the pan, add the milk and heat gently.
3. To make the crispy fried leeks, cut the remaining leek in half lengthways, then into fine strips. Pour about 3cm oil into a medium saucepan and heat. Cook the leek strips in 4 batches, for about 1 minute, until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels. Serve the soup topped with the leeks.
Note: when preparing leeks, use the only the pale green and white parts.
Recipe by Tracy Rutherford

Real chicken soup

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: about 3 hours
Serves 6

1.5kg whole chicken
8 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
large sprig thyme
1 large leek, sliced
3 large carrots, halved and sliced
4 sticks celery, sliced (reserve tops)
3 litres water
2 good quality chicken stock cubes (such as Massel)
1 cup (190g) stellini, or other small soup pasta

1. Place the chicken into a large, heavy-based stockpot. Cut a square of muslin and place the peppercorns, bay leaf and thyme on it. Bring the ends together to form a little pouch, and tie securely with kitchen string. Add to the pot.
2. Pour 3 litres of cold water into the pot, along with the vegetables. Bring slowly to the boil over medium-low heat (this will take about 30 minutes). Reduce the heat slightly and cook for 2 hours. The water should not be boiling during this time, just barely simmering.
3. Carefully lift the chicken from the pot – use two pairs of tongs, or a large slotted spoon and tongs. The chicken will fall apart, but into large pieces, so just take them all out. Let the chicken cool slightly, then pull the meat from the chicken, and chop into smaller, bite-sized pieces suitable for soup.
4. Meanwhile, using a potato masher, roughly mash the vegetables in the soup. Add the stock cubes and stir to dissolve. Return the chicken to the soup.
5. If you have time, chill the soup so that the fat floating on the top solidifies and is easy to remove. When ready to serve, bring to the boil, add the pasta and cook for 10 minutes. Chop the reserved celery leaves and stir into the soup; season to taste.
Recipe by Tracy Rutherford
 

Copyright CTC Productions 2009