Two ways to soup it up - recipes

Published Mar 2, 2016

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Soups are often the dish we turn to for a comfort meal, especially in winter, but cold soups can be very refreshing in summer and work well with the best of the season’s produce, such as sun-ripened tomatoes or cucumber and even avocado pear.

The Persian yoghurt soup is very different from what you would expect from a soup but it is one of the most refreshing soups I have tried. The chickpea soup is the perfect autumn soup, healthy and light.

 

Chilled Persian yoghurt soup

Serves 6-8

125ml pistachio nuts

500ml Greek yoghurt

375ml ice water

30ml pine nuts

125ml dried cranberries, chopped

½ cucumber, peeled, deseeded and diced

60ml chopped fresh mint

60ml chopped fresh dill

60ml chopped chives

salt and pepper

Garnish

ground sumac

dried rose petals (optional)

pomegranate rubies

extra pine nuts

micro herbs

Preheat oven to 180degC.

Place the pistachio nuts on a baking tray and bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove, cool and roughly chop

In a large bowl, whisk the yoghurt with the ice water. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and the cooled pistachios. Refrigerate until very cold, about 1 hour. Serve in shallow soup bowls garnished with a sprinkling of sumac, rose petals, pomegranate rubies, pine nuts and micro herbs.

Serve with slices of Turkish bread.

 

Smoky chickpea and veg soup

Serves 6-8

30ml olive oil

125g streaky bacon, roughly chopped

1 onion, chopped

5ml chopped garlic

3 carrots, peeled and diced

2 sticks of celery, chopped

3 courgettes, chopped

2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

1.5 litres of vegetables stock

400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

salt and pepper

200g baby spinach

125ml grated Parmesan

Heat half the oil in a saucepan, add the bacon and cook for a few minutes, until starting to brown.

Add the remaining oil and fry the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, courgettes and potatoes for 10 minutes. Add the stock, chickpeas and tomatoes, salt and pepper.

Bring the soup to the boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add the spinach and cook for a further 5 minutes, until wilted. Add Parmesan and serve.

Angela Day, Sunday Tribune

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