Tofu and Chilli Soup

Ginger and lemon grass adds an aromatic note to this tasty, refreshing soup, simmered vegetables served over delicious noodle soup. The soft vermicelli rice noodles are the perfect foil to the crunch of the cooked vegetables, and soak up the flavoursome liquid of this soup wonderfully well.

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

100g firm tofu cut into cube sizes

1 tbsp minced garlic & ginger

1 lemon grass stalk, crushed to release flavour

2 fresh red chillis chopped

4 baby corns roughly chopped

1 carrot cut into thin sticks

1 vegetable soup cube

2 spring onions finely chopped

6 shitake mushrooms sliced

1 tomato chopped

1 tbsp tomyam paste

100g vermicelli noodles

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp sesame oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Heat oil in a large pan; add tofu, mushrooms and soy sauce, sauté for 4-5 minutes. When tofu changes to golden colour, add minced garlic ginger, soup cube, lemon grass, tomato, tomyam paste stir well for 2 more minutes.

Add one bowl of water, baby corn and let the soup simmer for 5 minutes.

To cook the noodles, pour boiling water over vermicelli noodles, leave it for 5 minutes. When noodles are cooked drain water and set them aside.

When soup is simmering, add carrots and salt mix well.

Serve noodles in bowls, ladle soup on top, garnish with chopped red chilli and spring onion.

Red Lentil Tofu Soup

This attractive tofu and vegetable soup, made with cinnamon, is ideal for cold and hungry days, especially after energetic activities and long country walks in fresh frosty air.

Serves 2-3

Method

2 tbsp vegetable oil
50g firm tofu cut into cubes
1 onion chopped

1 tbsp soya sauce

1 tbsp minced garlic and ginger
200g tomatoes chopped
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 tbsp curry powder
50g red lentils washed
50g boiled chickpeas  / can

1 vegetable soup cube
250g noodles
salt & pepper to taste
Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method
Heat oil in a pan sauté cubed tofu, with 1 tbsp soy sauce until they are brown and set aside

In a pan stir fry onion and garlic, ginger for 2 minutes. Add vegetable stock cube, 1 bowl of water, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, curry powder, red lentils, turmeric and ground cinnamon. Stir well and cook for around 25 minutes, till lentils are soft.

When soup is simmering add chickpeas, salt, pepper and stir well.

Separately boil noodles and set aside. Serve noodles in soup bowls, ladle soup on top and garnish with coriander leaves and lemon slices.

Michael Smith’s Red bean & Rice Stew

This is a spicy stew, made with chili, red beans and rice, makes it a filling meal. Red beans are a good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber, when combined with whole grains such as rice, red beans provides virtually fat-free high quality protein.

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

50g red / white Rice washed

100g brown cowpea / kidney beans (boiled or canned)

2 capsicums finely chopped

2 Fresh red chillis finely chopped

1 tbsp curry powder

1 tbsp chilli powder

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 vegetable soup cube

1 tbsp garlic ginger paste

1 onion chopped

2 spring onions chopped

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Coriander leaves chopped

Method

Heat oil in a large sauce pan, sauté onion, garlic ginger for 2 minutes. Stir tomato puree, curry powder, chilli powder, sugar, soup cube, capsicum and red chilli, stir well for 2 more minutes.

Add washed rice; mix well till rice is coated with all the spices. Add 2 bowls of water, lower the heat, stir well and boil for 30-40 minutes closing the lid.

When rice is cooked, add salt and pepper to taste, boiled cowpea / kidney beans mix well.

Serve stew in bowls garnish with chopped spring onion, coriander and fresh chilli.

Cowpea (black eyed pea) & Capsicum Stew

 

Cowpea (black eyed pea) combined with peppers, makes this soup rich in colour and nutrients. The protein in cowpea is rich in amino acids. Therefore, cowpea seed is valued as a nutritional supplement to cereals and an extender of animal proteins.

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

100g boiled cowpea (soak them overnight, boil in salted water for 45 minutes till they are tender, or use canned cowpea)

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp garlic ginger paste

¼ of each red, yellow and green pepper thinly sliced

200g chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 vegetable soup cube

1 tsp dried basil

50g pitted black olives chopped

1 tbsp brown sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Heat oil in a large pan, sauté onion, garlic ginger, soup cube for 2 minutes. Stir tomatoes, tomato puree, red, yellow and green peppers stir well for 3 more minutes.

Add 1 bowl of water, basil, and sugar stir well; simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add seasonings and boiled cowpea, mix well and turn off heat. 

Ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle black olives and serve with crusty bread.

Roasted Garlic and Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

Serves 2

300g pumpkin peeled diced

1 stick celery chopped

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion chopped

1 tbsp garlic ginger paste

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1 vegetable soup cube

100g tomatoes chopped

Coriander leaves chopped for garnishing

Method

Add oil in a pan, stir fry onion, garlic ginger paste, tomatoes, celery, pumpkin, curry powder, chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder. Stir till pumpkin is coated with spices.

Add 1 bowl of water; soup cube let it simmer for 15 minutes. 

Turn off heat once pumpkin is cooked, add salt to taste.

Serve in soup bowls and garnish with coriander.

Fragrant Tofu and Vegetable Soup

One of the most refreshing and healthy soups, this fragrant dish would make an ideal light lunch or supper.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

2 tbsp sesame oil

100g firm tofu cut in cube size

1 vegetable stock cube

2 tsp chili flakes

1 kaffir lime leaf thinly sliced

1 onion chopped

2 tbsp garlic ginger paste

2 fresh red chilli, chopped

1 lemon grass stalk finely chopped

6 shitake mushrooms thinly sliced

2 spring onion chopped

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Sauté tofu, by heating oil in a pan, add tofu, mushroom and soy sauce. Stir occasionally until tofu is golden. Set them aside.

In the same pan stir fry garlic ginger, onion by adding oil. After 2 minutes add vegetable stock cube, 1 bowl of water, lime leaf, lemon grass, soy sauce, sugar and chopped red chili, simmer for 5-10 minutes.

When soup is boiling add chilli flakes, lime juice, salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat and add tofu and mushrooms.

Serve in bowls garnish with spring onion.

Garlic-laced Chickpea soup

Light soup made with pulses, big in flavour with coriander and garlic. Crusty bread goes well.

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp garlic ginger paste

1 large onion chopped

200g chickpeas, soaked overnight & boiled with salt / can

Few coriander leaves chopped

1 tbsp plain flour mixed in cold water

½ lemon juice

1 cube vegetable stock

1 tbsp mustard cream

Parsley for garnishing

Salt & pepper to taste

Method

Heat oil in a pan, stir fry onion and garlic ginger for few minutes. Add stock cube, 1 bowl of water and boil for 5 minutes.

When soup is simmering add chick peas, salt, mustard cream, flour mixture,  salt, stir well for 3-4 minutes. Turn off heat, add coriander leaves and lemon juice.

Serve soup in bowls and garnish with parsley leaves.

Tomyam Pumpkin Soup

Tomyam, popular Thai soup base, is characterized by its distinct hot and sour flavors. Tomyam soup or paste is made with fresh ingredients such as lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves,galangal, lime juice and crushed chilli.

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

500g Pumpkin cut into small chunks

1 vegetable soup cube

200ml coconut cream

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbsp fennel powder

1 onion chopped

1 tbsp garlic ginger paste

1 tbsp vegetarian tomyam paste

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Handful of croutons

Coriander leaves

Method

Sauté garlic ginger and onion for 2 minutes, in a large pan. Stir pumpkin, coriander, fennel powder, sugar, tomyam paste, and soup cube. Mix well till pumpkin is coated with spices.

Add coconut cream, one bowl of water, mix well and boil the soup for 10 minutes till pumpkin is soft.

Meanwhile spread butter over 2 slices of French county bread, cut them into cube size, and bake for 2-3 minutes, till they are crisp.

When soup is boiling add salt and pepper to taste. You may puree the soup after it’s cooled, if you prefer creamy soups.

Ladle soup into bowls top with croutons and coriander leaves.

Spiced Bean soup with tofu

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil

200ml coconut milk

2 lime leaves, torn

2 tbsp curry powder

1 tbsp sugar

Salt to taste

100g button / shitake mushrooms sliced

50g French beans

100g tofu, cut into cubes

 Fresh chilli chopped

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method

Heat oil in a pan sauté tofu and sliced mushroom till it’s slightly golden. Set aside.

In the same pan add coconut milk, in low heat, let it simmer. When it’s simmering add curry powder stir well, add one bowl of water lime leaves, sugar let it boil for 5 minutes.

Boil water in sauce pan, when water is boiling add salt, and French beans leave it for 3-4 minutes. Drain water, wash beans with cold water set aside. 

Add salt and pepper to soup, mix well, and turn off heat. Add French beans, tofu, mushroom and mix. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with chopped red chilli and coriander.

Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

1 celery stalk chopped

½ leek, chopped

1 carrot chopped

1 potato cut into bite size chunks

50g de-frozen green peas

50g cannellini beans boiled/ can

3 heads of pak choi, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1 vegetable soup cube

1 tbsp garlic ginger paste

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Method

Heat oil in a large pan, sauté leeks and garlic ginger for 2-3 minutes until leeks are wilted. Stir celery, carrot, soup cube, potato and cook for 5 more minutes.

Add one bowl of water and boil soup until vegetables are cooked and tender.

Add cannellini beans, green peas, and pak choi, stir well for a minute, turn off heat, add salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle soup into bowls, you may top the soup with pesto and serve.

Mexican Three-Bean Chilli Stew

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

75g of each cowpea, cannellini beans & chickpeas – boiled or can (or your preferred legume)

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 large onion finely chopped

½ red pepper deseeded and diced

1 tbsp garlic ginger paste

1 tsp ground cumin powder

1 tsp ground coriander powder

1 tbsp chilli powder

1 tsp dried oregano

3 tbsp tomato puree

200g canned chopped tomatoes

1 tsp sugar

1 vegetable stock cube

Fresh coriander & slices of red onion for garnishing

Method

Heat oil in a large pan, sauté onion, diced red pepper & garlic ginger paste in vegetable oil for 2 minutes. Add dried oregano, cumin, coriander, chilli powders, chopped tomatoes & tomato puree stir for 2 more minutes.

Add one bowl of water stir soup well, add soup cube, sugar and bring to boil for about 5 -10 minutes.

When soup forms into a thick creamy texture reduce heat, add boiled legumes, salt to taste, mix well.

Ladle soup into bowls garnish with sliced onion and coriander.