I love one big bowl of food to dive in to at this time of year and some of my favourite food blogs are here to help. I love leafing through real cook books but I also spend hours trawling through sites to find the perfect dishes to cook with my husband or for the family. I find the best time to cook without so much stress is on the weekend. I normally prep things while the children have breakfast so that the making is easier and more fun for the children to get involved with. Where recipes demand spicy and hot flavours, I try to ladle off a few portions for the kids so they don’t get a hot surprise.
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 1 tomato
- 1 zucchini
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 bunch lacinato kale
- 1 handful parsley
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- A pinch dried chili flakes
- 10 sage leaves
- 15-ounce can cannellini beans (or 1½ cups cooked)
- 1 quart vegetable stock
- Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
- Multigrain or wholegrain sourdough bread
- Parmesan cheese
- Dice the onion, carrot, tomato, and zucchini. Mince 4 garlic cloves. Remove the stems from the kale, then roughly chop the leaves. Remove the leaves from the parsley.
- In a large saucepan or pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onion garlic, carrots, chlli flakes, and sage and cook over low heat for 20 minutes until softened but not browned. Add the parsley, tomato, and zucchini and cook for a few minutes.
- Add the kale and beans (drained if canned), and cover with vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.
- Chop the bread into cubes. To serve, arrange the bread cubes in the soup and add Parmesan cheese shavings and a drizzle of olive oil.
- 2 Tbsp. ghee or unsalted butter
- 1 small red onion, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp. each sea salt and pepper
- 2 Tbsp. fresh grated ginger
- 1 tsp. turmeric
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 2 tsp. curry powder
- 3/4 cup roasted sweet potato
- 12 ounces dry yellow split peas, rinsed and drained
- 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 cup coconut milk, remaining for garnish
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- chopped cilantro, black sesame, micogreens for garnish
Method:
In a large pot or dutch oven, warm the ghee or butter over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt and pepper and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger, turmeric, cumin, curry, sweet potato flesh, yellow split peas and broth. Stir and bring the mixture up to a boil, down to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 45-55 minutes until the peas are very soft. With an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender, puree until mostly smooth. I like mine a little chunky. Return to the pot.
Stir in the coconut milk, orange juice and taste for seasoning. Add cayenne or more ginger if you’d like it spicy. Serve each bowl with dollop of coconut milk on top, cilantro, black sesame and microgreens for garnish.
Ingredients:
- 2 large onions, peeled and halved
- nub of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 4 star anise
- 4 cloves
- 4 cardamom pods
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 fennel bulb, quartered, stalks removed
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp shoyu or soy sauce
- 8 cups vegetable stock
- 1 head of bok choy, quartered
- fresh thai basil
- fresh mint
- 2 cups beansprouts
- handful of limes, quartered
- 1 lb brown rice noodles
- shaved sweet onion slices
Method:
Heat oven to 450.’ Place onions and ginger slices onto a baking tray and roast in the oven for 10 minutes until the edges are starting to brown. Place spices in a heavy-pot and dry roast until aromatic, stirring to prevent from burning. Add vegetable stock, shoyu, carrots, fennel, and roasted onions and ginger. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain soup base through a fine mesh strainer to remove vegetables and debris, then return strained broth to the pot and reheat. Cook noodles according to packet instructions. Prepare serving bowl(s) with cooked noodles, bok choy, beansprouts, onion, fresh herbs, and lime wedges. When ready to serve, pour over hot broth and serve immediately.
Naturally Ella’s Sweet Potato Srirarcha Noodle Soup
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1-2 tablespoon sriracha*
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 cups cubed sweet potatoes
- 2 ounces soba noodles
TOPPINGS
- Bean Sprouts
- Cilantro
- Lime Juice
- Toasted Sesame Seeds
- In a pot, heat sesame oil over medium-low heat. Stir in the thinly sliced red onion and cook until soft, 4-5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and minced ginger, cooking for 1 minute more. Next, measure in 4 cups vegetable broth, lime juice, sriracha, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
- Add sweet potatoes and cooking for 7-8 minutes, just until the sweet potatoes are tender, but not too soft. Finally, stir in the noodles and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the noodles are soft.
- Divide into two bowls and top with minced cilantro, bean sprouts, sesame seeds, and extra lime juice.
