Vegetarian soup recipes

Courgette, tomatoes and Pesto Soup

Very easy to make and delicious. The key to success  is to use the best pesto you can find.

Serves 4

  • 2 medium courgettes (Zucchinis)
  • One ripe tomato, peeled (optional)
  • 4 table spoons of pesto
  • 1 pinch of thyme, fresh if possible (optional)

Dice the courgettes and the tomato and boil with the thyme in 2 cups of water until well cooked. Add the pesto, salt to taste and cook for a further 2 minutes. Blend into a smooth soup.

Patisson Soup

Patisson is a type of squash that we grow in our polytunnels in the summer. It has a delicate flavour, reminiscent of artichoke.

Serves 4

  • 1 patisson blanc
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, finely ground
  • 1 small pinch black pepper, finely ground
  • 1/2 lemon
  • one tablespoon of ghee
Peel and chop the onions really small  and fry; in ghee on medium heat until soft.
Add the patisson, peeled and chopped in small cube, and the ground spices, and continue frying for 3 minutes. Add water or vegetable stock, bring to the boil, and cook for on low heat for 20 minutes. Add salt and the juice of hald a lemon, blend and serve immediately.

Mushroom  and cider soup

Serves 4

  • 1/2 lb (250g) mushrooms

  • 1 large onion

  • 2cloves garlic

  • 2 tablespoon dry of fresh thyme

  • 1 large potato

  • 2 tablespoons ghee, butter or olive  oil

  • 1 pint cider

  • 1 pint (1/2 litre) water  or vegetable stock

  • Salt, and pepper to taste

  • 2 teaspoons fresh cream

  • Chives or parsley to garnish (optional)

Wash or peel the potatoe and dice it. Peel and chop the onion. Crush the pepper. Chop the mushrooms roughly.
Fry the onion and the garlic in ghee, butter or sunflower oil on medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add  the mushroom and sweat them (another 5 minutes,) then add the cider and the water or vegetable stock, the diced potato and the thyme, bring to the boil, add the salt, then lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Liquidize and serve immediately with fresh cream and chopped chive or parsley.

Potatoes and leek soup

Serves 4

  • 4 large potatoes (about 1 lb)

  • 1 large leek or 2 small ones

  • 1 onion (optional)

  • 2 tablespoons ghee, butter or sunflower oil

  • Salt, cumin, coriander and pepper to taste

  • Chives or parsley to garnish

Wash or peel the potatoes and dice them. Cut the leek and in 4 lengthwise and chop in small bits, wash thoroughly. Peel and chop the onion. Grind the spices if needed.
Fry the onion and the leek in ghee, butter or sunflower oil on medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, add the diced potatoes and keep stirring for another 3 minutes. Add  1 pint of water, bring to the boil, add the salt, then lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Liquidize and serve immediately with fresh cream and chopped chive or parsley.

 

Spicy tomato and green soup

Serves 4-6

  • 1 large onion

  •  3 cloves of garlic

  • 2 tablespoon grated ginger

  • 1 pinch of ground cumin

  • 1 small pinch chilli powder (optional, omit for Pitta)

  • 2 tablespoons ghee or sunflower oil

  • a bag of green, we use Swiss chard, but spinach would do very well too. You could also use nettle, leaf beet, etc.
  • 2 large tomatoes, or 1 tin of tomatoes
  • Fresh chillies (for garnish)

Peel and chop the onion and the garlic, then fry them on medium heat in the oil or ghee until golden brown. Add the cumin and the ginger and stir fry for another minute, then add the greens, chopped small, and stir fry until they wilt. Add the chopped tomatoes (or the tin of tomatoes) and 1 liter of water. Simmer for 15 minutes. Garnish with small chopped chillies and serve right away.

Spicy squash (pumpkin) soup

Serves 4-6

  • 1 squash (or pumkin)

  • 1 onion

  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder

  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds

  • 1 teaspoon Sheshuan pepper (reddish kind of pepper with a distinctive tang, available from Chinese stores)

  • 1 cinnamon stick or 1 pinch of ground cinnamon

  • 1 small pinch chilli powder (optional, omit for Pitta)

  • 2 tablespoons ghee or sunflower oil

Peel the squash, spoon out the seeds and cut the flesh in small cubes. Peel and chop the onion
Heat up the ghee or oil in a heavy bottom pan the onion and the squash flesh. Stir fry for 5 minute on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, but all the spices in a mortar or a spice grinder and grind to a powder. Add the spices to the pan and continue stirring for a minute. Add water to cover and bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to low, cover and cook until the squash is soft (about 25 minutes). Blend into a smooth soup. Serve with fresh coriander

Jerusalem artichoke soup

Jerusalem artichoke can be hard to find in shops, but they're very easy to grow, requiring hardly any care, and growing well even on poor soil. They're a winter vegetable, harvested between November and March. They are said to be hard to digest, so the spices used with it are digestive stimulant.

Serves 4

  • 1 lb Jerusalem archichoke
  • 1 small potato
  • 1 large leek or onion
  • 2 tablespoons ghee, butter or sunflower oil
  • 1 small teaspoon cumin,
  • 1 large teaspoon coriander
  • Pepper to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • a very small pinch of asafoetida
  • Dillisk (dulce) to garnish (optional)

Scrub the Jerusalem artichokes thoroughly, but do not peel them. Chop them up and put aside. Wash or peel the potato and dice it. Chop the leek or onion in small bits. Grind the spices together.
Fry the onion or the leek in ghee, butter or sunflower oil on medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, add the diced potato and the artichokes and keep stirring for another 3 minutes, then add the spices and 1 liter of water or vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, add the salt, then lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Liquidize and serve immediately with fresh cream and choped dillisk as a garnish.

Beetroot and coconut soup

  • 1 lb beetroot

  • 1 tin coconut milk

  • 1 large piece of ginger

  • 1 onion (optional)

  • 1 large carrot (optional)

  • 2 tablespoon of your favourite frying oil

  • Juice of one lemon or lime

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • Chive and fresh cream (optional, for serving)

Peel and dice the vegetables. Grate the ginger. Heat the frying oil in a pan and add the diced vegetable and the grated ginger. Stir fry on high heat for 5 mn, stirring constantly. Add the coconut milk and one pint of water. Bring to the boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook until the vegetables are quite tender, then blend to a smooth soup. Bring back to the boil, add salt and pepper to taste and just before serving add the lemon juice. Serve with chopped chives and a spoonful of fresh cream for a dramatic colour effect.

Nettle soup

Serves 4

  • 2 large potatoes (about 1 lb)

  • 1 large leek or onion

  • 1 small bag of fresh nettles tops

  • 2 tablespoons ghee, butter or sunflower oil

  • Salt, cumin, coriander and pepper to taste

  • Dillisk (dulce) to garnish (optional)

This is a delicious soup to make in the spring, when the nettles are young. Wear gloves and pick nettles (just the very top), preferably on sunny morning. Wash them and put aside. Wash or peel the potatoes and dice them. Chop the leek or onion in small bits Grind the spices if needed.
Fry the onion or the leek in ghee, butter or sunflower oil on medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, add the diced potatoes and keep stirring for another 3 minutes, then add the washed nettle tops. Add  1 liter of water or vegetable stock, bring to the boil, add the salt, then lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Liquidize and serve immediately with fresh cream and choped dillisk as a garnish.

Sambar

Serves 4

  • 50 g thoor dahl (yellow spit peas)

  • 1 large onion

  • 2 medium size tomatoes or 1/2 tin of chopped tomatoes

  • Any other vegetable (at least 2 different types and colours), chopped very small

  • 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • a handfull of grated coconut
  • 1 teaaspoon tumeric powder
  • 1 very small pinch of asafeotida (hing)
  • 1 tablespoon garma masala
  • 3 small red chilies
  • the juice of half a lemon
  • 1 small piece of ginger, grated.

  • 2 tablespoons ghee or sunflower oil for frying

Cook the dahl with the chopped tomatoes, a cup of water, the asafeotida and the tumeric powder until the dahl if fully cooked (about 1 hour).
Cover all the remaining vegetable except the onions with hot water, add the tamarind paste and cook until tender.
Fry the onion in ghee or sunflower oil on medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the ginger, and the chilies chopped very small, stir fry for another minute, then add the dahl and tomatoes mixture and the coconut, keep stirring for another minute, then add the vegetables with their coooking water. Bring back to the boil, add the sugar, the garam masala, the lemon juice, some chili powder if liked and salt to taste. Cook for a minute and serve either as a soup, or, as in South India, as a soupy sauce with rice.

Tomato Gojju

Serves 4

  • 50 g thoor dahl (yellow spit peas)

  • 50 g urid dahl
  • 2 tablespoons frying oil

  • 4 large onions

  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 tbspoon cumin seeds
  • 250 g fresh peanuts

  • 1 kg fresh tomatoes or a 2 tins of chopped tomatoes

  • 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • a hadfull of green peas (fresh or frozen)
  • a handfull of cashew nuts
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • a handfull of grated coconut
  • 2 small red chilies (finely chopped)

  • 1 tablespoons ghee or sunflower oil for frying

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pan and throw in the mustard seeds and the cumin seeds. When the seeds start to pop, add the  the dahls and the peanuts  and fry  until they start changing color. Add the onions and the chilies and cook until soft. Add the tomatoes, the salt. the garlic and the cashew nuts. Cook on medium heat to a liquid consistency, then add the tamarind paste and the green peas. Cook on for another  minute or two, then add the sugar and the coconut, stir, bring back to the boil, adjust the seasoning if needed, and serve either as a soup, or, as in South India, as a soupy sauce with rice.

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