Sriracha Pork Ramen

Yummy yummy noodle soup!

Sriracha Pork Ramen (from Waitrose Magazine September 2015)
(Serves 4)

4 pork shoulder steaks, finely sliced
1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
6 tbsp sriracha chilli sauce
bunch coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves torn
4 garlic cloves, chopped
40g ginger, grated
1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced
1 can sweetcorn, drained
2 sachets miso soup paste
2 nests egg noodles
4 eggs

Put the pork into a large bowl and toss with 1/2 tbsp veg oil and 4tbsp sriracha. Heat a wok and add the pork and stir fry for 8-10 min until sticky and charred, transfer to a plate and cover with foil.

Add a splash of water to the pan and scrape up the sticky pits from the bottom of the pan, before pouring over the pork.

Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in the pan. Cook the coriander stalks, garlic, ginger and white parts of the spring onions for 2-3 mins, then stir in the miso, sweetcorn, stock, 2 tbsp sriracha and 1l of water. Add the noodles and the eggs, cover and bring to the boil, simmer for 6 mins. Remove the eggs and cool under the cold tap, peel and halve.

Divide the noodles before 4 bowls. Pour over the broth, top with the eggs, pork, spring onion tops and coriander leaves. Scatter with sesame seeds.

Cheat's Pea Soup with Ham, Pasta, Mint and Feta

I made this a little while ago and it is really easy and super tasty. I am really enjoying making things from this cookbook.

Cheat's Pea Soup with Ham, Pasta, Mint and Feta (from Jamie's Super Food Family Classics)
(Serves 4)

1 bunch spring onions, roughly chopped
300g frozen peas
300g frozen chopped spinach
100g smoked ham, roughly chopped
1/2 bunch mint
300g dried wholewheat pasta
50g feta

Put the spring onions into a blender with the peas and spinach. Tear in the ham, mint leaves and then cover with 400ml of just boiled water. Put the lid on and blitz until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides if you need to.

Pour into a large pan on a high neat and add another 1.2l of boiling water. Smash up the pasta into random shapes and stir into the soup. Bring back to the boil and simmer until the pasta is cooked through, stirring regularly and adding splashes of water to loosen. Season.

Divide the soup between bowls and crumble over the feta. Serve.

Brazilian Prawn Soup

This is a delicious soup, just lightly spicy and very filling.

Brazilian Prawn Soup (from Jo Cooks)
(Serves 6)

2 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
100g long-grain rice
pinch chilli flakes
salt and pepper
1 400g can chopped tomatoes
1l water
250ml coconut milk
400g prawns, halved
juice 1 lemon
small bunch parsley, chopped

In a large saucepan heat the oil over low heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic and cook stirring occasionally until the onion and pepper are soft.

Add the rice, chilli flakes, salt, tomatoes and water to the pot and bring a boil. Cook until the rice is almost done, about 10 mins.

Stir in the coconut milk. Bring to a simmer and then add the prawns. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the prawns are just done, 3 to 5 mins. Stir in the black pepper, lemon juice, and parsley and serve.

Swede and Leek Soup

This came out the newsletter that comes with my veg bag. It's a delicious veg soup, lovely and warming for this chilly weather.

Swede and Leek Soup (from Organiclea)
(Serves 4-6)

2 tbsp oil
700g swede, peeled and diced
225g potatoes, peeled and diced
450g leeks, sliced
1 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 tsp mixed herbs
1.5l vegetable stock
salt and pepper
150ml milk

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and saute the swede, potatoes, leeks and garlic for 5 mins.

Add the mixed herbs, veg stock and season.

Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 mins or until the veg are soft.

Using a hand blender, puree the soup until smooth. Stir in the milk, reheat and serve.

Creamy Parmesan Mushroom and Spinach Tortellini Soup

This was a delicious creamy soup. Perfect for these cold winter evenings.

Creamy Parmesan Mushroom and Spinach Tortellini Soup (from Closet Cooking)
(Serves 4)

2 tbsp butter or oil
225g mushrooms, quartered or sliced
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp thyme, chopped
30g plain flour
125ml white wine
1.5l vegetable broth or chicken broth
225g cheese tortellini
40g parmesan, grated
280g baby spinach, coarsely chopped
125ml cream or milk
salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a pan over medium-high heat, add the mushrooms and onion and cook until they start to go golden, about 10-15 mins.

Mix in the garlic, thyme and flour and cook, stirring, until the flour starts to turn a light golden brown, about 2-3 mins. Add the wine and deglaze the pan.

Add the broth and tortellini, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the tortellini is tender, about 10 mins. Add the parmesan, let it melt, add the spinach, let it wilt, add the cream, season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Serve.

Creamy Coriander Tomatillo Soup

I grew some tomatillos this year in the garden and I am just getting around to using them. I made some delicious soup with some of them. Next I'm going to make something actually Mexican!

Creamy Tomatillo Soup (from Sumptuous Spoonfuls)
(Serves 4)

900g fresh tomatillos (weighed after peeling the outer shells off)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 - 5 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 tsp oil
60ml whiskey
250ml chicken or vegetable stock
1 tsp cumin
1/2 - 1 tsp red pepper flakes
375ml evaporated milk
bunch coriander, chopped

Heat the oven to 180C.

Peel the papery shells off the tomatillos and rinse them just to make sure all the dirt is off. Slice them in half and set them in a bowl. Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil over the tomatillos and toss them lightly in the oil to coat them. Place them on a baking sheet, cut side up, and sprinkle liberally with pepper. Roast in the oven for 20 - 30 mins or until they are tender.

Meanwhile, peel and chop the onion and garlic and heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and saute over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent. Pour in about half of the whiskey and cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid is gone, then add the rest of the whiskey and cook again until the liquid is gone.

When the tomatillos come out of the oven, let them cool a bit, then add them to the saucepan blitz using a hand blender puree till smooth. Add in the cumin and red pepper flakes along with the evaporated milk and coriander and blend until the coriander is chopped into little bits. Warm the soup and serve.

Curried Courgette Soup

This used up the last of my courgettes. I love making courgette, this one is spicy and fresh. 

Curried Courgette Soup (from Health Magazine)
(Serves 4)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp curry powder
900g courgette, coarsely chopped
1l chicken or veg stock
salt and pepper
4 tbsp sour cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander for garnish

Warm oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and curry powder and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Raise heat to medium-high, add zucchini, pour in broth and add 1 tsp. salt. Cover and bring to a simmer. Remove cover, reduce heat to medium to maintain a simmer and cook until zucchini is very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let soup cool slightly. 2. Working in batches, puree soup in a blender until smooth whisk in sour cream and season with salt and pepper. Ladle into chilled bowls, garnish with cilantro and serve.

Fennel and Courgette Soup with Parmesan and Creme Fraiche

This is a deliciously creamy soup, that tastes full of cream but uses creme fraiche instead. It also used up one of my very rather overgrown courgettes, so that made me happy!

Fennel and Courgette Soup with Parmesan and Creme Fraiche
(adapted from The Times)
(Serves 6)

75g butter
1 large onion, diced
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 small fennel bulbs, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1.75l vegetable stock
2 courgettes, diced
300ml crème fraîche
2 tbsp parmesan, grated
salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the onion, potatoes, fennel and garlic. Cook for a few mins to soften, then pour over the stock. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook for about 10 mins until the fennel is tender. Add the courgettes and cook for a further 10 mins.

Take the pan off the heat and blend with a stick blender until very smooth. Stir in the crème fraîche and grated parmesan, and season well with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve garnished with lots of chopped parsley and a sprinkling of parmesan on top.

French Onion Soup

I haven't had French Onion Soup in a long time but I suddenly had a hankering for it a couple of weeks ago and so I made a batch for the freezer. It is delicious, one of those amazing comfort food dishes that warm you up, and actually really easy to make.

French Onion Soup (from Good Food Magazine April 2013)
(Serves 4)

50g butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1kg onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 tsp sugar
4 garlic clove, thinly sliced
2 tbsp plain flour
250ml dry white wine
1.3l hot beef stock

Melt the butter with the oil in a large heavy-based pan. Add the onions and fry with the lid on for 10 mins until soft. Sprinkle in the sugar and cook for 20 mins more, stirring frequently, until caramelised.

Add the garlic for the final few mins of the onions’ cooking time, then sprinkle in the flour and stir well. Increase the heat and keep stirring as you gradually add the wine, followed by the hot stock.

Cover and simmer for 15-20 mins. Serve with melted cheese on toast on top.

Cumin, Barley and Cabbage Soup

I got a savoy cabbage in my veg bag, I'm not a big fan of savoy cabbage so I wasn't really sure what to do with it. In the end I made some of it into soup. This was a lovely filling winter soup, filled with veg.

Cumin, Barley and Cabbage Soup (from Cooking On a Bootstrap)
(Serves 4)

200g pearl barley
2 small onions, sliced
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin
2 large carrots, grated
1.5l vegetable stock
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp red or white wine vinegar
juice 1 lemon
1/2 savoy cabbage, sliced

Put the onions into a saucepan with the oil, cumin, and a pinch of salt. Cook over a very low heat for 20 mins, stirring occasionally. When the onion and garlic are softened, grate one of your carrots and add to the onions and garlic, and stir.

Add the barley, pour over the stock, squeeze in the lemon juice, and bring to the boil. Cover the pan and reduce to a simmer for 40 mins, if the soup starts to dry out, add a cup of water and stir well. Add the cabbage and cook for 5 more mins. Serve.

Yellow Thai Chicken Soup

The original recipe uses green Thai curry paste but I had yellow. This is a lovely fragrant soup and you could bulk it out a bit with the addition of some noodles. I had it for lunch with a scone and that was fab too.

Yellow Thai Chicken Soup (from Good Food Magazine August 2011)
(Serves 8)

2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
500g pack skinless chicken thigh fillets, finely chopped
4 garlic clove, finely sliced
285g jar Thai yellow curry paste
400ml can coconut milk
1¾l chicken stock
5 kaffir lime leaves
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 bunch spring onions, chopped
280g green beans, trimmed and halved
150g pack bamboo shoot
juice 2 limes
small bunch basil, chopped

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and fry for 3 mins to soften. Add the chicken and garlic, and cook until the chicken changes colour.

Add the curry paste, coconut milk, stock, lime leaves and fish sauce, then simmer for 12 mins. Add the spring onions, green beans and bamboo shoots and cook for 4-6 mins, until the beans are just tender.

Add the lime juice and basil to the soup and heat through. Serve.

Thai Squash Soup

With the first of my large squash haul I made soup. I used 2 onion squash, which made enough for 3 servings. It lovely and lightly spicy this soup.

Thai Squash Soup (from Veg Hog)
(Serves 4)

1 onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
2-3 cm fresh ginger, chopped
1 small red chilli, deseeded and chopped
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 small pumpkin or 2 small squashes, cut into chunks
1l vegetable stock
1 lemongrass stick
3 kaffir lime leaves
160ml coconut cream
2 tsp miso
juice 1 lime
2 tsp brown sugar
handful coriander leaves, chopped

Heat a large saucepan with a tbsp of oil, add the onion and fry until translucent. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and fry for about 1 min more. Add the cumin and coriander and stir well. 

Add the squash or pumpkin to the pan. Fry for a couple of mins and then add the vegetable stock.

Pour the coconut cream into the soup. Add the lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves cover and leave to simmer for 25-30 mins over a medium heat.

Add the lime juice, miso, sugar and coriander. Remove the kaffir lime leaves and the lemongrass from the soup.

Once the squash is soft, puree the soup and serve.

Smoked Salmon, Vegetable and Barley Chowder

This is one of my favourite soups now. This is so comforting and warming and filling, I love it. It is really simple to make and I used hot smoked salmon that I got from Oundle Food Festival and it was divine.

Smoked Salmon, Vegetable and Barley Chowder (from Kahakai Kitchen)
(Serves 6-8)

2 tbsp oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 small fennel bulbs, chopped
1 large carrot. chopped
2 cloves garlic
4-5 medium potatoes, cubed
1.5l veg stock
2 bay leaves
a few sprigs thyme 
2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
200g pearl barley
350g sweetcorn
375ml milk
340g smoked salmon
salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion, fennel and carrots and sauté them for about 8 mins, or until softened. Add the garlic and sauté for another min or two. Add the potatoes, stock, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and Old Bay Seasoning and bring to a boil. Partially cover and simmer for about 15 mins or until the veg is mostly tender. Bring back to a rapid simmer, add barley, and cook for another 20 mins, until the barley is cooked. 

Remove the bay leaves and stems of the thyme sprigs. Stir in corn and milk. Break the salmon into large chunks and carefully stir into the soup. Season.

Ladle into large bowls and serve with crusty bread. 

Smoked Mackerel and Spinach Chowder

It's definitely turned into the weather for soup, lovely warming, comforting soup. This is one packed full of oily fish and really simple to make.

Smoked Mackerel and Spinach Chowder (from Jack at a Pinch)
(Serves 2)

1 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp flour
200ml milk
200ml water
50g frozen spinach
100g mackerel, flaked
100g sweetcorn
200g potatoes, cut into small chunks

Heat the oil in the saucepan, add the onion and cook until softened. Add the flour and stir for about a min. Add the milk and water and stir well. Add the mackerel, spinach, sweetcorn and potatoes. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15 mins or until the potatoes are soft and the sauce is thick and creamy.

Courgette and Goat's Cheese Soup

I made this soup a while back with the last of the courgettes from my garden. It was a pretty poor year for courgettes, I only got a handful. So I don't have all the grated and sliced courgette in the freezer that I usually have. This soup was delicious. I have changed my stock cubes from Knorr stock pots to Marigold Vegetable Bouillon which has a much better taste than those I was using before. It also froze really well.

Courgette and Goat's Cheese Soup (from The Guardian)
(Serves 4)

2 tbsp oil
1kg very firm small courgettes, sliced 3-4mm thick
salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
750ml milk (or use half milk, half veg stock)
1-2 bay leaves
100g rindless goat's cheese
Basil leaves (or mint, if you prefer)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the courgettes and, once they're sizzling but before they start to brown, turn down the heat, season with a little salt (it helps draw out the moisture) and cook gently, stirring often. As they become tender, break them down a little until they have softened; this can take up to half an hour. Add the garlic when the courgettes are almost done, so it gets a chance to cook but not burn. You should end up with a fragrant, garlicky, rough courgette puree. Leave it coarse like this, or blitz in a food processor if you prefer a less chunky soup.

While the courgettes are cooking, put the milk in a pan with the bay leaves. Bring up to just below boiling, then leave to infuse.

Stir the cheese into the courgette mixture, then strain in the hot milk a little at a time and stirring all the while, until the soup is a consistency you like. Bring the soup just to boiling point, season and ladle into bowls. Top with a few shredded basil leaves.

Creamy Celeriac Soup

It's not really the weather for soup but I made this ages ago and never got around to posting it and hey you could always pin it to use later on! This is a lovely creamy satisfying and filling soup.

Creamy Celeriac Soup (from WW Seasonally Sensational)
(Serves 4)
(2 WW ProPoints per serving)

600ml boiling water
600g celeriac, peeled and cut into small chunks
200g potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
1 veg stock cube
1/2 garlic powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
300ml skimmed milk
salt and pepper

Put the veg into a large pan and pour over the boiling water. Add the stock cube, garlic powder and lemon juice, stir and bring to the boil. Cover the pan and simmer gently for 15-20 mins or until the veg is tender, stirring occasionally.

Using a hand held blender, whizz the soup to a thick puree. Add the milk and return to the heat. Gently warm through and season to taste. Serve.

Creamed Chard Soup

I had a Sunday making soup a couple of weeks ago and one of the soups I made was this chard soup. There is a garden at school which is planted with all sorts of fruit and veg, the chard has been there almost a year and it's still going. So I asked if I could pick some and the Principal said yes. So the soup was born!

Creamed Chard Soup (from Riverford)
(Serves 4)
(3 WW ProPoints per serving)

400-500g chard, washed, trimmed of tough stalks and chopped
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
40g butter or 2 tbsp olive oil
1l chicken or veg stock
200ml milk
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ tsp grated or ground nutmeg
juice ½ a lemon
salt + pepper

Bring the stock to a simmer and add the potatoes. Cook for 20 mins or until the potato is soft.

Add the chard and the milk into the stock pan and bring back to the boil and cook for a further 5 mins. Purée the soup with a hand blender. Season with salt and pepper and add the nutmeg and lemon juice to taste.

Roasted Asparagus and Farro Soup

This is the second recipe I made from the Super Grains and Seeds cookbook that I borrowed from the library. This was an absolutely delicious soup. I made a batch which I froze and when I defrosted it was a bit more like stew than soup but the flavours with the fresh and in season asparagus were just wonderful.

Roasted Asparagus and Farro Soup (from Super Grains & Seeds by Amy Ruth Finegold)
(Serves 4)

185g farro
750ml water
900g asparagus
2 small shallots
2 tbsp oil
salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves crushed
1l veg stock
1 tsp allspice
handful parsley
grated zest 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Put the farro into a sieve and rinse under the cold tap. Put the farro into a saucepan and cover with the water, bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 mins, then drain and set aside.

Trim the asparagus, discarding the bottom ends as they are woody. Lay on a baking sheet with the shallots. Drizzle with oil, season well and sprinkle over the garlic. Roast for 20 mins, turning once.

When the asparagus is cooked, put it into a saucepan with the veg stock and puree with a hand blender.

Bring the soup to a simmer over a high heat and stir in the allspice. Add extra water to reach the desired consistency if needed. Add the farro, lemon zest and parsley and season. Serve.

Courgette, Mint and Wild Garlic Soup

This is a very garlicky soup! With both a garlic clove, and mine were french and therefore stronger, and the wild garlic this nearly blew my head off! I think next time I'll leave the garlic clove out.

Courgette, Mint and Wild Garlic Soup

(Serves 4)

2 tbsp oil

1 small onion sliced
6 courgettes sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 bunch wild garlic
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

Put two tbsp of oil into a large pan. Add the onion and saute for a couple of mins, until translucent but not brown. Add the courgette and the garlic. Season and saute for another min or two, cover with water and bring to a simmer to soften.

Simmer for about 10 mins, when the vegetables are cooked through, remove the pan from the heat and add the chopped wild garlic and mint. If it's too thick, add a little water to thin it out.

Blend with a hand blender, season with salt and pepper, and serve. 

Ham and Pea Soup

This isn't really a recipe more a something that I made. On Easter Monday I went to RHS Garden Wisley, which is a beautiful garden west of London.

We stopped for lunch in their cafe and I had the ham hock, which was huge! Looking at it there was no way I could eat it all, so we asked for something to take the remainder home in and they provided us with a plastic box and bag. 

                                                                                 




















Once home I set about making ham and pea soup.

First I added the leftover ham and bones to a large saucepan with 1 onion, sliced and 1 potato, chopped. Then I covered the whole thing with water until it was level with the bones. Then I brought it up to a boil and turned the heat down to medium and cooked it for about 30 mins until the veg was soft. Then I took it off the heat and left it for a little while to cool and removed the bones. Then I put it into the fridge overnight to solidify and then I skimmed the fat off the top. I put the ham stock mixture back into a saucepan and heated it,  I added about 100g peas and cooked them for about 5 mins. Then I whizzed the whole thing with a hand blender and made a lovely soup. It served 2 people and was delicious.