Bell Pepper / Capsicum Soup

Bell Pepper or Capsicum can be consumed raw or cooked. It adds a unique flavour and color to a dish to which is added. They come in variety of colors.  

Bell Peppers are rich in Vitmain C and is a low calorie vegetable.

How to select :-  Bell Pepper / Capsicum - Should be blemish free, firm.  The bottom part differs in bell pepper. Some has 3 bumps and some has 4 bumps. The Bell Peppers with 4 Bumps will be little sweet and hence suitable for use in Salads. Bell Peppers with 3 Bumps are suitable for cooking.

Today sharing a soup recipe using the Bell Peppers or Capsicum. You can use a mix of yellow, red and green or you can use any one of them in this recipe as per your choice or it's availability.

This is a nice, satisfying and lightly creamy recipe as we will be adding little fresh cream.

You will need :-

1. Bell Peppers of your choice - 2 Nos. (diced)
2. Onion (big) - 1 No. (diced)
3. Tomato - 1/2 a tomato or 1 small  (Diced)
4. Oil - 4 tsp
5. Salt to taste
6. Crushed Black Pepper - 1/4 tsp  or as preferred
7. Water - 2 cups
8. Fresh cream - 2 tbsp

Procedure :-

1. Heat Oil and saute the diced onions. 
2. Add diced Bell Peppers (Capsicums) and tomato, saute for a minute on high flame.
3. Bring it to room temperature
4. Grind it to a coarse paste (not fine) adding salt
5. Add the crushed black pepper and heat it
6. Switch off the flame and add 2 tbsps of fresh cream
7. Serve it hot!

Relax and enjoy the yummy Bell Pepper Soup.

Ash Gourd Soup / Elavan soup / vellai poosani soup

Glad to meet you all so soon. Since my resting days are over, now I am trying to get myself engaged completely like before and that made me make and share this wonderful soup of today the 'Ash gourd Soup'

Ash gourd or Winter Melon (English) /  Safed Bhopla (Marathi) / Elavan (Malayalam) / Vellai Poosani (Tamizh) /

This vegetable is low in calorie and fats. More of watery type. Hence when cooked adding salt, they tend to leave water. They have Carbs, Protein, Fiber, Calcium, Iron, Phosphorous, Thiamin, Vitamin C etc.  The vegetable also help in weightloss.

They are used in cooking as a vegetable and also used in making a sweet called Petha  (Agra Petha).

The soup can be spiced up using green chilli or Black Pepper corn as per your preference.

To make the soup, you need:- [Serves : 2 ]

• Ash Gourd - 1/4 kg
• Green Chilli - 1 No. (or  few black peppercorn as per your preference)
• Curry Leaves - 3 Nos.
• Sugar - less than 1/4 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Water

For Garnishing :-

• Coconut oil - less than 1/4 tsp
• Milk - 1 tbsp

• In a pressure cooker put the diced the Ash gourd along with other ingredients and pressure cook for 3 whistles. 
• Once the pressure settles down, let it cool and then blend in a mixer
• Heat it
• Mix in the garnishing ingredients and then serve hot.

A simple and Humble soup to satisfy the soul!

Important to note :-

1. Those who have lactose intolerance, can avoid milk and can supplement it with coconut milk (which is also good for stomach). 
2. Coconut oil adds a nice flavour to the soup. (do not add any other cooking oil. If you don't like flavour of coconut oil, just omit it from the ingredients list while you make).
3. If you are adding black peppercorn, add it while serving.
4. Diabetics can avoid adding sugar and Milk and enjoy the soup with rest of the ingredients.

Palak Soup / Spinach Soup

Invite you to have a cup of hot & healthy Palak Soup / Spinach Soup.

Spinach / Palak has more nutritional value. Rich in antioxidants which destroys the free radicals and help in cell rejuvenation, Iron, Calcium.

While picking spinach select the one which is fresh, crisp as well as tender. Store them in a vegetable bag in the fridge.

Thoroughly wash it well before you use it for cooking. Cooking time for spinach is less, so you just need to blanch it for 5 to 10 minutes in hot water to retain its nutritional value.

There are variety of dishes prepared using spinach (dry as well as gravies). So here is a healthy reciipe for making soup using spinach.

Ingredients :-

 (serves :2)

1. Palak leaves - 25-30 nos
2. Garlic pods - 2 nos.
3. Onion - 1 no. (small)
4. Ginger - 1" piece
5. roasted Cumin powder - 1 pinch sprinkled for 1 serving
6. lemon juice - 1 tbsp (optonal)
7. Green chilli -1 no. (spicy variety)
8. Cinnamon - 1/2"
9. Cloves - 2 nos.
10. Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
11. salt to taste
12. Vegetable stock / water - 2 cups

Procedure :-

• Wash & chop the spinach leaves. Boil 2 cups of water / vegetable stock. switch off the stove and put the spinach leaves, keep it covered for 10 min (this is called blanching).
• Peel Onion, wash and chop finely
• Chop ginger and garlic pods
• Drain the spinach and save the stock. Let the leaves cool down.
• Heat oil, add cinnamon & cloves. when it is fried, add onion and saute till it becomes translucent. Add some stock and let it boil for 3 minutes. Remove from fire and let it cool. Drain and remove the cinnamon & cloves and reserve the stock.
• Puree the spinach and onion
• Add the reserved stock, salt and mix well. Heat it and adjust water level as per your preferred consistency.
• Before serving, add few drops of lemon juice (optional) and sprinkle a pinch of jeera powder / cumin powder.
• Healthy cup of yummy spinach/palak soup is ready!

Pumpkin Soup / maththan soup / Manjal Poosani soup

Winter is on. air is dry and lightly cold. I have started making a soup daily. Today made Pumpkin Soup.

Pumpkin also known as Kadhdhu / Kasi bhopla / Maththan /manjal poosani / budi kumbala / budikumbadi is a bright orange vegetable which is easy to cook and is little sweet in taste. The flesh, seeds, stringy inner part all are edible. With the stringy part inside on which seeds are seen can be used in chutney making. (will post the recipe). 

It is rich in vitamins and minerals. Good for prostrate gland and heart, irritable bladder and the seeds are used to treat mood swings and depression.

Pumpkin is orange inside (which means it is ripe). If it is pale in colour then it is not a ripe pumpkin. Some mistake it for ashgourd which is white inside and is also used in the famous 'petha' from Agra.

The best way to get all the nutrients in a vegetable is by par boiling it. So let me share a nice soup recipe today.

Ingredients :-

1. Ripe pumpkin - 1/4 kg
2. Bay leaf - 1/4 leaf
3. Black pepper - 4 nos.
4. Onion - 1 small
5. Salt to taste
6. Water - 1 cup
7. Butter - 1 tbsp (you can use olive oil to make it more healthy)
8. Lemon juice - few drops
9. fresh cream for garnishing (optional)

Procedure :-

• Wash, peel and dice the pumpkin into cubes 
• chop onions
• In a pan, add the butter / olive oil, bay leaf 
• Add the chopped onion, black peppers and fry for 3 minutes
• Add the pumpkin cubes, fry for a minute
• Add water and pressure cook it for a whistle 
• strain and save the stock. cool the vegetable, remove the bay leaf and puree the vegetable.
• Transfer the puree to a vessel, add the stock and bring to boil adding salt
• remove from fire, add few drops of lemon juice, mix it
• Serve hot garnishing with fresh cream

Enjoy the winter with a cup of soup each day.

Burnt garlic, broccoli, carrot clear soup

In my soup series, making a post after a long time.  Burnt garlic gives a nice aroma to any dish. Clear soups are light appetizers which will make you enjoy your full course of meal. If you are aiming for weightloss go for plain soups (without cornflour) or clear soups.

Broccoli is rich in Vitamin C, dietary fibre and has cancer fighting properties. Any vegetable for that matter needs to be only partially cooked to retain its complete nutrients.

How to select:- selecting a good vegetable / fruit always help you get the maximum nutrients because after it is cultivated it takes days to reach our hands which results in loss of nutrients. Here are few points that you should note while buying

1. Should be dark green in colour
2. No yellow flowers should be there
3. florets should be thick (applies to cauliflower too)
4. The stems should be strong & not tender (shows how fresh it is)

Ingredients  :- (servings :2)

1. Garlic pods - 2 nos
2. Broccoli florets - 1/2 cup
3. Carrot cubes - 1/4 cup
4. Chilli sauce - 1 tsp
5. White pepper powder -1 pinch
6. Water - 3 cups
7. Salt to taste
8. Corn flour - 2 tsp
9. Olive oil - 2 tsp
10. Spring onion - 2 tbsp
11. Spring onion greens - 1 tsp

Procedure :-

• Blanch brocolli and carrot in hot water for 10 minutes or Microwave it for 4 minutes
• Finely chop the garlic pods, spring onion and spring onion greens.
• Heat  olive oil and add the chopped garlic. Fry till it is golden brown. 
• Add spring onion and saute for a minute on low flame.
• Add the cooked veggies and saute for 2 minutes
• Add 3 cups of water, chilli sauce, salt to taste and bring to boil
• dissolve corn flour in water and add it to the boiling soup and boil for 3 minutes
• Serve hot sprinkling white pepper powder & spring onion greens

PS : If you don't have chilli sauce, you can chop green chillies and add while saute' ing vegetables.

Beetroot Soup

Beetroot, the root vegetable is dark purple in colour. The leaf with stem as well as the root are fit to eat. Can be eaten raw, parboiled or cooked. Goes in salads, sandwich, Soup, Juice, Cutlet / Tikki, Dry side dish, Gravy (sambar), Variety Rice.

Beetroot is rich in anti-oxidants, Iron, Sodium, Potassium, Vitamin B, Calcium etc. Very good to improve anaemic conditions. Helps reduce high BP when consumed with less salt. The iron content in beetroot will not create constipation.

Beetroot takes more time to digest compared to normal vegetable so those who have poor digestion, don't take it at night times. You can drink a soup, juice made of beetroot to get its health benefits. 

To suit children and old people, I advise, after cleaning and peeling, pressure cook the whole beetroot till 4 to 5 whistles. Then grate or chop and use. This way it will be easy for them to digest.

How to Select :- Should be blemish free, smooth skin, good shape. The tip of the beetroot (when the stem is cut) will show you how much fresh the beetroot is.

How to store : If you buy it as a whole plant, then cut leaving a stem of 5" above the root and store for 4 to 5 days in refrigerator or at room temperature. With leaves, if you wrap in a cloth cover can be stored fresh for two days in the refrigerator.

Now let us get on making the wonderful health soup

Ingridients :- (serves 2)

1. Beetroot - 1 big
2. Shallots - 5 nos (small onions/baby onions) - optional
3. Salt to taste
4. Water - 2 and half cups

Procedure :

• Wash the beetroot and peel the skin.

• Dice it into cubes, pour two & half cups of water, boil it. [Pressure cook it (whole beetroot - don't cut) till 4 to 5 whistles if preparing for young children and old people. ]

• Allow it to cool. in the mean time, clean the shallot (small onion) chop.

• In a small pan, add few drops of oil (only few drops - just enough to lightly grease the onions) and fry till they become transparent. [I use coconut oil as we prefer that flavour]

• Now take out the beetroot cubes (preserve the water), in a blender or mixer grind the fried onions and boiled beetroot cubes together to a smooth paste.

• Transfer the ground contents to a vessel. Add the preserved water (in which beetroot is boiled) and salt to taste. 

• If you want to dilute it further, you can adjust the consistency by adding more water little by little.

• Bring to boil, remove from fire.

• Healthy, Yummy beetroot soup is ready.

Note :

Adding onion will give a nice flavour to the soup. If you don't like onions avoid it and go ahead & enjoy your soup. Small onions have medicinal values hence I prefer to use small onion in the recipe.

Ivy Gourd/Tondli/Kovakkai Soup

Ivy Gourd, aka Tendli (Marathi), Tindora (hindi),  Kovaikkai (tamizh), is rich in betacarotene. sharing with you the link (http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2005/05/01/4276/ivy-gourd/)  which tells about health benefits and its use in traditional medicine that I came across while surfing net. 

I have seen the leaves used in blackening the blackboard in schools along with charcoal in olden days. It is a creeper which grows fast and yields a bulk quantity of the vegetable.

It is cooked in different methods to make different dishes and also makes a healthy soup when parboiled retaining its essential nutrients.

How to choose and pick ivy gourd? :- Ivy gourd if over ripen will turn red inside and the seeds will be hard & difficult to chew. This will spoil the recipe.  Hence always pick the tender & slender ones which are nice green in colour avoiding the bigger & pale ones.

Ingridients :-

1. Ivy Gourd - 1 cup
2. Salt to taste
3. Water

 Procedure :-

• Wash and cut the ivy gourd into two. 
• Add water and par boil it
• Strain, cool and grind to nice paste.
• Reheat it adding salt
• Using pepper is optional. I prefer it without pepper.
• A simple but healthy gourd soup is ready!

Carrot Soup

Carrot is a common & popular vegetable which is available in all seasons. Those who are trying to lose weight can start their meal with a bowl of healthy soup made using par boiled vegetables (to retain the nutrients)

• Carrots are rich in Vitamin A, K, C and potassium. 
• It can be eaten raw as well as in cooked form. 
• The beta carotene (an antioxidant) helps prevent cell damage thus slowing down the aging process.
• When chewed raw, it helps the mouth to produce more salaiva and in the process cleans the teeth
• Helps detoxification
• Studies say the soluble fiber in it helps in lowering blood cholestrol levels

Invite you to have a cup of hot carrot soup

Ingrideints :-

1. Carrot - 2 Nos.
2. Tomato - 1 No. (Small) (optional)
3. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp or as preferred
4. Sugar - 2 tsp
5. Salt to taste

Procedure :

• Wash, clean and Dice the carrots and tomato (tomato gives you light tangy taste which will make your soup more interesting)
• Boil water and put the veggies into it
• Parboil it, allow to cool
• Grind to a smooth paste in a mixer by adding the water in which it is boiled.
• Transfer to a vessel, add pepper powder, salt, sugar, mix well
• Bring to boil
• Hot cup of delicious healthy carrot soup is ready

Variation :

To bring in a slight flavour, you can add chopped coriander leaves before the final boiling process.