Simple veg soup

Soups don't usually feature in my menu unless someone is sick or has specifically requested for it. We live in a city that is warm all year, and that's why I believe we never really crave soup. But it's a different story when someone is sick, soup can be very comforting and goes down easy.

This recipe is one of the many recipes that I have learnt from my mum-in-law. We've had had this numerous times on our visit to her home. And for someone who doesn't like soup, David gobbles it up at an amazing speed. Of course his soup is blended, so its a thick creamy soup, while most of us at home prefer the thin runny liquid with almost melted veggies and macaroni.

Recipe credit : Rozita Coutinho (Alex's mum)

Ingredients:

1. 1 large onion
2. 1 large tomato
3. 1 large potato
4. 1 large celery stalk
5. 1 large carrot (optional)
6. 1/4 cup uncooked macaroni/noodles
7. 1 tbsp yellow moong daal (split moong)
8. 1 tbsp Oil
9. 2 stock cubes/ 1 ltr of stock
10. Salt and pepper for seasoning

Method:

1. Soak the moong daal in half a cup of water an hour before you start making the soup.
2. Roughly chop all the vegetables and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large pot, add the onions and fry till they soften, add the tomatoes and fry well for about a minute or two.
4. Add the potatoes, carrots, moong daal and celery and mix well. Bring it to a boil, lower the flame and let the vegetables cook and come together.
5. Add a liter of water, bring the soup to a boil and let it simmer it for 20 mins.
6. Add the macaroni/noodles, and the stock cube and let it simmer till the macaroni is cooked. Adjust the consistency and check for seasoning.

Squash soup

In my attempt to get David to eat vegetables, I have started making soups. It is a healthier snack option before dinner time and goes down easy.

While the soup is easy to make, and is super to taste, the biggest challenge maybe peeling the squash. I find it particularly difficult, since squash skin is quite tough. One thing I have observed is that the longer you store the squash in the refrigerator, the tougher the skin gets. So it may be a good idea for you to buy the squash the day you plan to cook it so it need not be refrigerated. Now, this may not be practical for many reason, and hence I'd suggest that you peel and cube the squash the day you buy it and then refrigerate it for future use.

I tried this recipe the first time about three months ago. In the past three months, I have made this soup numerous times and every time I've made it, it's been gulped down with a lot of enthusiasm.

Ingredients:

1. Squash - 500 gms
2. Onion (large) - 1 no
3. Tomato (large) - 1 no
4. Garlic - 5 flakes
5. Peppercorn - 20 nos
6. Oil/ Butter - as required
7. Water - 500 ml - 750 ml
8. Chicken stock cube - 1 no
9. Potato (medium) - 1 no (optional)

Method:

1. Roughly chop the garlic, cube the onion, tomato, squash and potato.
2. In a deep pan, heat oil, add peppercorns and garlic. Saute it for a minute or two, then add the onion. Let it fry till it turns light pink, add the tomato and potato. Let this mixture cook for about two to three minutes.
3. Add the squash. Add half a cup of water and let it cook till the vegetables are cooked and turn squishy. This should take about twenty minutes. You could also pressure cook for three whistles.
4. Cool the contents and pass through a blender, till it turns smooth and creamy.
5. Heat a sauce pan and add some oil or butter and empty the soup from the blender into the sauce pan, taking care not to spill. Stir in the chicken stock cube and water.
6. Let it come to a boil, check for consistency and taste for salt and pepper.
7. Your soup is ready.

Notes:

1. You may stir in half a tbsp of cream before serving for decorative purposes and to make the soup rich in flavor and texture, and not to mention calories.
2. Most kids like cheese, so you could grate some cheese, to make it more appealing to them. I stirred in half a tbsp of cheese spread before serving it. But both the above are optional.