With the rain not letting up, city chefs share three soup recipes to keep you warm on drippy days
Back to classics
Tom Yum soup is one of the most popular soups out there, with its fragrant spices and hot and sour taste, according to Prem Pradhan, head chef at Nara BKC and Colaba. "A warm and hearty bowl of the lemongrass and lime broth sets the tone for the entire meal. It is typically easy to prepare and relies on aromatic flavours with a hint of spice," he adds.
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Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking: 15 minutes
Yield: 1 portion
Ingredients
Mushrooms - 10 gms
Tofu/ shredded chicken - 10 gms
Lemongrass - 15 gms
Kaffir lime leaf - 1
Lime juice - 10 ml
Galangal - 5 gms
Sweet chilli paste - 5 gms
Evaporated milk - 5 ml
Red bird’s eye chilli - 1 you can also use red chilli
Shallots - 10 to 15 gms
Garlic - 10 gms
Water - 300 ml
Salt and sugar to taste
Few coriander leaves
Method
Crush the lemongrass, finely chopped bird’s eye chilli, sliced shallots, galangal and kaffir lime leaf together in a bowl. Add the other ingredients to a pot of boiling water. As it releases its flavour, add some sugar and salt as per taste along with some lime juice. Pour the evaporated milk, add the chicken or tofu and mushrooms, and garnish with a few leaves of coriander.
Keep it healthy
It’s advisable to stick to a healthy, wholesome diet during the monsoon, and nothing like beetroot, sweet potato and ginger to do the trick. "Beetroot is a popular superfood, while ginger adds an immunity boosting element. We have given it a twist by adding coconut to make it vegan and for a creamier finish," says executive chef Subhash Shirke, The Pantry.
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 1.15 hours
Yield: 1 portion
Ingredients
Beetroot - 60 gms
Sweet potato - 40 gms
Fresh coconut milk - 60 gms
Refined oil - 20 ml
Veg stock - 150 ml
Chopped onions - 15 gms
Chopped garlic - 10 gms
Fresh ginger - 20 gms
Black pepper crush - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Coconut cream - 2 tbsp for garnishing
Roasted dry coconut strips - 5 for garnishing
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. Wrap each beetroot in aluminium foil and roast in the oven for an hour. Once cooked, let the beets cool and chop them into chunks. While the beetroot is roasting, peel the sweet potatoes and chop them. Drizzle oil and season them with salt and pepper; spread them out on a baking tray and roast them for 30 minutes, flipping the potatoes half-way. Meanwhile, heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 2 tbsps of oil. Add the onion, ginger and garlic, and cook for five to seven minutes. Now, add the cooked beetroot and sweet potatoes, vegetable stock and seasoning. Stir well and cook on a simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer the soup in batches to a blender or use an immersion blender to purée until the soup is smooth. Add the coconut milk and stir thoroughly to incorporate it. Drizzle coconut cream on top, and serve with thin roasted coconut strips.
Mexican twist
If your idea of soup is a mix of spicy and tangy, the Mexican-style bowl of chilli soup is perfect for you, says Sandeep Dalvi, chef at Jamjar Diner. "The chipotle sauce adds the spice and sourness. With ingredients like smoked black beans and roasted veggies, this is a healthy and wholesome concoction that’s perfect for monsoon," he adds.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Yield: 1 portion
Ingredients
Tomato purée - 35 gms
Tomato concasse peeled, seeded and chopped - 10 gms
Red capsicum - 5 gms
Yellow capsicum - 5 gms
Onion - 3 gms
Green zucchini - 3 gms
Refried beans - 5 gms
Black beans - 5 gms
Yellow cheddar - 6 gms you can also use processed cheese
Sour cream - 4 gms
Garlic - 5 gms
Clove - 1
Water - 200 ml
Olive oil - 10 ml
Salt and pepper to taste
Spring onion to garnish
Method
Sauté the chopped garlic and onion with the clove in olive oil. Add the chopped red and yellow capsicums, and zucchini, and sauté. Throw in the tomato purée, water, chipotle sauce if available, tomato concasse and cook for two minutes. Add refried beans, black beans, salt and pepper and cook for five minutes. Garnish it with yellow cheddar, sour cream, and spring onions, and serve tortilla chips on the side. One can also add 10 gms of shredded and boiled chicken to this soup.
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