Interesting soup recipes to try on a rainy day

Fennel soup by food blogger Tarika SinghSingh who blogs at To The T wwwtarikasinghcom says Make your own croutons at home Preheat the oven to 180 degC Place bread on a parchment lined baking sheet in the oven and drizzle them with olive oil Bake for 1012 minutes until the bread is crispyIngredientsgtgt 200250 gm fennel bulbsgtgt 1 tbsp olive oil gtgt 1 small onion finely choppedgtgt 1 mediumsized clove of garlic mincedgtgt Zest of one lemon gtgt A pinch of red chilli flakes gtgt 1 cup low sodium stock chicken or vegetablegtgt frac12 cup milkgtgt Salt and pepper to tastegtgt 1 cup fresh tomato puree gtgt Croutons for servingMethodgtgt Chop off the fennel stalks and save the fronds for garnish Cut and discard the base of the bulb and then discard the core Cut the bulb vertically and then chop horizontallygtgt Heat olive oil in the pan of a pressure cooker or in a deep heavybottom pan on medium heat Add chopped onions and cook until they turn pale golden Add garlic chilli flakes and zest stir and cook for about one minute Add the chopped fennel bulb stir to combine well and cook for another minutegtgt Pour the stock over the mixture stir and bring to a boil If using a pressure cooker secure the lid and give it two whistles If using a pan cover with lid and let it simmer gently for about 20 minutes gtgt Let the mixture cool and then blitz completely with a blendergtgt Pour the mixture back into the pan Add milk stir and bring to a boil then turn off the heat Season as required with salt and pepper Garnish with fennel fronds and croutons before servingCrab Coconut soup by Chef Melvin DrsquoSouzaHe Said She Said Head Chef Melvin DrsquoSouza says Crab is in season and crab meat is healthy You could also use soft coconut and sauteacute it with crab meatIngredientsgtgt 2 tbsp olive oil gtgt 1 onion finely chopped gtgt 1 celery ribs finely choppedgtgt 2 garlic cloves crushedgtgt 1 red chilli peppers fresh seeded and chopped gtgt 1 tomato large peeled and choppedgtgt 3 tbsp chopped cilantro gtgt 4 cups stock crab or 4 cups fish stock or 4 cups vegetable stock with fish sauce to tastegtgt 114 lbs crabmeatgtgt 1 cup coconut milk gtgt 2 tbsps palm oil or 2 tablespoons butter substitutegtgt The juice of 1 lime gtgt Salt to tasteMethodgtgt Heat the olive oil in a pan over low heat Stir in the onion and celery and sauteacute gently for 5 minutes until softened Stir in the garlic and chilli and cook for a further 2 minutes gtgt Add the tomato and half of the cilantro and increase the heat Stir for 3 minutes and add the stock Bring to a boil then simmer for 5 minutes gtgt Stir the crab coconut milk and the palm oil butter into the pan and simmer over a very low heat for 5 minutes The consistency should be thick but not stewlike so add some water if needed gtgt Stir in the lime juice and remaining cilantro then season with salt to tastegtgt Serve with chilli oil and lime wedges on the sideRadish Mushroom Soya broth by Shivani PatelHomemaker Shivani Patel says This is one of my favourite healthy lowcal recipes Itrsquos easy to prepare and combines all the goodness of veggies and proteins in the form of tofu and soya If you add the rice noodles itrsquos a meal in itselfIngredientsgtgt 2 medium radish finely chopped gtgt 1 cup celery finely chopped without leaves gtgt A pack of mushrooms shitake mushrooms if possiblegtgt Vegetable stock cubegtgt Mushroom stock cube optional gtgt 6 cups of watergtgt Salt to tasteTo garnishgtgt 2 tbsp of garlic fried in 5 tbsp oilgtgt Spring onion finely choppedgtgt Chilli flakes gtgt Soya nuggetsgtgt Coriander leaves chopped gtgt Soya saucegtgt Vinegar gtgt Boiled rice noodles optionalMethodgtgt Boil the water and add all the above ingredients except the garnish and let it boil for 30 minutes gtgt At the time of serving add the garnish