Winter Soups
With winter almost here, it is quite nice to cosy up with family or friends with warm bowls of soup on chilly evenings. Here are a couple of recipes that are easy to make and will appeal to any palate:
Moroccan Chicken Sweet Potato Soup
This healthy chicken soup gets bold Moroccan flavour from sweet potatoes, cayenne pepper and a touch of fiery harissa.
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 kg bone-in chicken breasts, skin removed
3 cups diced sweet potato
2 cups diced red bell pepper
2 cups green beans, cut into 2-cm pieces; you may substitute with 2 stalks celery (sliced) or 1 zucchini (diced)
425 g can chickpeas, rinsed
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon harissa (chilli paste), or to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander
Lemon wedges
PREPARATION
1.Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cumin, cinnamon and cayenne; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add broth and chicken. Cover, increase heat to high and bring to a simmer. Uncover and cook, turning the chicken occasionally, for 20 to 22 minutes. Skim any foam from the surface as the chicken cooks. Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board. When cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and shred.
2.Meanwhile, add sweet potato, bell pepper and green beans (or other vegetables) to the pot; return to a simmer. Cook until the vegetables are tender, 4 to 10 minutes. Stir in the shredded chicken, chickpeas, salt and pepper and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in harissa.
3.Serve garnished with coriander and lemon; accompany with slices of pita bread or naan.
TIP: Harissa is a hot chili pepper paste, commonly used in North African cooking. Different brands vary in heat, so start with a little and taste as you go.
Japanese Chicken Noodle Soup
This healthy, Japanese-inspired chicken noodle soup is made with udon (wheat flour) noodles and gets a hit of umami flavour from a swirl of miso at the end.
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 pounds bone-in chicken breasts, skin removed
3 cups sliced green cabbage
2 cups sliced shiitake or enoki mushrooms
2 cups julienned carrots
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
3 cups cooked udon noodles or whole-wheat spaghetti
2 tablespoons white miso
PREPARATION
1.Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add ginger; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add broth and chicken. Cover, increase heat to high and bring to a simmer. Uncover and cook, turning the chicken occasionally, for 20 to 22 minutes. Skim any foam from the surface. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, remove the meat from the bones and shred.
2.Meanwhile, add cabbage, mushrooms and carrots to the pot; return to a simmer. Cook until vegetables are tender, 4 to 10 minutes. Stir in the shredded chicken, salt, pepper and noodles and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in miso.
TIP: Miso is a fermented soybean paste. To make the miso easier to stir into the soup, combine a little bit of the hot broth with the thick miso to thin it before adding to the rest of the soup.
Source: www.eatingwell.com
