There is nothing more refreshing than having a hot meal on a chilly day.
Need ideas on how to warm up your kitchen and your stomach?
Well, dig out your pots and pans and put one of these recipes to the test.
Roasted Thai green sweet potato soup
Ingredients
250g sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
50g sweet potato, thinly sliced
1 tin coconut cream
500ml vegetable stock
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Thai green curry paste
4 cloves of garlic
2 red onions
7cm piece of fresh ginger
2 lemon grass stalks
2 bird’s eye chillies
2 tsp ground cumin
20g fresh coriander
10g fresh basil
2 tbsp fish sauce
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sesame oil
Method
Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Place sweet potatoes on a tray and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for an hour or until soft. Remove from the oven, place in a blender, and puree or mash. Combine all paste ingredients in a blender and puree until incorporated and smooth. Add small amounts of water if the mixture is too thick.
Once combined, place in a pot and bring to a simmer over low heat. Add the stock, coconut cream, and pureed potatoes, and mix well. Season to taste.
To make the sweet potato crisps, toss the thin slices in olive oil and season with salt. Bake at 150ºC for 20-25 minutes until golden and crispy. Top soup with fresh herbs and serve with chips.
Salmon and noodle broth
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
¼ tsp ginger powder
½ tbsp honey
1 tbsp soy sauce
½ tbsp cornstarch
1½ litres of vegetable stock
200g cabbage
200g zucchini
10g fresh coriander
1 lime
Salt & pepper
Chillies of choice
Salmon fillet (cooked and cut into portions of your choice)
250g noodles of choice
Method
Heat the olive oil, then gently fry the garlic and chillies until softened. Add the ginger, honey, soy sauce, cornstarch, and stock. Bring to the boil, add the noodles and vegetables, and cook until noodles and vegetables are done. Add the salmon and lime juice and heat through for a few minutes only, or the salmon will be overcooked. Plate, top with chopped fresh herbs, and serve immediately.
Recipes by chef Imtiyaaz Hart.
Warm mushroom salad
Ingredients
1 tsp olive oil
100g Shimeji mushrooms
50g enoki mushrooms
2cm ginger, peeled and finely diced
1 small red chilli, de-seeded and finely sliced
2 lime leaves, finely shredded
2 tbsp tamari
A small handful of coriander
1 tbsp peanut butter
Juice of ½ lime
2 tbsp hot water
Method
Heat a non-stick pan and heat up the oil.
Add the ginger and chilli and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the Shimeji mushrooms and lime leaves and cook for 3 minutes.
Meantime, prepare the dressing by mixing the peanut butter, hot water, and lime juice until a thick dressing is formed.
Add the tamari and enoki mushrooms and cook for another minute.
Add the coriander.
Serve immediately with the dressing.
Recipe by The Urban Kitchen.
Hearty, tasty chicken soup
Ingredients
2 large onions, cut into slices
3 carrots, peeled and grated
3 sticks of celery, washed and cut into small pieces
2 vegetable or chicken cubes
5 litres of cold water
500g - 1 kg mixed chicken necks, livers, or gizzards
Oil
Pepper to taste.
Method
Sauté onions in oil until they become translucent. Add celery sticks (not leaves) that have been cut into thin slices or rounds.
Peel and grate carrots. Add to pot.
Add cold water.
Add chicken necks, gizzards, and livers.
Add celery leaves.
Bring to the boil.
Allow boiling until chicken is cooked through. About 45 minutes to one hour.
Add more stock and or salt to taste.
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