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Squash, coconut and lemongrass soup
Different species of lemongrass are native to tropical countries throughout Asia, Africa and Oceania, where it is widely used for its medicinal qualities as well as in cooking. This fragrant herb has an uncanny ability to lift any dish, transforming the mundane into the exotic and exuberant. The lemongrass oil, made from the bits of the stalk that are often thrown away,
It works well in place of fresh lemongrass in many dishes, or alongside it to add further potency: use it for frying a curry base, vegetables or meat, or use it in dressings or, as here, to finish a soup, curry or broth.
Serves 4
Husk, top and tail from 1 lemongrass stalk
60ml flavourless oil (rapeseed or sunflower)
700g squash (eg, butternut, crown prince, acorn)
1 small onion (about 200g), peeled and sliced thin
½ tbsp galangal or ginger, finely chopped
2 makrut lime leaves (optional)
400ml coconut milk
Fresh coriander, Thai basil and chilli flakes, to serve (optional)
First make the lemongrass oil. Chop the husk, top and tail and put in small saucepan with the oil. Bring to a gentle simmer, turn off the heat and leave to cool. Decant into a jar or bottle, along with the husks, making sure they are covered by the oil, then seal and store (it will keep almost indefinitely).
Now for the soup. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds (save them to make pumpkin seed salt), then cut the squash, skin and all, into cubes. Put these in a saucepan with the onion, galangal (or ginger), lime leaves, if using, and coconut milk. Measure out 400ml water by filling the empty coconut milk can (this will have the aded benefit of picking up any milk residue in the can), and add to the pot. Bring up to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until the squash is soft. Blend until creamy, season to taste and serve topped with a drizzle of lemongrass oil and a scattering of fresh coriander, Thai basil and a pinch of chilli flakes, if you wish.
Cream of tomato soup with buttered onions and orecchiette
This tastes like a homemade version of the Heinz classic. The habanero adds a hot, fruity and smoky complexity that I love, but remove it entirely if you want to make the dish child-friendly, and use only half if you don’t like too much heat.
Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr 10 min
Serves 4
60g unsalted butter
90ml olive oil
3 onions, peeled and finely chopped (540g net weight)
Salt and black pepper
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
400g sweet red cherry tomatoes (ie, datterini or similar)
4 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp (10g) basil leaves, roughly torn
1 dried habanero chilli (optional – see introduction)
500ml vegetable or chicken stock (or water)
200g orecchiette
2 tbsp double cream (or more, to taste)
Put the butter, three tablespoons of oil, the onions and a teaspoon of salt in a large saute pan on a medium heat and cook, stirring often, for 18-20 minutes, until soft and deeply golden brown (you don’t want the onions to burn or become crisp, so lower the heat as necessary).
Transfer two-thirds of the fried onions to a bowl with the remaining three tablespoons of oil, stir to combine and set aside until you’re ready to serve.
Return the pan of remaining onions to a medium heat, add the garlic and fry, stirring, for two minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, habanero (if using) and two teaspoons of salt, and fry, stirring often, for seven minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the stock, 300ml water and a good grind of pepper, and bring up to a simmer. Turn down the heat to medium, cook for 12 minutes, then lift out the habanero (if using) and squeeze to remove any liquid. Finely chop the habanero, then stir into the bowl of reserved fried onions.
Leave the soup to cool for five to 10 minutes, so it’s not super-hot, then transfer to a blender and blitz until completely smooth.
Meanwhile, cook the orecchiette in a big pot of salted boiling water until al dente, then drain and divide between four bowls. Divide the soup across the four bowls, spoon the cream on top, then scatter over the reserved fried onion mix and serve.
Chicken, lentil and fresh turmeric
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
10 curry leaves
2 red onions, peeled and roughly chopped
50g fresh turmeric, peeled, roughly chopped (or use 1 tbsp ground turmeric)
1cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
3 tomatoes, roughly chopped
40g fresh coriander, leaves and stems roughly chopped, plus extra to garnish
1½ tsp salt
1 tsp honey
400ml boiling water
400ml can coconut milk
100g red lentils
(masoor dal)
500g skinless chicken breast fillets, cut into 2.5cm dice
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the coriander and cumin seeds and peppercorns, and cook for a few seconds, then add the curry leaves and leave it all to sizzle for a few seconds more.
Mix in the onions and turmeric, then reduce the heat to medium–low and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly golden.
Stir in the ginger and garlic, cook for a minute, then add the tomatoes and mix well. Turn up the heat to medium and cook for five minutes, until the tomatoes have softened.
Add the fresh coriander and take off the heat. Blend the mixture until smooth, then return the soup to the pan.
Put the saucepan back over a medium heat, stir in the salt, honey, boiling water and three-quarters of the coconut milk, then mix in the lentils and chicken. Put a lid on, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15–20 minutes, until the lentils and chicken are both cooked. Sprinkle over the extra fresh coriander and drizzle with the remaining coconut milk before serving.
I'd also add the Mulligatawny soup recipe, but that seems terribly elaborate. Although the lamb's liver casserole someone offered in the comments intrigues me enough to contemplate actually trying to acquire a tin of 'Heinz Mulligatawny Soup':
Different species of lemongrass are native to tropical countries throughout Asia, Africa and Oceania, where it is widely used for its medicinal qualities as well as in cooking. This fragrant herb has an uncanny ability to lift any dish, transforming the mundane into the exotic and exuberant. The lemongrass oil, made from the bits of the stalk that are often thrown away,
It works well in place of fresh lemongrass in many dishes, or alongside it to add further potency: use it for frying a curry base, vegetables or meat, or use it in dressings or, as here, to finish a soup, curry or broth.
Serves 4
Husk, top and tail from 1 lemongrass stalk
60ml flavourless oil (rapeseed or sunflower)
700g squash (eg, butternut, crown prince, acorn)
1 small onion (about 200g), peeled and sliced thin
½ tbsp galangal or ginger, finely chopped
2 makrut lime leaves (optional)
400ml coconut milk
Fresh coriander, Thai basil and chilli flakes, to serve (optional)
First make the lemongrass oil. Chop the husk, top and tail and put in small saucepan with the oil. Bring to a gentle simmer, turn off the heat and leave to cool. Decant into a jar or bottle, along with the husks, making sure they are covered by the oil, then seal and store (it will keep almost indefinitely).
Now for the soup. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds (save them to make pumpkin seed salt), then cut the squash, skin and all, into cubes. Put these in a saucepan with the onion, galangal (or ginger), lime leaves, if using, and coconut milk. Measure out 400ml water by filling the empty coconut milk can (this will have the aded benefit of picking up any milk residue in the can), and add to the pot. Bring up to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until the squash is soft. Blend until creamy, season to taste and serve topped with a drizzle of lemongrass oil and a scattering of fresh coriander, Thai basil and a pinch of chilli flakes, if you wish.
Cream of tomato soup with buttered onions and orecchiette
This tastes like a homemade version of the Heinz classic. The habanero adds a hot, fruity and smoky complexity that I love, but remove it entirely if you want to make the dish child-friendly, and use only half if you don’t like too much heat.
Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr 10 min
Serves 4
60g unsalted butter
90ml olive oil
3 onions, peeled and finely chopped (540g net weight)
Salt and black pepper
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
400g sweet red cherry tomatoes (ie, datterini or similar)
4 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp (10g) basil leaves, roughly torn
1 dried habanero chilli (optional – see introduction)
500ml vegetable or chicken stock (or water)
200g orecchiette
2 tbsp double cream (or more, to taste)
Put the butter, three tablespoons of oil, the onions and a teaspoon of salt in a large saute pan on a medium heat and cook, stirring often, for 18-20 minutes, until soft and deeply golden brown (you don’t want the onions to burn or become crisp, so lower the heat as necessary).
Transfer two-thirds of the fried onions to a bowl with the remaining three tablespoons of oil, stir to combine and set aside until you’re ready to serve.
Return the pan of remaining onions to a medium heat, add the garlic and fry, stirring, for two minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, habanero (if using) and two teaspoons of salt, and fry, stirring often, for seven minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the stock, 300ml water and a good grind of pepper, and bring up to a simmer. Turn down the heat to medium, cook for 12 minutes, then lift out the habanero (if using) and squeeze to remove any liquid. Finely chop the habanero, then stir into the bowl of reserved fried onions.
Leave the soup to cool for five to 10 minutes, so it’s not super-hot, then transfer to a blender and blitz until completely smooth.
Meanwhile, cook the orecchiette in a big pot of salted boiling water until al dente, then drain and divide between four bowls. Divide the soup across the four bowls, spoon the cream on top, then scatter over the reserved fried onion mix and serve.
Chicken, lentil and fresh turmeric
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
10 curry leaves
2 red onions, peeled and roughly chopped
50g fresh turmeric, peeled, roughly chopped (or use 1 tbsp ground turmeric)
1cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
3 tomatoes, roughly chopped
40g fresh coriander, leaves and stems roughly chopped, plus extra to garnish
1½ tsp salt
1 tsp honey
400ml boiling water
400ml can coconut milk
100g red lentils
(masoor dal)
500g skinless chicken breast fillets, cut into 2.5cm dice
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the coriander and cumin seeds and peppercorns, and cook for a few seconds, then add the curry leaves and leave it all to sizzle for a few seconds more.
Mix in the onions and turmeric, then reduce the heat to medium–low and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly golden.
Stir in the ginger and garlic, cook for a minute, then add the tomatoes and mix well. Turn up the heat to medium and cook for five minutes, until the tomatoes have softened.
Add the fresh coriander and take off the heat. Blend the mixture until smooth, then return the soup to the pan.
Put the saucepan back over a medium heat, stir in the salt, honey, boiling water and three-quarters of the coconut milk, then mix in the lentils and chicken. Put a lid on, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15–20 minutes, until the lentils and chicken are both cooked. Sprinkle over the extra fresh coriander and drizzle with the remaining coconut milk before serving.
I'd also add the Mulligatawny soup recipe, but that seems terribly elaborate. Although the lamb's liver casserole someone offered in the comments intrigues me enough to contemplate actually trying to acquire a tin of 'Heinz Mulligatawny Soup':
I do buy Heinz tins of it and make a liver casserole, which I love. (it's very simple - onions, lamb's liver, chunky carrots and mushrooms and a tin of soup, serve with boiled rice.) I always keep some back and chop it up as a sauce for pasta, it's great.
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