Soup
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Recipe: Chupe de camarones (Peruvian prawn chowder)
Soup season is back! I would be hard-pressed to nominate my favourite soup, but chupe de camarones is definitely in the top 5. As it happens with most Peruvian dishes, it all starts with onion, garlic and ají (chilli). Ají panca (dried red Peruvian chilli) paste can be found in certain ethnic markets or you can sub another red chilli paste. It also features Andean staples such as habas (broad beans), papas (potatoes) and choclo (corn). Rice is also an important ingredient, but you can sub cauliflower rice, quinoa, etc.
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Recipe: Fennel & apple soup with ham
This is a quick weekday recipe that combines two of my favourite things in winter: soup and fennel. Add one of my favourite things regardless of the season (i.e. pork, in the form of ham) and you have a rounded meal for 4.
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Recipe: Smoked pork, mushroom, ginger & cabbage soup
This recipe is more a guide than an actual recipe. Yes, this is an excuse to be inaccurate with the quantities. The results will be great, give or take reasonable amounts of any ingredient. You can also use pre-made broth if you can find a good one. * I opted for soft-boiled eggs and was too impatient to wait for them to cool down before peeling, hence the terrible presentation in the photo.
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Recipe: Menestrón
The Peruvians took the minestrone recipe, brought with the Italian migrants, and turned into it menestrón. The Peruvian version is heavier on the basil and almost never features tomatoes. It’s also big on the carbs, not only featuring beans (sometimes a few different kinds) but also pasta (often penne). I grew up loving my mum’s and auntie’s, and I crave it when it starts getting chilly in Sydney. I make my version with no beans nor pasta, and often use whatever veggies I have available. This time, for example, I couldn’t find turnip, so used radishes instead.
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Recipe: Zucchini and roasted garlic soup
For those who know Mafalda (or some Spanish) here is the perfect strip for this post. Soup in summer. Enough said.
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Recipe: Triple mushroom soup
Three things happened: my naturopath suggested getting more mushrooms (particularly shiitakes) in my diet, I read this article entitled “Smart Fuel: Mushrooms” at Mark’s Daily Apple, and I found dried chanterelles and porcini powder at Dr Earth. As a result, this soup was born.
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Recipe: Sancochado
Today is Peruvian Independence Day! Time to celebrate with a Peruvian recipe! Soups in Peru are a big deal. There are restaurants specialised in particular kinds of soups, and some of them are known for their hangover curing properties. Today is Peruvian Independence Day and I celebrate with a soup recipe. While most of the soups have a pretty standard recipe and are fairly simple to make, there are no rules when it comes to sancochado. The simplest versions are cooked on weekdays in ordinary households (my aunties cooked a killer one every single Friday of my life), and the most elaborate are prepared with dozens of ingredients served buffet-style…
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Recipe: Chicken and mussel aguadito with cauliflower rice
Aguadito is a typical Peruvian soup. It means something like “soggy”, not a very appealing name, but it describes the dish perfectly: in essence it’s a watered-down version of arroz con pollo. I’m convinced that one of the reasons there aren’t too many obese people in Perú is that we tend to eat more home-cooked meals. Parties are no exceptions, and it’s not uncommon that the brave people who stay until the next morning are rewarded with a bowl of aguadito. For the record, I’m lame and tend to bail fairly early from parties, so I’ve never enjoyed a bowl of “morning after” aguadito. Aguadito is often made with chicken…
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Recipe: Gluten-free tonkotsu ramen
I had a lot of thick, gelatinous pork broth left over from the patita con maní I prepared a few weeks ago. What to do with it? Ramen of course! I must admit I sometimes feel I’m missing out on something given the number of apparently great ramen restaurants in Sydney, but I just don’t want to put my health at risk with the noodles. I found a couple of solid recipes for the pork and the eggs and made my version of the most decadent and comforting soup I’ve had in years. Please note that you’ll need to prepare the different elements of the soup in advance.
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Recipe: Low-carb wonton soup
Okay, I lied. There are no wontons in this soup. But I got the inspiration from the Cantonese-style wonton soups that are so popular in Perú. This nourishing soup is perfect for a cold day, or when you’re feeling under the weather.
