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Recipe: Vegan zucchini soup with corn and coriander
Another soup for me to use up one of my least favourite vegetables: zucchini. This time I came up with a vegan zucchini soup with corn and coriander based on the flavour of Peruvian green tamales. As with my zucchini and leek soup, this one is vegan (therefore automatically dairy-free), gluten-free and low in calories. It is also low in protein so I recommend adding some protein or eating it as a side dish.
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Recipe: Vegan zucchini and leek soup
I have a confession to make: I don’t like zucchini. I can eat it, but it’s not my favourite vegetable. I find it has to be either roasted or sautéed in olive oil for me to like it. This vegan zucchini and leek soup has enough flavour to make me actually want to eat zucchini all day long. This soup is vegan (therefore automatically dairy-free), gluten-free and low in calories. It is also low in protein so I recommend adding some protein or eating it as a side dish. If you’re not vegan, feel free to add some grated hard cheese such as Parmesan or Pecorino for added flavour.
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Product review: Darikay soups
Back in the day, store-bought soups were usually nutrient-poor and full of artificial ingredients (think the old canned one and instant ramen). Fortunately, supermarkets these days offer plenty of healthy alternatives, such as Darikay soups. Darikay soups You will be able to find Darikay soups in the refrigerated section of your local supermarket. They come in plastic containers with 2 serves each. Each container is $6.50 in my local supermarket. The current flavours, according to their website is: Hearty Chicken Soup Chicken & Corn Soup Chicken Noodle Soup Chicken Laksa Soup Hearty Vegetable Soup Classic Pumpkin Soup Italian Minestrone Soup Lentil Soup Thai Pumpkin Soup Tomato, Spinach & Quinoa Soup…
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Recipe: Spiced roasted pumpkin and zucchini soup
Pumpkin is one of my favourite ingredients for soup because it’s versatile, cheap and easy to work with. This spiced roasted pumpkin and zucchini soup is a perfect example of a simple and economical dinner you can make on a weeknight. This soup is naturally gluten-free and can be made vegan if you use dairy-free yoghurt and vegetable stock. Add a source of protein (e.g. boiled eggs, lentils or chickpeas) to round off the meal.
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Recipe: Sopa criolla (Peruvian creole soup)
Sopa criolla (a.k.a. sopa a la minuta) is the Peruvian version of laksa. It’s not as sweet, not as thick, not as tangy, but equally comforting. The alternate name for this soup “a la minuta” indicates that is a quick dish to make (minuto = minute). As most Peruvian dishes, sopa criolla contains onion, garlic and chilli. This base serves to flavour the soup, while the tomatoes provide some sweetness, acidity and body. Other key ingredients are beef (either minced or finely chopped), noodles (usually angel hair pasta) and evaporated milk. The cherry on top is a poached or fried egg. I used vermicelli in this recipe to make it…
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Recipe: Menestrón (Peruvian minestrone)
Menestrón is the Peruvian version of minestrone soup, brought to the country by Italian migrants. What makes this soup Peruvian is the addition of native ingredients, such as potato and cassava. This is a pesto-based version of minestrone (as opposed to tomato-based). In addition to the traditional basil and Parmesan, this pesto features spinach and feta cheese . There are no rules as to which beans and legumes are included in menestrón. However, butter beans and broad beans are very common ingredients. As for the pasta, tradition calls for penne. I recommend using San Remo pulse pasta for a gluten-free, high protein, high fibre alternative.
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Recipe: Pumpkin, ginger & lemongrass soup
I love soup and pumpkin soup has been among my favourites forever. Pumpkin is rich in beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A. Its sweetness, accentuated by roasting it instead of just boiling it, pairs well with the zing of ginger, lemongrass and lime juice. This recipe is gluten-free and can be made vegan/vegetarian by using vegetable broth and omitting the fish sauce. It’s low in fat (if you don’t add the optional coconut milk) and protein. You can add some cooked chicken or boiled eggs to bump up the protein content.
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Recipe: Sudado de pescado (Peruvian steamed fish)
Sudado de pescado can be considered a soup or a stew. I guess it depends on how you serve it: with boiled cassava or with boiled cassava and rice. The verb sudar means “to sweat”… in this context, it means the fish is steamed on top of a bed of onions and tomatoes with a delicious broth. One of the broth ingredients is chicha de jora, a fermented beverage made from malted maize (corn), commonly used in Peruvian cuisine. It is also served as a drink in many towns in the highlands to children and adults, despite its alcoholic content. Back in the day, the fermentation was kickstarted by chewing…
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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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Product review: Hart and Soul cup soups
I wrote a product review for the nutrition site Foodwatch, ran by dietitian extraordinaire Catherine Saxelby. As all my reviews, this is a product I discovered while looking for a convenient, yet not overly processed source of nourishment. At the time, I was doing placement in Orange and I wasn’t able to cook every day. These soups turned out to be a perfect addition to my weekday lunches, particularly because it was freezing cold. To read the full review, click here.
