Easy winter soup

I made this soup on one of those days where I needed a quick and warming dinner, which was still healthy and satisfying. I found some veggies in the fridge and some chickpeas from preparing hummus the day before: and here is the result :)
I sprinkle black sesame seeds on almost all soups, as they are filled with iron, Calcium, Vitamin B6 and Magnesium. These seeds are a well consumed to prevent hair fall and even prevent aging :-) Worth to give them a go :) 

What will you need:
- 1/2 head of a bigger cauliflower
- 1 kohlrabi
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 4-5 stalks of celery
- 1 cup of cooked chickpea
- 1 heaping tbsp of home made vegetable stock
- salt and pepper
- pinch of chili
- black sesame seeds

Method:

1. Wash and cut all the veggies and put them in a pot. Add the vegetable stock, chili, salt and pepper.
2. Pour water into the pot, so it covers all ingredients, and bring it to boil.  Once the water is boiling reduce the heat to medium and cook the veggies until they become soft (please check with a fork :)
3. Once the veggies are soft, add the cooked chickpeas and bring everything to boil once again.
4. Serve hot and sprinkle with black sesame seeds. 

Enjoy :) 

Autumn pumpkin soup

Pumpkins, pumpkins and more pumpkins this season :) I can't remember the exact type of the pumpkin I used, but it was the one which is good for soups and you can buy normally in a supermarket or even better, from a farmer :D It was already cleaned from the seeds, so I just had to peel, wash and cut it into cubes.
This soup was a result of our gardening party, which turned out to be a great idea. Our friends came to help us with the garden and we made dinner for them :) Everyone was happy in the end, and it was such a nice and natural way to bound with our friends. We are looking forward to the opportunities when we can give this favor back to them :))

This soup is very easy, basically toss everything in the pot and cook/mix together..  

Serves: many hungry tummies (around 10 portions)

What will you need :

- 500 grams of pumpkin
- 500 grams of carrots
- 3 potatoes
- 3-4 dried tomatoes
- 5 cm fresh ginger  
- water
- salt, pepper
- 1 tbs walnut oil (or pumpkin seed oil)
- 1 1/2 tbsp Tamari sauce
- 1 tbsp vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp vegetable curry
- 1 tbsp turmeric
- 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp cinnamon


Method:

1. Peel the pumpkin and cut the flesh into cubes. If you have a pumpkin with seeds inside, please remove the seeds first with a spoon. Put the flesh into a big pot.
2. Wash and peel the carrots and potatoes; cut them into bigger slices. Peel the ginger, cut it into smaller pieces and add all (carrots, potatoes and ginger) into the pot with the pumpkin waiting :)
3. Add as much water that it just covers the veggies in the pot. Turn the heat to high and wait until the soup starts boiling. Meanwhile, add the spices: vegetable broth, turmeric, cumin seeds, cinnamon, curry and salt.
4. Once the soup is boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook for around 15 - 20 minutes, until the pumpkin becomes soft.
5. When the pumpkin is soft, turn off the heat. Add the Tamari sauce, walnut oil, dried tomatoes and pepper. Take the immersion mixer and mix the soup until smooth.
6. Top with pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed oil, if you have at home. Serve hot...

Enjoy :))

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Hungarian warming lentil soup

I made this soup yesterday morning and took a picture during Sunrise, therefore the blueish color :) In Switzerland everything is covered by snow, and the morning sunrises are wonderful :)
Lentil soup is a are very common Hungarians dish, but mostly contains some smoked meat. I have used a little smoked paprika instead and got the nice smoky taste. Something very special for Hungarian soups is called "Rántás". This is a procedure of mixing oil, flour and paprika powder and adding it to the soup at the end of cooking. This gives the soup a nice red color and makes it more thick.  I will explain below how to prepare one :) For this amount of soup I was supposed to use much more oil and flour, according to the traditional recipes. But I tried to keep the soup light and not too oily with too much flour in it.
The soup is very warming and a great for lunch or dinner :)

This portion serves 5-6 people.

What will you need:

For the soup:
- 1 medium onion
- 1 clove of garlic

- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 5 medium potatoes
- 6-7 carrots (different colors)
- 500 grams brown lentils (preferably soaked overnight)
- 5 celery stalks
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 bay leaves
- salt and pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp mom's vegetable stock (or one cube, if bought)
- 1tsp vinegar

For the "Rántás":
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika
- 2 tbsp spelt flour 
- 2 dl of cold water

To prepare the soup:

1. A day before: wash the lentils and soak them overnight in filtered water. This step is not necessary, so if you haven't soaked the lentils, you can still make this soup :) Just make sure, that the lentils will be cooked and the veggies don't overcook meanwhile. The next day discard water and rinse the lentils.
2. Wash the carrots and celery stalks and cut them into small pieces.
3. Peel the potatoes and onion and cut them into smaller cubes.
4. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat in a big pot. Add onions and sauté until onions become glassy, about 5 minutes.
5. Add tomato paste, garlic, bay leaves and oregano. Sauté for a few more minutes
6. Add stalks of celery, carrots, potatoes and smoked paprika powder. Mix well.
7. Add as much water that it covers all vegetables and leaves a bit of space for the lentils :)
8. Bring to boil, reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes. Add the vegetable stock, salt and pepper. 
9. Add lentils and cook for 12 more minutes. This may vary on the type of the lentils, or if you have pre-soaked your lentils. Please read the package for cooking instructions.
   

To prepare the  "Rántás". 

1. Start preparing the  "Rántás" 5-6 minutes before your soup is done.
2. Heat the olive oil (on sunflower seed oil) in a pan on medium heat. When oil is heated add the flour (your soup is still cooking on medium heat).
3. Stir constantly until small bubbles appear. Keep on stirring constantly until the flour gets a golden brown color. Make sure that the flour doesn't burn! The whole procedure should take about 3-4 minutes. If the paste is too dense and knots are created, then add a bit of oil. Keep on stirring. 
4. Add the paprika powder and immediately take the pot off the heat, otherwise the paprika gets bitter. Mix in the paprika and start adding the water gradually. Stir quickly so the paste gets very smooth with no knots in it. Don't get surprised, if the whole mixture becomes like one big flour knot when you add the water :) If you add the water gradually and stir it very quickly, the paste becomes smooth. Just stir like crazy :):)
5. Mix the "Rántás" into your soup and boil it for a 2-3 minutes stirring gradually. Turn off the heat.
6.  Add vinegar. Serve hot garnished with fresh parsley.

 Enjoy :)

Pumpkin soup with Mr. and Mrs. pumpkin

Autumn is all about pumpkins :) I love their beautiful colours, and variety. In Switzerland there are stands with lots of pumpkins from small to big, for decorating or eating. One can stop by anytime, pick up a pumpkin and leave the money in the money box. I find this trust in Switzerland great, I don't think it would work in many other countries :)

Pumpkins are easy to prepare and give delicious meal for the whole family :) I like to roast them or make a soup out of them. Using warming spices such as nutmeg, cumin, cloves gives a warming, comfy and comforting feeling.

What will you need: 

- 1 medium pumpkin

- 1 tbsp coconut or olive oil

- 3 small onions

- 2 medium sweet potatoes, cubed

- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

- 3-4 cm ginger, finely chopped

- 1/2 tsp turmeric

- 1/2 tsp cumin

- 1/2 tsp coriander

- 1/2 tsp white pepper

- 1/2 pumpkin pie spice (optional)

- 2 tsp curry

- 2 tbsp sea salt

- about 3 cups vegetable stock

- a pinch of nutmeg

• First, cut the pumpkin into half, then remove the seeds with a spoon and place the pumpkin to a baking dish filled with water, covering about 2-3 cm of the bottom of the pumpkin. Preheat the oven to 180° Celsius and bake the pumpkin uncovered 45-60 minutes, or until tender.
  

• Let the pumpkin cool and then remove the flesh. Discard the skin.
• Heat a bigger pot over medium heat and add the oil. Add the onion, cubed sweet potatoes, garlic and ginger. Saute for about 10 minutes, until onions are translucent and vegetables become softer.
• Add the spices (turmeric, cumin, coriander, white pepper, pumpkin pie spice (if used) and saute for about a minute.
• Add the pumpkin flesh and the vegetable stock. You can add more water, if you would like a more liquid consistency. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer, covered for about 15 minutes.
• Pureé the soup using an immersion blender or a regular blender until smooth and cream.
• Add salt and nutmeg according to taste.
• Garnish with fresh herbs, roasted pumpkin seeds, or sprinkle of nutmeg.

Enjoy :)

Summer zucchini cauliflower soup

The zucchini season has started, so I picked up a few in the garden. I am a beginner veggie gardener, that's why zucchinis and me are best friends :D They survive any weather condition and  don't need any special care, what is great for me :) It's amazing to see that from one tiny seed plenty of these tasty and healthy plants are growing all summer long. 
I prepared this summer soup from them, very easy and ready in 20 minutes. All you will need is a hand mixer and a pot :)  Feel free to change the veggies in the recipes according to what you have at home. This amount serves 7-8. 

What will you need:
- 1/2 of a medium yellow zucchini
- 1/2 of a bigger green zucchini 

- 1 tbsp of sunflower seed oil (cold pressed)

- 1 medium sweet potato
- 1 medium red onion

- 3 carrots

- 1 medium cauliflower

- 2 tsp of home made vegetable bujon (or one cube of store bought)

- 1/2 tsp of white pepper

- 1/4 tsp spicy paprika (or cayenne pepper)

- salt, according to taste
- 2 cups of cooked chickpeas
- 100ml oat cream (optional)


Start with peeling and cutting up the veggies. Heat the oil in a bigger pot and sauté the onion until it becomes "glassy", for about 6 minutes. Add all the other vegetables and the bujon. Add water so that it just covers the veggies. Bring the water to boil, then cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes. Add the oat cream, if you like the soup a bit more creamier. Add the spices and bring the soup to boil for a couple of seconds. Add the chickpeas for extra protein :) That's all.. The soup is ready:) Serve with fresh parsley, toasted spelt bread or fresh sprouts.

Enjoy :)

Split yellow pea stew

My mom has visited me and she brought these healthy split yellow peas from Slovakia, so we made a tasty stew out of it :)

These yellow peas are very healthy, high in Vitamin A and B. They are as well a great source of plant based protein. The contain a high, 25grams of protein in 100grams. Perfect for non-meat eaters, and a tasty choice for meat eaters as well :) 

What will you need:
- 500 grams split yellow peas, soaked overnight

- 1 tsp black pepper

- 1 heaped tsp fresh marjoram or dried
- 1 tbsp veggie bujon
- 0.5 l of unsweetened oat milk (or rice milk) 
- 4 tbsp chickpea flour
- Salt according to taste
- water

Place the yellow peas into a big pan. Add water, so it is 2-3cm above the peas. Add 1 tsp of black pepper, salt, 1 tbsp veggie bujon (I used my mom's self made bujon), and salt. Cook for about an hour stirring frequently, as the peas burn quickly to the bottom. When the water evaporates, fill it with more cooking water. You should be getting a thick soup, like the one in the picture. When the peas are cooked, mix the oat milk with 4 tbsp chickpea flour. Make a smooth paste and add it to the soup. Add the marjoram too and bring the soup to boil for a few seconds. Voalaaa, the soup is done :) The soup is slightly spicy from the peas and the black pepper.


Top with toasted walnuts and sunflower seeds. Serve with garlic toasts. The garlic toasts are easy to make: toast a bread and rub a pealed garlic onto the warm bread. Yumiiii, I love the bread and garlic combo, which is just a perfect companion to this soup ;)

Enjoy :)