My Blog

Category: Soups

  • Roasted Carrot and Fennel Soup

    Here is another soup that is perfect for the winters. Root vegetables, particularly roasted root vegetables are often my go-to during the winter months. And I had seen the Carrot and Fennel combos in winter salads. So, I decided to try this soup using that combo. The roasting of the vegetables caramelizes them and adds a deliciously sweet note to the otherwise savory and aromatic soup.

    The star of this soup is the Fennel. I have never used Fennel. I have walked by it everytime at the Farmer’s Market but never picked it up, party because I would be put off with the thought of cutting such a large vegetable and not know how it tasted. But when I finally did pick it up, I figured out what it is all about and you can learn it too, right here 🙂

    The preparation of this soup does not require a lot of effort, but it may require some time. I was using a small counter-top oven for roasting, but with a good quality oven, I would not imagine this recipe to take more than 45 minute, tops. It is completely vegan, in fact, in fact it does not use any type of milk. Just the vegetable, spices and homemade vegetable broth. For textural interest, I garnished it with roasted Sunflower Seeds.

    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time45 minutes
    Serves2

    Ingredients

    Vegetables

    • Orange Carrots – 4 thick medium sized, chopped into large chunks
    • Fennel – 1 (with stalk and fronds), chopped into large chunks

    Nuts and Seeds

    • Roasted Sunflower Seeds – 1 tbsp

    Spices and Herbs

    • Garlic Powder – 1 tsp
    • Cumin Powder – 1 tsp
    • Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
    • Red Chilli Powder – 2 tsp (Reduce for lesser spice)
    • Salt – As per taste
    • Fennel Fronds – 1 tsp

    Oils

    • Olive Oil – 2-3 tbsp

    Liquids

    • Vegetable Broth – 1.5 cups

    Method

    1. Pre-heat oven to 425F (218C)
    2. Add the chopped fennel and carrot chunks to a mixing bowl. To this, add olive oil and all the spices. Mix well until all chinks are coated
    3. Line a tray with aluminium foil or parchment paper. Place the coated vegetables on the tray and spread out into an even layer. Roast the vegetables for 30-35 minutes or until they are tender and slightly charred
    4. After roasting and the vegetables have cooled down, add them to a blender. Add vegetable broth in small quantities while blending the soup so that the consistency can be controlled
    5. Add the blended soup to a pot and simmer for 5-10 minutes. During this time, adjust the spice and consistency as desired
    6. Pour a ladle of soup into a bowl. Garnish with fennel fronds and roasted sunflower seeds. Enjoy while it is hot

    You can also follow me on Instagram to be up-to-date with what is cooking my kitchen. If you like this recipe, do rate it and share your comments below. Don’t forget to post your version on Instagram using #foodformyloveblog.

  • Vegan Butternut Squash Soup

    Winters = Soup. Enough said. Well, let’s just say one more thing – this is quite possibly the easiest bowl of thick, velvety, soul-warming bowl of flavorful soup to prepare in less than 30 minutes.

    Prep time5-10 minutes
    Cook time20 minutes
    Serves2-3

    Ingredients

    Vegetables

    • Butternut Squash – 1 medium sized, diced
    • Onions – 1 large, chopped

    Spices and Herbs

    • Garlic – 1 tbsp, crushed
    • Red Chilli Powder – 1-2 tsps
    • Roasted Cumin Powder – 2 tsps
    • Cinnamon Powder – 1 tsp
    • Salt – As per taste

    Oils

    • Cooking Oil – 2 tbsps

    Liquids

    • Coconut Milk – 1/2 cup
    • Vegetable Broth – 1 cup

    Nuts and Seeds

    • Slivered Almonds – A handful for garnish

    Ingredient notes

    • Frozen diced Butternut Squash can also be used
    • Substitute Red Chilli Powder with Paprika for a less intense spice
    • Any other plant based milk can also be used such as almond, oats or soy
    • Roasted Pumpkin Seeds can also be used for a garnish

    Method

    1. In a large pot, add oil and let it heat up
    2. To the hot oil, add the crushed garlic. Once it is nice and brown, add the chopped onions and saute until the onions are translucent
    3. Add the diced butternut squash and cook for 2-3 minutes
    4. Add all the spices and mix well for 1-2 minutes
    5. Add the liquids, mix well and simmer the mixture on medium heat for 8-10 minutes
    6. At this point, use an immersion blender to blend the mixture in the same pot. Alternatively, allow the mixture to cool down and transfer to a blender (The alternate step will add 10-15 minutes extra minutes to the total preparation)
    7. Simmer the blended soup for an additional 3-5 minutes. During this time, adjust the spices and consistency as desired
    8. Transfer to a soup bowl. Garnish with roasted cumin powder and slivered almonds and enjoy immediately

    You can also follow me on Instagram to be up-to-date with what is cooking my kitchen. If you like this recipe, do rate it and share your comments below. Don’t forget to post your version on Instagram using #foodformyloveblog.

  • Vegan Broccoli Soup

    Broccoli is a bright green cruciferous miracle food. This vegetable provides solid support to many elements of human health. This support is in the form of providing vital vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, C and potassium. The best part of Broccoli is that it is low in calories, fat free and and has a ton of fiber.

    I am a salad and soup junkie. I will pretty much use any seasonal vegetable in a soup or salad. In fact, soups are a great way to hide vegetables that kids or in my case, my husband does not like (LOL!). This is the best way to leverage the wonderful health benefits of a plethora of vegetables.

    For this soup, both the florets and the stem of the Broccoli has been used. This soup is creamy, vegan and has only 5 ingredients. It is that simple. Despite not using any potatoes or a milk source, the soup still turned out to be thick and silky.

    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time50 minutes
    Serves2-3

    Ingredients

    Vegetables

    • Broccoli – 5 cups (florets and stem), chopped (Frozen or Fresh)
    • Red Onions – 1 large, cubed

    Nuts

    • Cashews – A handful

    Spices & Herbs

    • Garlic – 1-2 tbsp, crushed
    • Salt – As per taste

    Liquids

    • Vegetable Broth – 2-3 cups (depending on the desired consistency

    Oils

    • Olive Oil – 2-3 tbsp

    Method

    1. Preheat the oven to 425F (Apprx. 220C)
    2. If using fresh Broccoli, wash it under cold running water for 20-30 seconds. Pat dry with a paper towel and place on a baking tray lined with aluminium foil or parchment paper, along with the cubed onions
    3. Drizzle olive oil on the broccoli and onions. Season with salt and add the crushed garlic. Mix together in the tray
    4. Roast the broccoli and onions for 30-35 minutes until they have a good char on them
    5. In the meanwhile, soak the cashews in lukewarm water until the soup is ready to be blended
    6. Once roasted, add the vegetables and the soaked cashews into a blender. Slowly add the vegetable broth in small quantities as you blend the mixture. Blend until the soup is smooth and silky
    7. Transfer the soup to a pot and bring to a simmer. During this process, add more vegetable broth to adjust to the desired consistency
    8. Transfer a ladle full of the hot soup to a bowl. Garnish with red pepper flakes and roasted pumpkin seeds and enjoy!

    You can also follow me on Instagram to be up-to-date with what is cooking my kitchen. If you like this recipe, do rate it and share your comments below. Don’t forget to post your version on Instagram using #foodformyloveblog.