Thai style pumpkin and sweet corn soup

With a few corn cobs left over from making my Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup I thought I'd try a blended soup. Using the Thermomix was an absolute dream compared to ladling hot soup from the pot into a blender and making a huge mess (I'm very clumsy..)

I didn't have any onions so I just improvised and used dried onion flakes.

700 grams pumpkin , peeled, deseeded and cut into 2-3cm cubes
3 sweetcorn cobs, kernels removed (300g)
2 level teaspoons TM Vegetable stock paste
550 grams water, to make up vegetable stock
1 teaspoon dried onion flakes, mixed into stock
250 grams sour cream
1 heaped teaspoon curry paste (your choice, I used red curry)
salt and pepper to taste

coriander to serve

Add pumpkin and corn to Thermomix bowl and sweat for 10 minutes / 100 degrees / reverse, speed soft, with measuring cup (MC) in place.

Add water mixed with stock paste and onion flakes and cook for 15 minutes / 100 degrees / speed 2 - 3, with MC in place
Puree for 30-40 seconds, going slowly from speed 1 to speed 9, with MC in place.
Add curry paste and sour cream and mix for 2 minutes /speed 5.
Season with salt and pepper to taste
Serve with fresh coriander

Thai style pumpkin and sweet corn soup recipe on Recipe Community website

Chinese Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup

No trip to a Chinese restaurant is complete in my book without Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup. I've tried many recipes over the years, poaching the chicken in water, poaching in stock, all creamed corn, a mix of corn, a whole egg or just egg white. The first time I tried converting my recipe for the TM5 it was a hit. No more poaching and shredding chicken while trying not to burn my fingers..that's ok with me. 

3 chicken thigh fillets, cut into strips
1/2 level teaspoon ground ginger
1 onion, peeled and quartered
20 grams olive oil
420g can creamed corn
315g corn kernels, fresh (from 2 cobs) or tinned
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 heaped tablespoon vegetable stock concentrate
600g water
2 level tablespoons cornflour
2 level tablespoons water
2 egg whites
1 spring onion, green part only, sliced, to serve

Add onion to Thermomix bowl, chop 3 seconds / speed 7.
Add ginger and oil, sauté 2 minutes / 100 deg / speed 1.
Add corn, water, sesame oil, stock paste and sliced chicken. Cook 15 minutes / 100 deg / reverse, speed 1.
In the last 2 minutes of cooking add mixed cornflour and water through the lid. Then add the egg whites.
Serve topped with spring onion.

Tip
You can pour the egg whites on to the lid with the MC on and let it slowly drip through.
Serve in small bowls with Chinese spoons for an authentic experience.

Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup recipe on Recipe Community website

Minestrone

This recipe can serve 4-6 but to keep the calories down you would probably want to stretch it to 6 by adding more water with the stock cubes. If you want to reduce the calorie count you may want to look for the lowest calorie bacon and four bean mix.

I usually use green cabbage but I thought that I would try red cabbage this time. But it coloured the soup and had a different flavour so I would recommend sticking to green cabbage..

4 rashers of bacon, diced
1 brown onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 carrots, chopped
2 zucchini, chopped
1/2 small cabbage, shredded
1 tin diced tomatoes
1 tin four bean mix, drained and rinsed
1 tin Cannellini beans (white beans), drained and rinsed
1L beef stock
1 cup dried pasta (spirals or shells)
cracked black pepper
grated Parmesan cheese to serve

Heat oil in a deep saucepan. Cook bacon, onion and garlic until onion is soft.
Add carrot, zucchini and cabbage. Stir well and cook for 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes, four bean mix, cannellini beans and beef stock and stir well.
Add pasta and crack some black pepper over the top and simmer until pasta is cooked.
Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Total: 1767 cal / 7380 kj

Per Serve (if serving 6): 294 cal / 1230 kj

Chicken & Barley Soup

6 cups chicken stock
1 cup of uncooked barley (washed well and drained)
1 diced white onion
1 diced red onion
3 diced stalks celery
4 diced spring onions
3 large minced cloves garlic
3 cups of diced chicken breast
salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 tsp of dried herbs of your choice

Place all ingredients except parsley in a large pot and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat and stir occasionally for about 30 minutes.
Stir in parsley and serve.

Minestone Soup

I've got some Italian Style Soup Mix that I need to use up so I'm going to try this out:
http://www.mckenziesfoods.com.au/recipe/9/Minestrone_Soup

Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 90 mins

1 cup McKenzie's Italian Style Soup Mix
Salt & Pepper to taste
Freshly grated parmesan for serving
4 tablespoons parsley finely chopped
10-12 cups water
1 cup small pasta
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
500g bacon bones or 1 x small smoked ham hock
800g tinned crushed tomatoes
200g tomato paste
2 cups cabbage finely shredded
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 large onion finely diced
2 celery sticks finely diced
2 carrots finely diced

Combine all ingredients except pasta, parsley and parmesan in a large pot. Cover and simmer for 1 to 1 and a half hours or until beans are tender. Add the pasta and simmer for a further 15 mintues. Add more water if necessary.
Discard bones, if ham hock is used remove from soup - remove skin and finely dice the ham and add back to soup. Season to taste with McKenzie's Natural Sea Salt andMcKenzie's Whole Black Peppercorns.
Serve soup in large bowls with grated parmesan and parsley sprinkled over the top and fresh crusty bread.
Vegetarian Option: Do not use bacon bones or ham hock and add 2 vegetable stock cubes.

Serves 6

Cauliflower Soup

I'm at home sick and have been catching up on loads of old edisodes of The Cook and the Chef and Maggi just made a Cauliflower Soup with a difference that I definitely have to try - it has a lovely mushroom garnish and it looks delicious!

Soup ideas

Try thickening soups and stews by using tinned beans - stick blend them to a puree first then add them. Kidney beans for beef, chick peas, butter beans, cannellini beans for chicken. This adds protein and fibre as well as all the other beany goodness.

If you like to use gravox for colour - try 1/2 teaspoon Vegemite instead

Silvana's Velvet Cauliflower Soup

This lovely, super-smooth soup with its crunchy, cheesy croutons is a great all-rounder. Make it during the summer months when cauliflower is in abundance or in the winter as a warming, hearty supper.

750 ml (generous 1 1/4 pints) milk
2 garlic cloves
a bunch of spring onions
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 large cauliflower
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons grated
Parmesan cheese
1/2 small ciabatta loaf
100 g (4 oz) pancetta, cubed
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Pour the milk into a large pan and place on the heat. Roughly chop the garlic and the white part of the spring onions and add to the pan. Set aside the green spring onion ends. Stir in the cumin seeds and turmeric.

Cut off and discard the outer green leaves from the cauliflower. Cut the cauliflower into small florets and add to the milk pan, with some salt. Bring to the boil then lower the heat, partially cover and simmer for 20 minutes until the cauliflower is completely tender.

Meanwhile, place the oil in a large bowl and add the Parmesan and a good grinding of black pepper. Cut the bread into roughly 2 cm (3/4 inch) cubes. Add to the bowl, toss well and then spread out on a non-stick baking sheet, ensuring they lie in a single layer. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until crunchy and golden brown.

Empty the pancetta cubes into a non-stick frying pan and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes or so, stirring from time to time, until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper.

Finely slice the reserved spring onion greens.

Blend the soup in a liquidizer until velvety-smooth; alternatively, blitz with a hand-blender and then pass through a fine sieve. Check the seasoning and then ladle into bowls. Scatter over the crunchy croutons, crispy pancetta and green onions. Serve at once.

Serves 4

Source: Silvana Franco. The Best (BBC TV Series and Cookbook)