On a cold day, rainy day or just pick me, these soup recipes are for you!
On the authority of Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (radiAllahu anhu), the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said:
“The likeness of a righteous friend and an evil friend is the likeness of a (musk) perfume seller and a blacksmith. As for the perfume seller, he may either bestow something on you, or you may purchase something from him, or you may benefit from his sweet smell. And as for the blacksmith, he may either burn your clothes, or you may be exposed to his awful smell.”
[Bukhari and Muslim]
Chicken corn soup
1 Lb. boneless chicken, cut in small cubes
1 cup corn kernels
1 onion chopped
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon oil
1 egg, slightly beaten
Salt & pepper
Heat oil and sauté the chicken pieces till it is well browned, add the onions and corn. Add about 3 cups of water and bring to boil. Add cornstarch mixed in a little water. then add the slightly beaten egg in thin streams to form noodle-like strings, adjust salt and black pepper to taste serve hot.
Corn soup
1 cup fresh corn kernels
2 cups clear veg/meat stock
A small handful of green peas
2 spring onions sliced with leaves
½ carrot sliced
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oil
Heat the oil & add the corn, onions, green peas and carrots. Stir fry for 2-3 mins. Add the stock & salt and boil for 2 mins, serve it with red chillies/chilli sauce.
Minestrone soup
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves chopped
½ shredded cabbage
Other vegetables (leek, celery)
2 tomatoes, chopped fine
Carrots cut into small pieces
2 tablespoon tomato paste
A handful of red beans (boiled)
1/2 cup cut pasta (boiled)
1 handful of rice
Salt
¼ kg of stock(bones/meat)
2 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon butter
Heat oil and brown the meat, add 1 cup water and cook till it is tender. In another pan take 1 tablespoon of butter sauté the onion on medium-low heat till soft and add the garlic, the carrots, leeks cabbage, tomatoes, tomato paste and red beans. Add pasta and rice. Add stock and salt, cook till rice is tender. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve hot.
Stew
¼ kg meat cubed into small pieces
1 onion chopped
¼ grated cabbage
1 grated carrot
2 grated potatoes
A handful of red beans boiled
A handful of green beans
1 tomato chopped
1 tablespoon corn flour
1 chicken stock cube
1 teaspoon butter
3 cups Water
Pressure cook all the above together or slow cook. Serve hot.
Meat stew
1lb meat stock
1 carrot sliced
1 onion thinly sliced
2 tablespoon butter
1tablespoon flour
1 stock cube mixed in 1 cup of hot water
Salt & pepper
Clean the meat and cut it into cubes. Heat the butter and fry the meat till browned, remove it and keep aside. In the same pan as you browned the meat add flour and fry till golden brown, add the stock to the flour gradually while stirring. Bring to boil and add the meat and the carrots. Reduce heat and allow to simmer till meat is tender.
Lentil soup
½ cup mesoor dal (red lentil)
1 cup water
1 onion chopped
1 garlic clove-chopped fine
1/8 tsp clove powder
1 stock cube
Dash of black pepper powder
Soak the lentils for 3-4 hrs. wash and boil with the chopped onion, garlic, and clove pd. When the lentil is tender, add black pepper powder and a stock cube. Bring to boil, once tender you can use a hand stick blender to puree the lentil mixture.
Carrot soup
4 cups water
4 carrots sliced
1 potato sliced
1 onion sliced
¼ tsp dried basil
1 tablespoon butter
1½ teaspoon salt
Place water and salt in a pan and bring it to a boil. Add carrots, potato and onion, cover, and simmer till the vegetables are tender. Puree the vegetables and return to the pan, add pepper and heat. Stir in butter.
Chicken hot & sour soup
4-5 cups chicken stock
¼ cup shredded chicken
2 flakes of crushed garlic
¼ cup shredded cabbage
1 small grated carrot
1 chopped spring onion
2-3 tablespoon corn starch
1 tablespoon soya sauce
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon red chilli paste
½ b. pepper, salt to taste
2 tablespoon oil
Heat oi in a pan. Add garlic, stir. Add cabbage, carrot, spring onion and chicken. Sauté for 30 sec. add the chicken stock. Add soy sauce, vinegar, chilli paste, salt and pepper to the stock. Stir and boil it till the vegetables are soft and the chicken is tender. Mix corn flour with ½ cup cold water and add to the soup. Boil and cook on low heat for 4-5 mins till the soup thickens and the raw smell of the corn flour disappears. Serve it hot.
Mixed vegetable soup
1 small carrot
1 cauliflower
½ capsicum
2-3 long beans
30 grams sweet peas
1 onion
¼ cabbage, chopped
½ teaspoon soya sauce
Ginger and garlic
¼ teaspoon crushed red chilli
½ teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoon corn starch
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups water
Chop all the vegetables, heat the butter in a pan. Add ginger, garlic, and vegetables. Stir fry the vegetables for about 3mins. Add water and bring it to a boil. Mix cornflour in ½ cup cold water and add to the soup, stirring simultaneously. Bring to boil till thick and transparent. Serve hot.
Oxtail soup
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 beef cube
Whole spices- cumin seeds whole, cinnamon, 8-10 black pepper
1 tablespoon bread crumbs
1.5 teaspoon black pepper
750gm oxtail, cut small pieces
3 cups water
Add the above in a pressure cooker or a pot and boil till the oxtail is tender.