Soup, glorious soup

Deepali Mukherjee gives you the recipes of some familiar soups with a twist. Stir, sip and savour.

Pumpkin And Pepper Soup
1 kg pumpin
1 cup chicken stock
2 garlic cloves
1 cup cream
Salt to taste

Method:
Cube the pumpkin. In a pan add stock, pumpkin and garlic and bring to boil. Then simmer, covered, for about 10-15 minutes. Remove from fire and put in blender. Pour puree back in the pan, stir in cream, season with salt and pepper. Simmer on low heat for about five minutes, stirring constantly. Serve immediately with warmed rolls.


Tomato Soup With Coconut Milk
1 kg tomatoes
1 onion
3 cloves
garlic
1 inch ginger, finely diced
1 tbsp finely cut coriander leaves

For the sauce:
2 tsp ghee
4 tbsp grated coconut
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt to taste

Method:
Add two cups of boiling water to coconut and when cool put into liquidiser. Strain and keep aside the coconut milk. Heat 1 tbsp ghee, add, ginger, garlic and onions and fry till onion turns pink. Add tomatoes and fry. Add about 1.5 cups of water, simmer for 10 minutes on low heat. Remove from fire and season with salt. Blend, strain and season puree with pepper and nutmeg powder. Bring to boil for about two minutes, then, re move from fire. Heat ghee, add flour and lightly brown. Add coconut milk, stirring constantly, and simmer over medium heat. Pour coconut sauce into soup, stirring constantly, and simmer. Serve garnished with coriander leaves.

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Cucumber Soup
1 large dark green cucumber
1 large cup chicken stock
15 gms butter
1 tbsp of flour
1 cup warm milk

Method:
Peel cucumber thinly, slit, de-seed and chop. Puree, adding a little stock. Pour it out, add remaining stock and set aside. Roast flour in butter till light brown, cool and add milk. Blend to a smooth paste, put back on gas and stirring constantly bring to boil. Add cucumber puree. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cream. Serve steaming hot garnished, with finely chopped coriander leaves or parsley.


Cauliflower Soup
1 medium sized cauliflower
2 onions
1 potato
1 capcicum
1 stalk of celery
2 tsp butter
1 cup grated cheese
1 cup cream
1 cup milk
8 cups water
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Finely chop all the vegetables. Heat butter, add vegetables and water and bring to boil. Season with salt and pepper. When vegetables are tender remove from fire. When cool, blend and strain. Boil the clear stock with milk. Stir in cream, garnish with cheese and serve hot.