South African Soups

There's nothing better in the winter than enjoying a hearty bowl of warm soup after been out for a lovely sunny stroll. Do try our favourite soup recipe, butternut soup!

Butternut Soup recipe

Introduction

Butternut soup is a favourite South African starter. The butternut has a flavour all on its own and it is great to serve it as a starter before a good roast beef or lamb.

Ingredients

2 medium butternuts
1 apple
2 medium onions
50g butter/margarine (4T)
7 ml medium curry powder (1 ¼ t)
40 g cake flour (4 T)
pinch of ground nutmeg
2 chicken stock cubes
750 ml boiling water (3 c)
500 ml milk (2 c)
7 ml salt (1 ½ t)

Instructions on how to make it

Peel, seed and dice the butternuts. Peel, core and chop the apple. Peel the onions and chop roughly. In a large saucepan, sauté the chopped onions in the butter/margarine. Add the curry powder and fry the mixture lightly. Add the butternut and apple and sauté the mixture for a while. Add the flour and nutmeg and stir-fry lightly.

Dissolve the chicken stock cubes in the boiling water. Add the stock, together with the milk, and salt, to the butternut mixture. Boil, with the lid on, over moderate heat until the butternut pieces are soft. Stir the mixture occasionally. Puree or blend until smooth. The colour of the soup should be a deep yellow and the texture creamy. Serve the soup hot.

Each bowl of soup may be garnished with a teaspoon of cream and a little finely chopped parsley. For an interesting variation, replace the nutmeg with a little finely grated orange rind and add a few shreds of orange rind to the garnish.

Makes 2 litres (8 cups) of soup.

Crayfish Soup recipe

Introduction

Crayfish (or rock lobster) soup is a great starter for meat or curry dishes.

Ingredients

500g crayfish tails (use rock lobster if in the USA)
1 teaspoon salt
50g butter (4T)
1 cup onions, thinly sliced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salad herbs
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 piece lemon rind
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup light cream

Instructions on how to make it

Heat 1.25 litres water in a large saucepan to boiling. Add the lobster tails and salt, and simmer until tender. Remove lobster tail meat from shells, coarsely chop and set aside. Reserve stock.

In another large saucepan, heat the butter and sauté the onions for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, herbs, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and lemon peel. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Add the wine and 4 cups lobster water. Boil soup and cook for 10 more minutes. Force soup through a food mill, then return to the pot.

Mushroom Soup recipe

Introduction

This is not just an excellent soup, but can be used as a sauce on juicy grilled steaks. For a sauce halve the recipe, but retain the 2 ml (½t) curry powder and sprinkle generously with black pepper. Garnish the soup with a few slices of fried mushroom, a little thick cream and a sprig of parsley.

Ingredients

500 g fresh mushrooms
75 g butter/margarine (5½ T)
2 ml curry powder (½ t)
30 g cake flour (3 T)
500 ml chicken stock (2 c)
1 tin (410 g) evaporated milk
5 ml Salt (1 t)
Pinch of pepper

Instructions on how to make it

Clean the mushrooms with a damp kitchen towel and slice them. Fry the mushrooms in the butter/margarine, only until they start to draw water. Add the curry powder to the mushrooms, and then stir in the flour and the chicken stock. Allow the mixture to boil for a few minutes.

Purée or blend the mushroom mixture. Lastly, add the evaporated milk, salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Serve hot.

Vegetable Soup recipe

Introduction

Every country has its own vegetable soup and South Africa is no exception. So when the winter days are short and nights are long and cold - this soup should keep you going.

Ingredients

180 g soup mix of lentils, oats, barley and peas (1 c)
4 litres water (16 c)
4 pieces shin with marrow
2 large carrots
2 large potatoes
1 large potatoes
1 large onion
1 tine (410g) whole peeled tomatoes
100g chopped celery (1 c)
100g broken spaghetti (1 c)
25 ml salt (5 t)
20 ml Worcestershire sauce (4 t)
1 ml curry powder (1/4)
pinch of pepper
finely chopped parsley

Instructions on how to make it

Soak the soup mix in the water for an hour or so. Add the soup meat and cook it until tender. Spoon out the meat. Peel the carrots and grate coarsely. Peel and halve the potatoes. Peel and chop the onion. Cut the tomatoes. Add the carrots, potatoes, onions, tomatoes with their juice and the celery to the soup mix and boil until the potatoes are soft.

Remove the potatoes from the soap and add the spaghetti, salt. Worcestershire sauce, curry powder and pepper. Boil until the spaghetti is done.

Mash the potatoes. Cut up the soup meat and add, together with the mashed potatoes, to the soup. Boil till it is well blended. Sprinkle the soup with a little parsley and serve hot.

Makes 4 litres (16 cups) of soup.