Tangy Beetroot Soup

Vegetables are never a major part of the main course in our family. And beetroot, well it’s once in a blue moon mood. Honestly, I don’t cook beets any other way than this. Not because there is no other way, but because I don’t want to have it any other way.

This side dish of beet root is tangy and soupy and extremely easy. I wonder why I don’t cook it often.

Whatever I cook daily is always enough for 2. Cooking for a bigger family is always easier than making the perfect amount for 2 people. So when I shop for veggies like beets, I choose the tiniest one.

I don’t like beetroots as chunks so I slice the beets into fine slices using a slicer. I keep the consistency of this dish watery because I like it really soupy. It works well dry too.

This recipe serves 2 people. One serving of this recipe provides approximately 96 Calories.

Here is what you'll need:

1 small beetroot

1 small onion

1 small tomato

6-7 curry leaves

2-3 green chillies

1/8 spoon tamarind

Salt  to taste

1 tbsp Oil 

Method:

1.  Slice the beetroot, onions and tomato finely.
2. Heat oil in a vessel .
3. Add the curry leaves and green chillies.
4. Add the onions and sauté it on high flame for 2 minutes. Sprinkle salt.
5. Add the tomato. Stir it for a minute or so and add the beet root.
6. Saute on a high flame for another minute and add  a cup of water and mix in the tamarind.
7. Let it simmer for 10-15 mins till the beets go soft and soup reduces.
8. Serve hot.

Recipe by Zohra Sada

Chicken Soup

Chicken soup is for the soul. You don’t have to be sick or the weather doesn’t have to be cold. A healthy light soup as starter is okay anytime. Or you can skip the dinner after the soup.

My struggle with making a perfect soup is a long story. After so many trial and errors I realized, taste is important. Of course taste is important, duh! What I mean is the good amount of vinegar, salt, green chilli and red chilli sauce flavor. Many of the recipes out there are too bland for my Indian taste buds. But, if you like your soup plain, no worries. Adjust the taste as per your liking.

Whenever sorting out the chicken, I keep the boney part of the chicken like the neck and ribcage aside for making the stock of the soup. This gives stronger flavor than chicken breasts. The chicken pieces are boiled in water for 15-20 minutes for the liquid to reduce and make stock.

The wonderful aroma of butter and spring onions is heartwarming.

I don’t use cornflour for this recipe. This is a thin soup. For slight thickening purpose I use a tbsp of powdered oats. For a better flavor, you can puree 1 tbsp of mushroom or 1 tbsp of fresh corn kernels and add to the stock. 

This recipe makes 2 bowls of soup. One serving provides approximately 271 Calories.

Here is what you’ll need:

2-3 pieces of chicken in bones

2 spring onions with leaves

1 tbsp powdered oats/ pureed mushroom/ pureed corn

1 inch ginger

1 tbsp butter

4-5 whole peppercorns

4 cups water

2 tsp vinegar

1 tsp green chilli sauce

1 tsp red chilli sauce

1 tsp light soy sauce

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (Optional)

½ tsp black pepper powder

Salt as per taste

1 egg

Method:

1. In a large pot, melt the butter. Sauté finely chopped ginger and spring onions. Add the peppercorns.
2. To this add the whole cleaned chicken pieces.
3. Add 4 cups of water.
4. Once the water boils, simmer for 15-20 minutes.
5. Remove the chicken, shred the meat and discard the bones.
6. Add the shredded meat to the stock.
7. Finely powder the oats and add to the soup.
8. Add the rest of the flavourings.
9. Adjust the seasonings and salt as per your taste.
10. Increase the flame, and to the boiling soup, add a beaten egg with the help of a spoon.
11. Garnish with spring onion leaves and serve hot.

Recipe by Zohra Sada