Simple vegetable stock
Don’t bother peeling the onions; their skins add a nice, rich brown colour to this vegetable stock.
1 tablespoon virgin olive or coconut oil
4 medium onions, unpeeled, cut into chunks, skin on
10 celery or moca stalks, cut into chunks
2 large carrots, peeled, cut into chunks
1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
6 sprigs parsley (or any other fresh green herbs you have)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
4 litres cold water
1. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add remaining ingredients and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, 5-7 minutes. Add 4 litres cold water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until stock is reduced by half, about 1 to 1.5 hours.
2. Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl; discard solids. Do ahead: Stock can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool completely, then cover and chill, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Roasted vegetable stock
This makes a broth that is slightly thick with a rich colour and full flavour. The broth can be frozen for later use too.
10 stalks celery or moca stalks, cut into chunks
1kg brown onions, cut into chunks skin on
500 grams carrots, cut into chunks
500 tomatoes, core removed
500 green capsicum, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons virgin olive or coconut oil
3 cloves garlic
3 whole spice cloves
1 bay leaf
6 whole black peppercorns
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
4 litres cold water
Preheat oven to 230 degrees Celsius.
Remove leaves and tender inner parts of celery/moca and set aside.
Toss onions, carrots, tomatoes and capsicum with oil. Place vegetables in a roasting pan and place them in a hot oven.
Stir the vegetable every 15 minutes. Cook until all of the vegetables have browned and the onions start to caramelize, this will take over one hour.
Put the browned vegetables, celery, garlic, cloves, bay leaf, pepper corns, parsley and water into a large stock pot. Bring to a full boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook uncovered until liquid is reduced by half – approx. 1 to 1.5 hours.
Pour the broth through a strainer, catching the broth in a large bowl or pot. The liquid caught in the bowl or pot is your vegetable broth it can be used immediately or stored for later use. Although the vegetables are no longer necessary for your broth they are delicious to eat hot or cold, don’t waste them!
Spiced red lentil, tomato and cabbage soup
Serves 4
1 teaspoon virgin olive or coconut oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 brown onion, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
1 bay leaf
1.5 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/8th teaspoon cayenne pepper
400ml can diced tomatoes
5-6 cups vegetable broth, more if desired
1 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained
salt and pepper, to taste
2 handfuls torn moca leaves or spinach
1. In a large pot, sauté the onion and garlic in oil for about 5-6 minutes over medium heat. Add in the celery and sauté for a few minutes more.
2. Stir in the bay leaf and the spices (cumin, chili powder, coriander, paprika, cayenne). You can add half the spices and add more later if you prefer.
3. Stir in the can of tomatoes (including juice), broth, and lentils. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and then simmer, uncovered, for about 20-25 minutes, until lentils are tender and fluffy.
4. Stir in moca or spinach and season to taste adding more spices if you wish.
Roasted tomato, garlic, and onion coconut soup
This tomato soup is anything but traditional, boring, or bland and it’s definitely one of the best homemade soups I’ve tried. The fresh coconut milk is a great way to add a luxurious creaminess, pairing well with the heat from the masala and adding a nice contrast to the rustic quality of the roasted vegetables.
Roasting vegetables:
2 kg fresh tomatoes, washed & sliced in half
1 large onion, peeled & sliced
2-3 large garlic bulbs
extra virgin olive or coconut oil, salt & pepper
Soup:
3 cups roasted tomatoes
2 tablespoon roasted garlic flesh
all of the roasted onion
2 cups fresh coconut milk
3 cups vegetable broth
2 tablesopoon tomato paste
2 teaspoon masala powder
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
for garnish: garlic croutons, coconut milk, pesto, herbs, masala, pepper
1. Preheat oven to 200C. Lightly drizzle on oil onto onions, garlic and tomatoes with salt and pepper. Roast for about 30 minutes and then check on the vegetables. You might have to remove the onions early as they cook the quickest. When the onions are golden and lightly blackened on the edge, you can remove them.
1. Continue roasting the garlic for about 45 minutes and the tomatoes for about 1 hour. Oven times will vary so keep an eye on them!
2. Add 3 cups roasted tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of roasted garlic,and all the onion into a large pot. Add coconut milk, tomato paste, broth and stir well.
3. Stir in the seasonings and spices to taste. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 5-10 minutes.
4. Carefully transfer into a blender or food processor. Pulse for just a few seconds until chunky. Serve immediately and garnish with reserved coconut milk, a sprinkle of garam masala, croutons/bread and fresh black pepper.
Spicy carrot and ginger soup
8 tablespoons virgin olive or coconut oil, divided
½ cup green spring onion, white and green parts, finely sliced
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (about 2 teaspoons)
1 (2-inch) knob of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin seed
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 kg carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1.5 litre vegetable stock
1/4 cup nuts
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or herb leaves
1 tablespoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon
1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add green spring onions, onions, garlic, and ginger, and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened but not browned, about 5 minutes.
2. Add cumin and coriander and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add carrots and stir to coat in spice mixture. Add vegetable stock and season with a pinch of salt, bring to a boil, reduce to a bare simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are completely tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a small pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add nuts, reduce heat to low, and cook, tossing and stirring constantly, until fragrant and nutty brown, about 10 minute. Transfer to a bowl. Let cool for a few moments, then stir in parsley, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt.
4. When carrots are tender, transfer half of soup to a blender. Start blender on lowest speed and slowly increase speed to high. With blender running, slowly drizzle in remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Transfer soup to a clean pot. Repeat with remaining soup and 2 more tablespoons oil. When all the soup is puréed, season to taste with salt and whisk in lemon juice.
5. Serve soup immediately, topped with nut and parsley mixture.