soup recipe – My Whisk and I

Dressed-Up Butternut Soup

September 17, 2023September 1, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This recipe yields enough soup for 6 people.

olive oil
3 medium butternuts
800g butternut, cut into 1,5cm chunks
1 onion, chopped
1 apple, peeled and chopped
2 x 400g tins of coconut milk
250ml vegetable stock
10ml curry powder
5ml ground ginger
small flowers and herbs to garnish

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a baking sheet with alluminium foil.
Peel and half the butternuts.
Cut a 7cm x 3cm rectangle of butternut from each halved veg.
Place a pan on medium-high heat and add a splash of oil to it.
Brown the butternut on its 6 flat sides and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Arrange the butternut chunks alongside, drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkling of salt.
Roast in the oven until just cooked. (about 15 minutes but check it by inserting a toothpick)
Place a large saucepan on medium heat, add some olive oil and the onion and cook until soft.
Add the cubed butternut, apple, curry powder and ginger and stir-fry for a minute or two.
Pour in one of the tins of coconut milk as well as the stock.
Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
Insert an immersion blender into the saucepan and blitz until completely smooth.
Pour in the other tin of coconut milk and bring the soup back to a gentle simmer for another 10 minutes.
Taste the soup and season with salt and white pepper.

Ladle the soup into soup bowls and place a roasted butternut triangle in the centre of each soup bowl.
Decorate the top surface of the butternut with small flowers and herbs to serve.

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Cock-a-Leekie Soup

August 8, 2023July 27, 2023by Karen Claassen1 Comment

4 large leeks, sliced into coins
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 litre chicken stock
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
250ml cooked chicken, finely shredded
2 bay leaves
125ml cream

Place a saucepan over medium-high heat and add some olive oil to it.
Add the leeks and stir-fry until it is really soft.
Take about 2 spoonfuls of the leak out of the saucepan and keep aside as garnish.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for another minute.
Pour in the chicken stock, add the potato, chicken and bay leave and simmer the soup for 30 minutes.
Remove the bay leaves and mash the potato against the side of the saucepan. I like my soup to have uneven bits of potato to add texture but you may blitz it at this stage if you prefer.
Pour in the cream and season the soup with salt and black pepper.
Cook for a minute or two before serving with a fresh loaf of bread.

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Sugar Bean Soup

May 11, 2023April 30, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

500g brown sugar beans
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large/2 medium carrots, finely diced
2 leeks, finely sliced
500g beef, 1,5 – 2cm cubes
2 litres beef stock
45ml Worcestershire sauce

Soak the beans in a bowl filled with cold water for a minimum of 6 hours.
Rinse the beans and add them to a pressure cooker with enough water to cover them by 3cm. Cook for 45 minutes. (If you are cooking them in a saucepan – simmer gently for 1 – 2 hours until soft when pressed between your fingers). DO NOT ADD SALT OR ANY OTHER FLAVOURANTS AT THIS STAGE!
Place another large saucepan on a medium heat and add a splash of vegetable oil.
Add the onion, garlic, carrots and leeks and gently cook until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add the beef, season well with salt and pepper and stir-fry for 5 minutes.
Pour in the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce and bring to the boil.
Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 1 hour.
Drain the beans, mash them roughly and add to the beef mixture.
Simmer the soup for 30 minutes while keeping a hawk’s eye on it as it will burn easily at this stage. Stir often and regulate the temperature.
Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning.
Serve steaming hot with a fresh crusty bread.

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Thick Chicken Soup

May 1, 2023April 20, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

If you need to speed things up in the kitchen you may make this soup with store-bought stock and rotisserie chicken.

45ml olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
a small bunch of salad onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1l chicken stock
2 eggs
60ml fresh lemon juice
375ml cooked rice
500ml cooked chicken breast, shredded

Place a saucepan on medium-high heat and add the oil, onion and salad onion.
Cook until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Pour in the chicken stock and season with salt and pepper.
Bring the mixture to the boil, turn down the heat and leave to simmer.
Add the eggs, lemon juice and 60ml of the rice to a blender.
Blend until smooth.
Keep the blender running and slowly pour in 250ml of the hot stock.
Now pour this mixture into the stock mixture in the saucepan while stirring.
Add the rest of the rice and the shredded chicken.
Simmer the soup for 10 minutes, on a low heat (do not let it boil) until thick.
Spoon into bowls and serve immediately.

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Roasted Cauliflower Soup

June 24, 2021June 15, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This roasted cauliflower soup is deliciously light and complex at the same time. The sunflower seeds add a creaminess and depth of taste and makes this a soup you can entertain with. Yields 6 – 8 servings.

2 heads of cauliflower
2 onions
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1l vegetable/chicken stock
250ml water
250ml cream
125ml sunflower seeds, toasted
1,2ml grated/ground nutmeg
15ml lemon juice
30ml butter
salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 220℃ and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Cut the cauliflower heads into florets and place them on the line baking tray.
Drizzle with vegetable oil and a sprinkling of salt.
Roast the florets in the oven for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through the roasting time.

Peel and chop the onions.
Put a large saucepan on to medium heat, add some oil and the onions and fry until the onions start to caramelise.
Turn the heat down, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Pour the stock, water and cream into the saucepan and add the sunflower seeds and nutmeg.
Add the roasted florets and cook at medium heat for 20 minutes.
Add the lemon juice and butter to the soup and stir through.
Decant the soup, in batches, into a liquidiser and blend until smooth.
Pour the soup back into the same saucepan and taste it – adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve the soup warm with a crusty bread.