Soup & Stews

Original Recipe Ingredients 50g Tbsp unsalted butter 2 yellow onions 3 garlic cloves, (1 Tbsp minced) 1.5kg crushed tomatoes and juice 2 cups chicken stock 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more to serve 1 Tbsp sugar, or added to taste 1/2 tsp black pepper, or to taste 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, or to taste to combat acidity 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus more to serve Directions Heat a nonreactive pot or enameled dutch oven over medium heat. Add butter then add chopped onions. Sauté 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden. Add minced garlic and sauté 1 minute until fragrant. Add crushed tomatoes with their juice, chicken stock, chopped basil, sugar (or add sugar to taste), and black pepper. Stir together and bring to a boil then reduce heat, partially cover with lid and simmer for 10 minutes. Blend with an immersion blender. Add 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese and return to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed and turn off the heat.* Ladle into warm bowls and top with more parmesan and chopped fresh basil.

Original recipe Serves 4 Ingredients 1kg butternut squash, cut into small cubes 2 tablespoons oil olive or coconut oil 150g carrots chopped small 1 cup chopped leek or onion 3 large garlic cloves finely chopped 2-3 teaspoons ginger puree 2-3 teaspoons curry powder 2 teaspoons turmeric powder optional ½ teaspoon sea salt ⅛ teaspoon pepper I used white for this recipe 3 cups broth chicken or vegetable, preferably homemade 4-6 tablespoons pomegranate seeds 4 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds see link below Directions Heat oil in a medium pot until warm. Add chopped carrots and leeks. Cook until softened. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the ginger, curry powder, turmeric (if using) salt and pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes for the flavors of the spices to bloom. Add the squash and broth. Cover and simmer until all vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes. Puree soup until smooth in a Vitamix or blender. Serve warm, garnished with pomegranate seeds and toasted pumpkin seeds if desired. Leftover soup keep well refrigerated for 4-5 days. Notes Serve topped with Greek yoghurt or cream, and citrusy dukkah. This also goes well with Quick Naan

Original Recipe Ingredients Spice rub 2 teaspoons garlic salt 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon ground black pepper Stew 1.5–2 kg well-marbled beef chuck roast trimmed of large pieces of fat and cut into 1½-inch pieces 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 large onion finely chopped 6 medium cloves garlic finely minced 6 ounces tomato paste (1 6-ounce can) 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning 1 tablespoon brown sugar 2 teaspoons anchovy paste 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 ½ cups dry red wine 2 tins tomatoes 1 ½ cups low sodium beef or chicken broth maybe more 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary divided 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons capers drained and rinsed 1 teaspoon kosher salt About 4 medium-large carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch slices on a diagonal. ¾ cup pitted Kalamata olives Directions Combine garlic salt, onion powder and pepper in a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside. Cut the beef into chunks about 1½-2 inches in size, trimming off any large areas of fat. Place the meat in a large bowl. Sprinkle the garlic salt mixture over the beef and stir well to coat. Preheat the oven to 325˚F. In a large heavy-duty pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil until hot and shimmering. Add ½ of the seasoned beef and spread to a single layer. Cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes or until the underside of the beef is well browned. Stir, flipping the meat to the opposite side. Continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring once to redistribute meat halfway through. Remove meat with a slotted spoon to a large clean plate or bowl. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pot and repeat the searing with the second half of the beef, adding the second batch again to the plate (or bowl). Lower the heat to medium-low and add the onions, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes until softened. As the onions begin to release their juices, scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, brown sugar and anchovy paste. Cook, stirring frequently until tomato paste is darkened, about 2-3 more minutes. Add the beef (with any juice that has accumulated in the bowl) back to the pan. Sprinkle with the flour and stir until the flour is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Add the wine, bring the mixture to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes, until the liquid is reduced to about one half. Add the tomatoes, beef (or chicken) broth, 1 tablespoon of the chopped rosemary, capers and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, cover tightly and transfer to the oven. Cook for 1½ hours. Remove the pot from the oven and add the carrots. If there’s not much liquid in the pot, add ½-1 cup of additional broth. Return the pot to the oven for another 60 to 90 minutes or until the beef and carrots are nice and tender (check after 60 minutes and every 10 minutes after that). Stir in the olives and the remaining tablespoon of fresh rosemary, cover and allow the stew to sit on the stovetop for 20 minutes before serving.

Original recipe Ingredients Spice Mix 1 tsp allspice (mixed spice will work too) 2 tsp cumin powder 2 tsp paprika 3/4 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp salt Soup 1 tbsp olive oil 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped 1 onion , finely chopped 500g beef mince (ground beef) 1 1/4 cups dried lentils (or 2 cans, drained) 2 carrots, cut into 1cm dice 2 celery stalks, chopped into 1cm pieces 2 zucchinis (small, or 1 large), cut into 1cm dice 100g green beans, trimmed, cut into 1.5cm pieces 800g crushed canned tomato 4 cups / 1 litre beef stock, low sodium 3 cups water Serving ...

Original recipe Makes 4-6 servings Ingredients Parts = Cup or whatever you want to scale the recipe by 6 large red or yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced root to stem 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon sugar salt 2 cloves garlic, minced 8 cups beef stock (2L), chicken stock, or a combination of the two (traditionally the soup is made with beef stock) 1/2 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine 2 bay leaves 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (can also use a few sprigs of fresh thyme) OR 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (more to taste) 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons brandy (optional) 8 slices (1 inch thick) French bread or baguette 1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere Sprinkling of Parmesan Directions Preheat oven to 230°C. Caramelise the onions. Add the onions and oil to a large pot. Cook on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes until onions start to turn golden brown. Add sugar to speed up the process. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more. Deglaze the pot with a half cup of white wine. Add the stock, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. In the meantime, slice the baguette and brush with olive oil. Toast in the oven until golden brown (5–7 minutes). Remove baguette slices from the oven, top with cheese, and toast for another few minute until cheese is bubbling. To serve, ladle soup into a ramekin or bowl and place the baguette slice on top. Notes The soup freezes well.