Showing posts with label budget lunches. Show all posts
Showing posts with label budget lunches. Show all posts

Monday, 26 March 2012

Recipe: Sweet Potato & Thai Coconut Soup


I'm on my third week of making soup for packed lunches and I'm still loving it. My latest batch, of Sweet Potato and Thai Coconut Soup with cashew nuts, really hits the spot. Thai curry is one of my favourite flavours and the sweet potato makes this soup delightfully filling and satisfying. It's easy to make and you can re-heat it without affecting the quality too. 

Here's what you need: 

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 
1 onion, chopped
1 - 2 teaspoons Thai curry paste - I use red from Mae Ploy (it's quite feisty!) 
1 litre vegetable stock 
100 - 150ml reduced-fat coconut milk 
750g sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed 
Handful cashew nuts
Creme fraiche or extra coconut milk, to serve 
 
What you do:

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the chopped onion. Fry gently for 4 - 5 minutes. Stir in the curry paste (note: if using good quality thai paste, 1 teaspoon will be plenty). Cook for 1 more minute until fragrant.

2. Add the sweet potato and stock and bring to the boil. Simmer until the potato is tender (about 10 - 15 minutes). 

3. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the coconut milk and season well. Leave to cool for a few minutes and then whizz in the blender until smooth.

4. Serve with a dollop or swirl of creme fraiche or coconut milk and a handful of crushed cashew nuts.

Delicious!! Enjoy :-)

Next week: I want to try something new!! Ideas please...

Tuesday, 20 March 2012

Recipe: Red Lentil, Chickpea and Chilli Soup

This week I've made a warming and flavourful Red Lentil, Chickpea and Chilli Soup. It's creamy, chunky and has a nice spicy kick from the chilli and cumin. It's really easy to make and you can keep it in the fridge and heat it up when you want it. Even better, I usually have all of the ingredients in the cupboard so it's a good Sunday night "I've forgotten to go food shopping" recipe too!


Here's what you need...

2 teaspoons of cumin seeds
Large pinch of chilli flakes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
140g red split lentils
850ml vegetable stock or water
400g chopped tomatoes
200g chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Creme fraiche - to serve

1. In a large saucepan dry fry the cumin seeds and chilli flakes for 1 minute. Add the oil and onion and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the lentils, stock and chopped tomatoes and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes until softened.

2. Next, pour the mixture into the blender and whizz until it is a rough puree, then transfer back to the pan and add the rinsed and drained chickpeas.

3. Heat as desired and season well. To serve, add a dollop of creme fraiche.

Enjoy! :-)

Next week, I'm planning to create my own version of a gorgeous soup I had from Camyoga's Dandelion cafe - Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup. Yummy!