Chicken Soup

Chicken Soup, otherwise known as Jewish penicillin, is one of those dishes which is surrounded by mysticism. Jewish mothers would prepare a large pot of this golden liquid to give to their children when they were not well. It has been scientifically proven that chicken soup contains many of the same properties as penicillin, so it is in essence, the perfect medicine. This is actually a 'poor man's soup'. Once a week on the Sabbath or for special holidays, the chicken and vegetables would be used to make a flavourful soup. The soup would then be strained and served as a clear broth to start the meal. The reserved chicken and vegetables would then be served as the main course.

Serves 6-8 

Ingredients
1 chicken, about 1 kg in weight
2 leeks
3-4 sticks celery
1 carrot
4 small turnips
1 bunch flat leaf parsley
2-3 organic chicken stock cubes, according to taste
water, to cover
salt and pepper

Method
Wash the leeks and celery and finely slice. Peel the carrot and turnips and cut into small dice. Finely chop the flat leaf parsley.

Place the chicken and vegetables in a pressure cooker or large pot. Add water to cover, the stock cubes, salt and pepper. If using a pressure cooker, place on the lid, bring to the boil and cook for 30 minutes. If using a conventional pot, bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 2 hours, skimming off any scum which forms on the top.

Remove the chicken and pick the meat off the bones. Return the meat to the soup and check the seasoning. Serve in large bowls and you'll be feeling better in no time.

To bulk the soup up, you can always add some broken spaghetti or other pasta of your choice. Traditionally the soup is served with matzah balls.

Make a large pot, as the soups freezes beautifully and it's always good to have some at hand.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours

 


Indian pea soup

Ingredients
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic clove
1 teaspoon finely chopped green chilli
1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
1 shallot finely chopped
200 g peas
400 ml vegetable stock
1 bunch coriander (leaves only)
½ teaspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
3 tablespoons sunflower oil

Method

Heat the sunflower oil and add the cumin seeds. When they start popping, add the finely chopped ​​garlic, green chilli, ginger and shallot and gently fry for about 2 minutes (do not let it colour).

Add the peas and fry for 2 minutes. Add the stock and cream to the peas, bring to the boil. After a couple of minutes, add the coriander, garam masala and season with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat. Blend the soup in a blender until smooth.

For the "Indian Caviar"

Heat the sunflower oil and add mustard seeds. When they pop, lower the heat and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

 


Cold Roasted Beetroot and Fennel Soup

A refreshing summer soup made with ingredients usually associated with the colder months.

Serves 2

Ingredients
500 g pre-cooked beetroot
1 fennel
3 celery stalks
1 onion
2 vegetable stock cubes
1 bay leaf
1 small cucumber
1 small red onion
1 bunch radishes
1 orange
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
dark country bread to serve

Method
1
Preheat the oven to 200 ° C. Cut the beetroot into chunks. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and roast for 15 minutes. Cut the fennel in half, remove the hard core. Keep the green twigs separate. Cut the fennel and celery into small pieces. Peel and chop the onion.
2
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan. Add the fennel, celery, onion and bay leaf and sweat for 5 minutes over medium heat. Dissolve the bouillon cubes in 1 liter of hot water.
3
Pour the warm stock into the pan and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the beets to the pan, remove the bay leaf. Blend the soup with a stick blender until smooth. Add a little extra water if the soup us too thick.
4
Cut the cucumber, red onion and radishes into small cubes. Chop the green fennel fronds and stir through the cubed vegetables. Grate the zest from orange and mix it through the finely chopped vegetables.
5
Season the soup with salt and pepper.
6
Divide the soup between 2 bowls and sprinkle the cucumber mixture. Drizzle with a little olive oil and serve with dark farmhouse bread.


Red Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup

Keep the cold at bay with this warm and comforting soup which is also happens to be incredibly healthy.

Serves 2

Ingredients
200 g red split lentils
1 vegetable stock cube
1 red onion
200 g swiss chard
1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 garlic cloves
1 lemon
1 bag coriander
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Method
Finely chop the onion and garlic. Dissolve the stock cube in 1 litre hot water.

Heat a pot over medium heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sweat the red onion for 2 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and fry for a further 1 minute.

Add the spices, lentils and stock to the pot. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes. If necessary, remove the froth with a soup ladle.

Slice the stalks away from the leaves of the swiss chard. Wash the chard and drain in a colander. Finely slice the leaves and slice the stalks on the diagonal into 1 cm pieces. Heat a frying pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil and fry the chard stalks for 4 minutes, add the leaves and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Blend the cooked lentils with a stick blender to a coarse soup. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the fried chard to the lentil soup and add lemon juice to taste. Pick the coriander leaves. Divide the soup between 2 bowls and garnish with the coriander.


Comforting Thai broccoli soup

Serves 2

Vegetarian

Ready in about 30 minutes

Equipment

- Chopping board

- Chefs knife

- Pan

- Stick blender

Pantry

- Sunflower oil (1 tablespoon)

- Salt

- Pepper

Ingredients1_MG_0654 1 (1)

30g Thai green curry paste

250ml coconut milk

broccoli (600g)

150g bag young spinach leaves

30g coriander

2 spring onions

30g container crispy onions

Method

1 Cut the broccoli into florets and finely slice the spring onions. Pick the coriander leaves.

2 Add 1 tablespoon sunflower oil to a pan set over medium heat. Add 1 of the finely sliced spring onions and curry paste (to taste) and fry for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, broccoli, 750 ml water, salt and pepper to the pan and bring to the boil.

3 Simmer for about 10 minutes until the broccoli is tender. Turn off the heat, add the spinach (keeping a few leaves back to garnish) and half the coriander leaves and blend the soup with a stick blender until smooth.

4 Gently reheat the soup and season with salt and pepper.

5 Divide the soup between 2 bowls and scatter over the reserved spinach leaves, coriander, spring onion and crispy onions.


Asparagus Vichyssoise

On a hot spring or summer day, there is nothing as refreshing as a chilled soup. The classic Vichyssoise is a chilled leek and potato soup. To this recipe, we have added one of our favourite ingredients of the season, namely green asparagus. Try this recipe out for your next lunch or dinner.

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 bunches green asparagus
40 gr butter
1 large onion
1 large leek
2 floury potatoes
1 vegetable stock cube
250ml tub cream
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Method 
1
Cut the asparagus tips into 4 cm pieces. Finely chop the remaining asparagus. Finely slice the onion and cut the leek in lengthways in half. Wash under a tap of cold water and finely slice. Peel the potato and cut into cubes.
2
Heat a pan with the butter and olive oil. Add the onion, leek, potato and sliced asparagus (keep the asparagus tips aside). Mix well through the warm butter, cover the pan and sweat for 10 minutes over a low heat.
3
Dissolve the stock cube in 1 litre boiling water. Add the stock to the pan. Bring to boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
4
Add 200 ml cream and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Blend with a stick blender (or regular blender). Thin with a little water if necessary. Cool off, place in a bowl and chill in the refrigerator until cold.
5
Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add asparagus tips. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Drain off the water and cool under cold water. Drain on kitchen paper.
6
Spoon the soup into 4 bowls. Sprinkle some of the remaining cream over it and top with the asparagus tips.

This soup is also served delicious hot.


Mussel and Fennel Soup

A beautiful combination, this is somewhere between a soup and a 'stew' of mussels.
They say mussels should only be eaten in months with an 'r' in the name, but that's untrue. Mussels are available year round.

Serves 2

Ingredients
2 kg pack mussels
2 fennel bulbs
2 cloves garlic
1 bunch flat leaf parsley
1 large onion
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 sourdough roll
olive oil
splash of white wine
salt and pepper

Method

Thinly slice the fennel. Finely chop the garlic, parsley stalks and onion. Open the pack of mussels and place in a bowl of cold water. After a few minutes, check to see if there are any open mussels. If so, discard them.

Slice the sourdough roll and fry in a frying pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil until a light golden brown.

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot and add all the chopped vegetables and sweat for 5-7 minutes. Add a splash of white wine and the tinned tomatoes and bring to the boil. Add the mussels to the pot and place on the lid. Cook for 5 minutes until the mussels have opened, shaking the pan after about 2 minutes.

Add salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons olive oil to the soup. Divide between 2 bowls. Scatter with finely chopped parsley and serve with the fried bread.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours

Klik hier voor het recept in Nederlands.


Pumpkin and Chorizo Soup

This soup can easily made vegetarian by omitting the chorizo and replacing it with a little smoked paprika when adding the butternut squash.

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 – 2 butternut squash weighing 1,5 kg
250 g chorizo
2shallots
3 cloves garlic
2 tins tomato cubes
1 tin black beans
2 vegetable stock cubes

Method
Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds and cut into cubes. Finely chop the shallots and garlic cloves. Remove the skin from the chorizo and cut into ½ cm cubes. Dissolve the stock cubes in 2 liters of boiling water.

Heat a pan with 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat and fry the chorizo for 2 minutes. Scoop out of the pan and drain on a piece of kitchen paper. Add the garlic to the chorizo oil and fry for 1 minute.

Sweat the shallots in the chorizo oil. Add the butternut and fry for 2 minutes. Add the tinned tomatoes and stock. Bring to the boil and simmer gently until the squash is tender.

Blend the soup with a stick blender until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Drain the beans and add to the soup to warm through. Spoon the soup into bowls, sprinkle over the chorizo and and drizzle with a little olive oil.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours

Klik hier voor het recept in Nederlands


Making Stock

Stocks or bouillons are the foundation of many important kitchen preparations; therefore the greatest possible care should be taken in their production.

Stock is not an end in itself – it is always used to make some other dish or as a basis for sauces. A stock is the liquid obtained from long, gentle simmering of bones, vegetables, seasonings and water (except fish stock which only requires 20 minutes). The liquid, strained and reduced down to concentrate its flavour by rapid boiling, is the basis of soups, stews, braises and sauces.

In cooking stock, the prime essential is patience. Classic cookbooks recommend cooking veal stock for 10-12 hours. Three hours will suffice for chicken stock and fish stock is completed relatively quickly in half an hour.

During the cooking process, all the flavour should have been extracted from the bones and vegetables, leaving them tasteless. As well as flavour, good stock should acquire body from bone marrow and when chilled it will set to a jelly.

LE FONDS – THE STOCKS

Stocks, which are clear, flavoured liquids, are the foundation of many kitchen preparations. Therefore the greatest possible care should be taken with them.

- Unsound meat or bones and decaying vegetables should not be used

Ÿ- Scum should be removed continuously so that it does not boil back into the stock

Ÿ- The pot should be skimmed regularly and only simmer gently

Ÿ- Do not add turnip, potato or other items that will cloud stock

Ÿ- Always keep the inside of the pot clean and free of grease and scum

- Keep stock in clean containers in the refrigerator or freezer to avoid souring

GENERAL PROPORTIONS OF INGREDIENTS FOR ALL STOCKS EXCEPT FISH

5 liters water
2 kg raw bones
500g vegetables (onion, carrot, celery leek)
Bouquet garni including thyme, bay leaf, parsley stalks

GENERAL METHOD FOR ALL BROWN STOCKS

Chop the bones, remove any skin or fat and brown well on all sides by placing in a roasting pan in the oven.

Drain off any fat and place the bones in a stockpot.

Brown any sediment that may be in the bottom of the tray, déglace (swill out) with boiling water, simmer for a few minutes and add to the bones.

Wash, peel and roughly cut the vegetables. Fry in a little fat (from the roasting tray) until well browned but not burnt. This will improve the colour of the stock. Add to the bones.

Add the cold water. Bring to the boil and skim. Then add the bouquet garni.

Simmer for 6-8 hours wiping the inside of the pot continually to remove impurities. Skim and strain.

NOTE: For brown stocks, a few tomatoes and washed mushroom trimmings may also be added to improve flavour.

BROWN VEAL STOCK

For brown veal stock, use the same ingredients as for the chicken stock, substituting veal bones for the chicken. Place 2-2,5kg veal bones in a roasting pan and roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes until well browned, stirring occasionally. Add the vegetables and brown them also, about 15-20 minutes longer. Thorough browning gives stock flavour and colour. Transfer the vegetables and bones to the stockpot. Discard the fat from the pan and deglaze with 500ml water. Add the liquid to the pot, then make the stock. Add the garlic, 1 chopped tomato or 1 tablespoon tomato puree, bouquet garni and peppercorns. Simmer for 6-8 hours.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours


Pea and Mint Soup

Make the most of seasonal fresh peas in this bright and vibrant soup. If you can't find fresh peas. frozen work just as well.

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 large onion, chopped
olive oil
850ml vegetable or chicken stock
400 g fresh or frozen podded peas
4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
salt and pepper
50 g fresh ricotta, thinned with a little milk, to garnish
pea shoots, to garnish

Method
Heat a pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil an fry the onion for about 5 minutes. Pour in the stock and add half the mint and bring to the boil. Add the peas and bring to the boil again.

Stir in the remaining mint and season with salt and pepper. Blend the soup in a liquidiser until smooth as you like. Taste and check the seasoning, adjusting with salt and pepper if necessary. Return to the pan and reheat.

Serve the soup in bowls, garnished with the ricotta and pea shoots.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours