Winter chicken soup with cheddar

This soup is a brilliant way to get rid of leftovers after a roast dinner.And, except for chopping up the veggies, this soup really takes no time to cook up for a healthy, filling and warming cold winter's day lunch. If you have an extra bob or two, spruce it up by adding Parmesan but cheddar will do just fine too.





Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
Thyme
Sage
tsp ginger
1 clove of garlic
1.5 l chicken stock
1 c orzo
1 potato
3 stalks of silverbeet (Swiss chard)
3 carrots
1/4 pumpkin
Small kumara (Sweet potato)
Salt & Pepper
Cheddar or parmesan

Method:
Pour a tablespoon of olive oil in the sauce pan. Soften the onion and garlic.Make sure they do not burn! The burned pieces float to the top of the soup and look rather unappetizing.
Add thyme, sage leaves*, ginger,salt and pepper, and freshly made chicken stock. Bring to the boil.
Add a cup of orzo, chopped potatoes, kumara, carrots and cook for ten minutes.
Try chopping all veggies about the same size cube.
Lastly, add pumpkin, silver beet as they take less time to cook.
And finally, add the shredded chicken left over from Sunday's roast!Cook for a few more minutes so the chicken has a chance to heat up.
Serve with grated cheddar or parmesan on top.

YUM!
Footnote
* I try and be ahead of seasons and pick fresh rosemary, coriander, thyme, sage leaves, basil and chives and freeze them in takeway containers, ready to be used in dishes when needed.

Carrot and cumin soup recipe - it's all about orange

Oops! I made a mistake! instead of carrot and coriander (to follow) here is a carrot and cumin soup recipe. And while you are cooking, why not explore the colour orange?

Orange means vitality with endurance. People who like orange are usually thoughtful and sincere. Lady luck's color is orange. It is also found that orange foods are asspciated with health and stimulate appetite.

There is a great book which writes about the history on many colours used over centuries.
It's called "Colour: Travels through the paintbox" by Victoria Finlay. A wonderful read over a hot bowel of homemade Carrot and cumin soup! Colour is available at Amazon UK (amazon.co.uk) for 2 quid and 44 pence.

Now back to the recipe, this is a quick and easy to make soup recipe that will add meaning to your life once you have tasted it!

Ingredients:

1 onion (orange)
quarter of a pumpkin (orange)
6-8 carrots (orange)
1l chicken stock or veggie stock (orangy)
2 tsp brown sugar (orangy)
2 tblso cumin
quarter cup of orange juice (orange)

Prepare the vegetable stock by mixing 4 Oxo vegetable stock cubes with 1 litre of water (Or fresh chicken stock). Then chop all the veggies, throw them into a good size sauce pan and cook them in the vegetable stock until they are soft.

Roast the cumin in a pan. Chuck the cumin in the sauce pan too.

When everything is cooked blend it all and add a quarter of a cup of orange juice while keeping on blending until the mixture is nice and smooth.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and fresh chopped coriander.

Now put the book down, pour yourself a nice glass of sauvignon blanc and toast to colours and the colour orange in particular. Should keep you nice and healthy.

Adapted from www.bbc.co.uk