Tasty winter soups

THAI BEEF NOODLES SOUP

Ingredients

500g rice noodles 

500g beef top round, thinly sliced

2 tsp soya sauce

1 egg

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp white pepper powder

500g beef ball

10 garlic cloves

sliced fry for the soup

¼ cup spring onion

¼ cup coriander

1 cup lettuce

2 cups bean sprout

½ cup sweet basil

For the soup stock

1kg beef bones or chicken bones

1 tsp pepper corns

10 garlic cloves

10 coriander root

5 star anise

1 inch cinnamon (two pieces)

¼ cup galangal

1 cup white radish

10 inch Pandanus leaf (one)

2 litres water

For seasoning

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup soya sauce

2 tbsp dark sweet soya sauce

1/3 cup seasoning sauce

2 tsp salt

1 tbsp chicken powder

Method

To make soup, combine all the ingredients and seasoning; simmer for 1 hour on low heat. Remove froth time to time, and discard the bones. Marinade the beef top round with soya sauce, egg, sugar and pepper powder for half an hour. Boil beef and set aside. Heat oil in a wok and add the sliced garlic and stir fry until golden brown. Place in a kitchen paper.

Set aside. Place the lettuce into a soup bowl, blanch the bean sprouts and boil the noodles in boiling water. Place in a soup bowl over the lettuce and add boiled beef, beef ball, topped with fried garlic, sprinkle with sliced spring onion, coriander and the stock.

Serve hot with condiments, fish sauce, chilli in vinegar, chilli powder, and sugar. Bean sprouts and sweet basil can be served on the side.

GAENG SOM PAK RUAM (SOUR SOUP WITH VEGETABLES AND PRAWN)

Ingredients

6 big fresh water shrimp

2 cups cabbage, cut 2" long

5 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

 ½ cup long beans, cut into 1" long pieces

½ cup cauliflower

 ½ cup white radish, sliced

2 cups water

2 tbsp palm sugar

2 tbsp fish sauce

¼ cup tamarind paste

For chilli paste

5 dry red chilli, cut in small pieces; soaked in water for 5 minutes

¼ cup shallots, cut in small pieces

¼ cup Thai wild ginger, grachai; cut into small pieces

100g mackerel fish meat, cooked

1 tsp shrimp paste

½ tsp salt

Method

Make a fine paste with all the ingredients. Add 2 cups of water in a soup pot and bring it to a boil on high heat. Add the chilli paste; let it boil on low heat for 10 minutes. Add all the vegetables except the cabbage and the tomatoes. When the vegetables are cooked, add cabbage, tomatoes, fish sauce, palm sugar and tamarind paste. Boil for 2 minutes on high heat. Add the shrimp, and after 3 to 4 minutes, remove the soup pot from heat.

KAI PA LOH (CHICKEN IN CHINESE FIVE SPICE SOUP)

Ingredients

4 chicken drum sticks

4 boiled eggs

1 packet (14oz) Firm tofu, cut into 8 square pieces

1 stick cinnamon (2" long)

2 star anise

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp pepper seeds

1 tbsp garlic cloves, crushed

3 tbsp soya sauce (formula 1)

2 tbsp sweet black soya sauce

2 tbsp palm sugar

4 cups water

Coriander leaves chopped, for garnish

Method

Roast coriander, cumin and pepper seeds in a frying pan at medium heat for 2 minutes. Crush the seeds until it becomes very fine. Add 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan, and fry the garlic until soft. Add chicken, soya sauce, and sweet soya sauce. Turn the heat to medium, and cook chicken for 2 minutes, then add water and bring to a boil. Add cinnamon, star anise, crushed spice powder and palm sugar. Turn down the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Fry tofu with 1 cup of oil until it becomes golden brown. Remove from the oil and put on a paper towel. Add eggs and tofu in the soup pot and simmer until chicken is done. Sprinkle with coriander.

Note — To make the soup flavourful, it is better to cook a day early.

RICH CREAMY TOMATO BASIL SOUP

Ingredients

4 cups tomato, peeled and seeded

½ cup fresh basil 

1 cup heavy whipping cream 

150g butter 

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

To peel and seed tomato, boil water in a pot, make a small cut on the top of the tomato and blanch them in the hot water for 1 to 2 minutes. It will be easy to peel now. Halve the tomatoes and remove the seeds. Simmer tomatoes and the juice for 30 minutes. Puree the tomato mixture along with the basil and return to soup pot. Place the pot in medium low heat and stir in the heavy cream and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Keep stirring till the butter is melted. Do not boil, or the tomato will split. Serve hot in individual bowls, topped with croutons.

Note — Never substitute creamy soup. The secret ingredients are, butter, cream and fresh basil.

OX-TAIL TAMARIND SOUP

Ingredients

500g ox-tail, trimmed and cut into pieces

3 tbsp oil

1.3 litres water, or beef stock

1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp tamarind pulp

140g oyster mushroom 

1 tbsp galangal sliced

3 lemon grass stalk

4 lime leaves thinly sliced, 2 plum tomatoes

½ cup radish, round cut

¼ cup green beans, 3 Bird's eye chilli

3 tbsp fish sauce, 3 tbsp lime juice

¼ cup coriander leaf 

Method

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet until it is practically smoking. Quickly sear the ox-tail pieces evenly on all sides to brown. Transfer to a paper towel. In a soup pot, add the ox-tail, water or beef broth, salt, sugar and tamarind pulp. Simmer for 2 hours and 30 minutes. Skim off the fat of the surface. Add the remaining ingredients except lime and coriander leaf. Simmer another 15 minutes. Taste and adjust. Serve hot individually sprinkle with lime and coriander leaves.

EASY SPLIT PEA SOUP

Ingredients 

2 tbsp butter

½ cup onion, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

½ cup carrot, chopped

1kg beef bone

Or

½ litre chicken stock 

1 tsp dried marjoram

2 cups green peas split

8 cups water

Quail egg, boiled for serving

Method

Melt butter in a heavy large pot. Add onion, celery and carrot, sauté until vegetable begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Add beef bone and marjoram, sauté for a minute, add peas and water. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Transfer beef to a bowl. Purée vegetables in batches in the blender. Return to pot.

Cut beef off bones. Dice the beef and return to soup. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

For chicken stock

If using chicken stock, add it after the vegetables soften, along with peas, marjoram and water together and bring it to boil. Simmer for 30 minutes and puree in a batch. Serve hot and drizzle with heavy cream.

Photo: Shaheda Yesmin