Roasted Garlic Mushroom Soup / Cream of Mushroom Soup

It's raining here tonight (yes, in October) and what better companion than a bowl of hot soup to keep you warm! The only thing missing is my husband's company since he is miles away, but that's not going to stop me from relishing this creamy, steamy, earthy, delicious soup!

[Video Update on 26/07/2016

 ]

Ingredients:
12 to 15 garlic cloves, chopped
200g mushrooms, chopped
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp maida (all purpose flour)
1 cup milk
3 cups water
1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground pepper (or pepper powder)
Salt to taste

Method:

In a pan, heat butter. Roast garlic for a couple of minutes. Add mushrooms and roast for a few minutes. Remove about 2 tbsp of this mixture and keep aside in a bowl (for garnishing).
Add maida to the remaining roasted garlic and mushrooms and roast for a few minutes.
Transfer to a blender and blend with 1/2 cup milk (add milk a little at a time). Add 1/2 cup water and blend again.
Transfer to a vessel. Add another 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Sprinkle ground pepper. (If you are using fine pepper powder, mix with a little water before adding). Add salt to taste and add the roasted garlic-mushroom kept aside for garnishing. Cook for a couple of minutes. Watch the rain, sip the soup and stay warm!

Note : You can adjust the quantity of milk and water depending on how thick or thin you want your soup. This recipe serves 2 and you can easily increase the measures. Also, I prefer to grind whole pepper and add the fine granules which give a better peppery flavour, as compared to store-bought pepper powder.

Asparagus Soup

I'm vacationing in L.A right now. My drafts folder was calling out for help so I thought of relieving it of atleast this post! So here goes the hurriedly scribbled recipe :

Ingredients :
1 cup chopped onion
5 to 6 garlic pods
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 and 1/2 cups chopped potatoes.
15 count asparagus
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp all purpose flour/ maida
1 and 1/2 cup milk
1 pinch nutmeg powder (optional)
1 tsp rosemary, corriander leaves or any herb of your choice.
Salt
Pepper
Oil
Cheese (optional)

Method :
Remove the tough ends of the asparagus and discard. Cut the asparagus into one inch pieces. Reserve a few tips for garnishing.

In a deep bottomed pan, heat oil. Saute onions and garlic. Add celery and potatoes, two cups of water and allow to boil. Add the chopped asparagus and boil till the asparagus and potatoes are completely cooked.

Allow to cool. Blend into a paste.

Meanwhile prepare white sauce . To do this, melt butter in a small pan. Add maida and stir on low heat till it changes colour. Add 1/2 cup of milk and stir continously. The mixture will thicken. Continue adding milk and stirring constantly, preferably with a whisk, so that you get a thick paste. Using a whisk will also help you get rid of any lumps. Sprinkle nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Transfer the asparagus paste back into the deep bottomed pan and heat. Add white sauce (you can add the entire quantity or less, depending on how thick you want the soup).  Stir well so that the white sauce blends in. Pour in enough water to get a soup consistency. Add salt and pepper as per taste. Toss in the asparagus tips and bring to a boil. Garnish with rosemary and cheese (I skipped the cheese) and serve hot.


Sending this refreshing soup to Akila's event - Dish name starts with 'A'.

Guest Post - Mexican Bean Soup with an Italian Twist

 My aunt Jyothi Prabhu is an excellent cook who loves trying out new dishes. I requested her to do a guest post for me. Over to Jyothi Akka:

I am always fascinated by Tarla Dalal not just because she has popularised our Indian Vegetarian cuisine, but for the simplicity and ease which every recipe of hers portrays. She makes one  feel that cooking is the most refined and experimental of all forms of art.

After trying the  recipes from her book ‘Cooking with 1 teaspoon of oil’ which is a collection of low calorie Indian recipes, I confidently could venture into buying ‘ Mexican Cooking ‘ another book of hers which I treasure .

 Of all the worldwide cuisine, I think Mexican suits our Indian taste buds very comfortably since there is so much similarity of ingredients being used .

This soup is the output of her recipe with a small change which I made.To make it more filling and a one-pot-meal, I added  pasta to it , also red /orange capsicum for crunchiness & green chilli for that extra zing. It was a breezy winter day and one can imagine what magic this hot soup made to  our souls . It was a memorable family dinner to cherish!

 Here goes the recipe :

1 cup Red kidney beans (Rajma)

2 onions, chopped

4 tomatoes ,chopped ( or pureed)

3 garlic cloves, chopped fine

½ tsp chilli powder

1 green chilli

½ cup red and orange bell peppers chopped

2 tbsp oil

1 cup cooked pasta ( I used rotini)

½ tsp any italian herbs(optional) (I used oregano and rosemary)

 1 tsp lemon juice

Salt to taste

For serving

Sliced green onions

Chopped coriander leaves

Tabasco sauce(optional)

Wash beans and soak overnight. Next day, pressure cook it. Reserve the water in which it is cooked, it gives the silkiness to the soup.

In a pan/kadai heat oil and fry onions for a min . Add garlic , green chilli and capsicum and stir fry briefly. Add chilli powder and salt and fry again for 10-15seconds.

Add tomatoes and cooked beans along with its liquid and boil on medium flame for 10 to 12 mts or until tomatoes are cooked till mushy. Now add the pasta and lemon juice. Rub the herbs between your palms and add it to the soup.

Serve piping hot garnished with the ingredients mentioned .

(note : for thickness ¼ cup rajma can be pureed and added at the end or corn flour paste will also do)