Annulla Cooks

I found this in Nami-Nami’s lovely Estonian cooking blog. I haven’t yet tried it, but I think it sounds wonderful and it will go on the stove when the first cold day arrives.

Meatless sauerkraut soup
(Lihata hapukapsasupp)

3 litres of water
1 kg fresh sauerkraut*
100-200 grams vegetable oil, lard or butter
1-2 large onions
3-4 carrots
1 Tbsp concentrated tomato paste
1-2 chopped floury potatoes
2-3 bay leaves
salt
black pepper
sugar

sour cream to serve

Drain the extra liquid from the sauerkraut, put aside (you may need this to make the soup more sour later on). Rinse lightly under cold water.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the cabbage and pour over enough boiling water to cover by a few centimetres. Bring to the boil, add 2 chopped carrots, diced onion, tomato paste, chopped potatoes and bay leaves. Simmer for 1-1.5 hours, until the cabbage is tender. Add the rest of the boiling water in batches during simmering.

Season with salt. Taste the soup – if it is too sharp and sour, add some sugar. If you think it’s not sour enough, add some of the preserved draining liquid. Being a sauerkraut soup, it’s supposed to be sour, of course. But you’re not aiming for gut-scratching sharp and sour that gives you tummy troubles later.
Add 1-2 finely grated carrots for some crunch and colour, and garnish with a dollop of sour cream.
Serve with rye bread.

* Sauerkraut is available either “fresh” or canned. The latter has been partially cooked already, so needs less simmering time. It also tends to be less sour.

Nami-Nami

Escape the heat with a refreshing bowl of gazpacho.

Prep: 15 minutes Total: 20 minutes plus marinating

Ingredients

Serves 4.

• 2 pounds yellow heirloom tomatoes, cored and quartered
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 medium yellow squash (6 ounces), halved lengthwise and thickly sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, cut into large chunks
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup carrot juice (fresh or canned)
• 3 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Coarse salt
• 1 avocado
• 1 small red heirloom tomato

Directions

1. In a food processor or blender, working in batches, combine yellow tomatoes, onion, squash, bell pepper, garlic, carrot juice, vinegar, and oil. Pulse until finely pureed. Season with salt. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours.
2. At serving time, halve, pit, and dice the avocado. Core and dice the red tomato. Serve soup in chilled bowls topped with avocado and tomato.

Whole Living

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 2 Tablespoons capers rinsed
• pinch of red pepper flakes or to taste
• 3 large yellow bell peppers cored, seeded, and cut into big pieces
• salt
• 2 vegetable or beef stock

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until golden, stirring often, for about 10 minutes. Add 1 Tablespoon of capers and the red pepper flakes, and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring often.

Add yellow peppers and salt, cover, and cook 10 minutes, shaking often. Add stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes–until the peppers are soft.

Puree the mixture, then strain back into the saucepan. Ladle into bowls, garnish each with a few capers, and serve.

Soup Song

Tomato and Bread Soup

3 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 large garlic cloves, crushed to a paste with ½ teaspoon salt
2 lbs. ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped (some like to deseed them as well)
1/2 lb. of STALE white bread, crusts removed, broken into pieces – do NOT use pre-packaged sliced bread it will go horribly slimy, use country bread like ciabatta, bloomer, sourdough etc.
1 1/2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
10 -12 fresh basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
~~~~~
Extra virgin olive oil, basil leaves, Parmesan shavings – for serving/garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and sauté the garlic gently without letting it brown, then add the tomatoes, basil and bread (tear the basil leaves with your fingers, NEVER chop basil with a knife or scissors it changes the flavour).

Add the stock, little by little, stirring and mashing the bread down until the mixture begins to resemble a porridge, pour in any remaining stock. Taste and season. Garnish with a swirl of olive oil, extra torn basil, and some shavings of Parmesan.

This can be served hot, warm or cold but I think it is at its best at room temperature on a hot day. It can be made a day ahead and reheats beautifully, but doesn’t freeze well.

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion or sliced leek
1 large red bell pepper, diced
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1 vegetable bouillon cube
16-ounce can diced tomatoes
5 to 6 ounces fresh spinach, rinsed, stemmed, and chopped (I just use a package of frozen chopped)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or dill,
or a combination, or more to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the onion or leek and sauté over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper and garlic and sauté the vegetables for another 5 to 8 minutes, or until the onion or leek turns golden and the red pepper softens.

In the meantime, cook the orzo in a separate saucepan until al dente. When done, drain. Add the 5 cups water, the bouillon cubes, and tomatoes to the soup pot. Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add the cooked orzo to the soup along with the spinach and herbs. Stir in the lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper. Serve at once.