Eat, Pray, Love (and Soup!)

A journey through Italy, India and Indonesia via soups

Most likely you have heard of the hugely popular memoir, "Eat, Pray, Love" that chronicle's Elizabeth Gilbert's journey of self-discovery from New York to Italy to India, and finally, to Indonesia. The eat part of Gilbert's journey involved her spending four months in Italy where she indulged in pizza, pasta, gelato, etc as she attained a new appreciation for food. I wonder, though, if through her travels did Gilbert enjoy the multifaceted soups from these countries. Did she enjoy a big bowl of minestrone soup in Italy? Or, did she enjoy a comforting bowl of tomato rasam (tomato soup) after mediating in India? Or maybe she indulged in a heaping bowl of green papaya soup in Indonesia? After all, soups do have a comforting and healing effect, not to mention are renowned for their nutritional properties. Well, soups weren't the focus of Gilbert's memoir, but it is certainly what drives this site and what complied me to what to learn more about soup recipes from these countries and embark on my journey via my soup pot.

Full Disclosure: This is by NO means a complete listing of soup recipes from these countries. I did the best I could by choosing the most interesting, popular and fun recipes from these countries. Also, given that I haven't personally traveled to India and Indonesia,  I relied on the good-ole internet and some trusty recommendations as my guide. If you have any soups to add, please email me directly at seriouslysoupy@gmail.com or leave a comment with your tasty soup link.

Italy (Eat)

Minestrone Soup

Recipe and image from www.Food 52.com by FoodWriter97426

Ingredients:

Serves 6
1 medium onion, chopped
2-4 cloves garlic,minced or crushed
olive or vegetable oil for sauteing
3/4 cups dry cannellini beans
1/4 cup dry garbanzo beans
6 cups water
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons fresh oregano
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup cut green beans, fresh or frozen
1 cup zucchini, sliced and quartered
2 cups chopped tomatoes (or 1 can, with juice)
2" piece Parmesan cheese rind
1 small napa cabbage (about 10 oz)
1/3 cup soup pasta (e.g.ditalini, orzo, tiny shells)
1/2 cup red wine
shredded Parmesan for garnish

Directions:
    1.    Heat a heavy 4 quart (or larger) pot over medium-high heat. Add enough oil to coat bottom of pot. Add onions and garlic; reduce heat to medium. Saute until onions are translucent.
    2.    Add beans, water and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer 1 1/2 hours, or until beans are just barely tender.
    3.    Add herbs and seasonings, tomatoes, green beans, zucchini and cheese rind. Return to boil briefly, then reduce heat to low and simmer an additional 30 minutes.
    4.    In the meantime, thinly slice and chop cabbage. Add to soup along with the pasta and simmer 30 minutes.
    5.    At this point the soup can be refrigerated (or left on the stove with the heat off for up to 2 hours). Reheat before serving. When ready to serve, add wine and taste for seasoning. Serve topped with grated cheese if desired, or pass cheese at the table.
    6.    Note: Vegetables can be changed, added to or deleted. Amounts are only suggestions. Dried herbs can be used in place of fresh - cut amounts by 1/2.

Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup

Recipe and image from www.tasteofhome.com

Ingredients:
3 Italian turkey sausage links (4 ounces each), casings removed
1 medium onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1-3/4 cups water
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped 

2-1/4 teaspoons minced fresh basil or 3/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon pepper
Dash crushed red pepper flakes
Shredded Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions:
1. Crumble sausage into a Dutch oven; add onion. Cook and stir over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Add the broth, water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil.
2. Stir in tortellini; return to a boil. Cook for 7-9 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; add the spinach, basil, pepper and pepper flakes. Cook 2-3 minutes longer or until spinach is wilted. Serve with cheese if desired. 

Yield: 6 servings (2 quarts) 

India (Pray)

Tomato Soup Recipe - Tomato Rasam - Kerala
Recipe and image from www.indianfoodsco.com
Ingredients:


4
8 oz. or 250 gms tomatoes diced

1 onion, chopped

Spices: 
4 cloves garlic, crushed
 4 green chilies, chopped 
1 tsp. tamarind pulp, 
1 tbsp. jaggery
, 1 tsp. mustard seeds
, 10 curry leaves (optional)
1 red chili, broken into two
1 tsp. coriander seeds, 1 tsp. cumin seeds +  2 tsp. peppercorns, tbsp. oil

Method:

1.  Boil the tomatoes, chilies and garlic in 4 cups of water.

2. Add the ground spices, jaggery and tamarind pulp and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Heat the oil. Add mustard seeds until they splutter.  Add the curry leaves, red chili, asafetida powder and onion and fry for a minute.
4. Pour it over the tomatoes.  Heat and serve the rasam garnished with chopped cilantro/coriander leaves

Mulligatawny Soup
Recipe from SoupSong.com 

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons butter or olive oil

2 stalks celery, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 chile pepper, seeded and deveined (your choice: banana, poblano, jalapeno, habanero)
4 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup lentils
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon curry powder
1/2 cup coconut milk* or whipping cream

1-2 cups cooked rice (preferably basmati)

1/2-1 cup shredded cooked chicken

1/2 cup tart raw apple, chopped fine

Garnish: spoonful of extra cream or coconut milk--and minced cilantro or parsley.

Directions:

Saute the celery, carrots, onion, and pepper in the butter at a low heat until the onion is translucent. Stir in the curry powder to blend and cook for a minute. Pour in the stock, add the lentils (and chicken, if it's raw), and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, get the rice cooked (if it isn't already); likewise with the chicken. Then shred the chicken and chopped the apples finely. You don't need to skin the apples. When the soup is done, season to taste with the salt and pepper, then puree, solids first, in a blender. Return to pot. When ready to serve, bring the soup to a simmer and add the coconut milk or cream. Take the pot to the table, as well as individual bowls of warm rice (heated in the microwave, if necessary), shredded chicken, finely chopped apple, coconut milk (or cream), and minced cilantro (or parsley). To serve, have big individual serving bowls at the ready. Spoon rice into each bowl (flat soup bowls are nice here)--then pile on a big spoonful of chicken and a spoonful of apple. Ladle the soup on top, then drip coconut milk/cream into the center and swirl--and sprinkling with fresh cilantro and parsley.

Indonesia (Love)

Sayur Bening Bayam Merah - Indonesian Red Amaranth Clear Soup
Soup and image from http://indonesia-eats.blogspot.com/
Ingredients:
700 g (1.5 lbs) amaranth greens
3 shallots (use 5 for smaller size), finely sliced
20 g (0.7 oz) fingerroot, crushed
2 sweet corns, shaved
1200 mL (5 cups) water
sea salt and sugar to taste

Directions:
1. Wash amaranth greens and drain. Take leaves and young stems.
2. In a pot, add water and bring to a boil. Once it boils, add shallot, fingerroot, sweet corn kernels, salt and sugar. Taste for your liking. Cook until the corn done.
3. Add amaranth greens and cook for about the next 10 minutes or done. Serve.

Cook's Note:
- The soup is only good for a day. Never reheat the soup. Or else the soup will taste irony.

Green Papaya Soup with Seafood
Recipe from www.Baliguide.com
Ingredients: 

1 unripe papaya, weighing roughly 750 gr (1½ lb) 

1 cup spice paste for seafood
1 liter chicken stock
¼ liter coconut milk
2 salam leaves
1 stalk lemon grass, bruised
¼ tsp powdered black pepper
100 gr shrimps, clams, and mussels 

100 gr diced firm fish
1 tsp salt
Fried shallots to garnish 

Preparation: 

1. Heat stock, add seafood, marinade and bring to boil. Simmer 2 minutes
2. Add salam leaves, lemongrass and papaya, simmer gently until the papaya is 95% tender. Add coconut milk and seafood and continue to simmer (do not boil) until papaya and seafood is tender. 

3. If the stock reduces too much, add more stock
4. Season to taste with pepper and salt and garnish with fried shallots. 

Note: If you wish to prepare a lighter version of this soup then leave coconut milk and seafood out.



What soups have you tried from these countries?

Seriously Soupy Serena

Spicy Roasted Corn Soup for One

I recently entered a contest on food52.com-a really cool site that collects recipes from bloggers, chefs, and really anyone who loves to cook, covering the gamet of cooking themes (best couscous dishes, best way to cook a whole fish, and even the best nose to tail recipe). These recipes are collected on a weekly basis until June of 2010, where editors pick two finalists and then users vote for the best-of-the-best to be selected into a cookbook food52 is creating. Last weeks contest involved creating a recipe for a dinner alone. I, of course, choose a soup and since I had corn and various spices lying around it seemed like a quick and simple dinner option for myself. Check out the excerpt from my entry below:

 Corn Soup with Salted Lemon Wedges - Seriously Soupy

Spicy Roasted Corn Soup for One


I love roasted corn on the cob. So, in thinking about this challenge I wanted to use what I had, since if I was having a nice dinner at home I doubt I would be dashing to the grocery store. With that in mind I decided to create a variation of the corn on the cob into a soup-using simple ingredients, to make a quick, easy meal, and of course one that I would enjoy eating. I thought that roasting it with olive oil, butter, salt, and pepper in the oven would enhance its flavors (as opposed to just boiling it in water). I also decided to give the soup a little kick with chili powders and paprika, which along with the subtle use of lemon makes this soup slightly spicy, but still cooling. I hope you enjoy it during your dinner home alone (sounds like an impossible feat in my world), but still it's a nice idea and one that I am now prepared for.:)

Ingredients:

• 3 ears of corns
• 1 bunch of dill, tied together
• 1 yellow onion, cut up
• 1/2 parsnip, cut up
• 2-3 tablespoons of butter
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 clove of garlic, chopped up
• 2-3 teaspoons of chili powder
• 2-3 teaspoons of paprika
• 2 teaspoons of sea salt
• 2 teaspoons of black peppercorn
• 2 tablespoons of fresh lemons
• 1-2 cup of water

Serves: 2
*If you won't be dining alone, you simply have to double the amount of corn and parsnips. You don't necessary have to double the spices, but test the recipe using the suggested measurements. You should modify after you taste it, unless you know that you want it super spicy.


Directions:

1. Preheat the oven for 350 degrees. Shuck three ears of corn and with a knife cut the corn from its stem. Place the kernels on a sheet of aluminum foil or a baking sheet and drizzle the corn with olive oil, butter, salt, and pepper. Make sure all the kernels are well-coated. Close the foil and place in the oven for 45 minutes.
2. While the corn is roasting, boil a small amount of water in a pot. Cut up the parsnip, onions, and garlic and place in the pot.
3. Take the dill and cut off a chuck of it with your hands. Bind it with some white thread and place in the pot. Make sure the flame is low and covered at this point.
4. Periodically check on the corn, it should appear slightly brown (generally after 45 minutes). Turn off the oven and place the corn in the boiling water mixture.
5. Add the seasonings (salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder), lemon juice, more butter, and some more water (I added another 1/2 of a cup) to the soup and cover.
6. Let the soup retain these new flavors for 10-15 minutes. Test the mixture, adding more seasonings (if necessary).
7. Turn off the flame and take out the bunched dill. With a hand blender, mix the soup together until it is slightly chunky. If you desire a smoother soup, you can add more water, but be sure to test the flavoring of the soup, since the water may dilute this.
8. Pour into a bowl and enjoy!

Seriously Soupy Serena

Soup Links—A weekly rundown of soup in the news

There has been quite a lot of soupy action going on this week. Check out some of exciting things in the world of soup, including voting for a soup created by yours truly —seriously:

• The Gift of Soup. Congrats, you just had a baby! Now, here's your soup. Maybe this will take some time to take flight, but the recent article in the San Francisco Gate by Amanda Gold is surely a proponent for this novel idea. Entitled The Gift of Soup, the article illustrates how the gift of frozen soup can be a creative way to comfort new parents, while providing them with a nourishing meal, which is much-needed during those sleepless early days. Gold also goes one to give some rules for the preparation and which soups can be frozen. Now, I'm not much for rules when it comes to soups, but Gold's suggestions are very helpful, especially when she discusses what ingredients last in the freezer (vegetables, meat and beans) and those that should be eaten in a few days (mushroom). Additionally, she includes handy tips for the thawing out process and recipes, along with wine pairings for each individual soup. Not sure if these soups would even make their way to my freezer, especially the Winter Ribollita and the Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic, but I really enjoyed this step-by-step style article. You can check it out at: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article/article?f=/c/a/2010/01/10/FDCJ1BC0JJ.DTL#ixzz0chC8nJwn
  

• Roasted Chestnut Soup with Crème Fraiche. So, I have become a little obessed with chestnut soup. And this is not because I have been savoring this soupy, but have been seeing it everywhere since I have been trying to find this rare ingredient (at least in my neck of the woods) for my Christmas soup. Although it worked out for the best with my Sweet Potato and Cranberry Soup, I can't help but grit my teeth in frustration at not being able to create it myself. This week I stumbled upon yet another chestnut soup creation with a Roasted Chestnut Soup with Crème Fraiche recipe from Ceramic Canvas. I immediately loosed my jaw, as it dropped in amazement at the sight of the gorgeous food pictures taken by the author, Reginald, and then of course there was the recipe. Loosely based on a recipe from Metropolitan Home magazine, this recipe incorporated seasonal ingredients such as fresh chestnuts, onions, thyme, and crème fraiche (my other nemesis). You can find the recipe here: http://ceramiccanvas.com/2010/01/roasted-chestnut-soup-with-cream-fraiche/ and hopefully you will have more luck on your quest for the chestnut.
  

• Spicy Roasted Corn Soup. And now on to the shameless self-promotion part of the evening.... I recently entered the food52 "Best Home Alone Dinner" challenge, which asked contestants to submit a recipe based on meal that they would create if they were having a meal for one. Of course I opted to create a soup and decided since I was home alone (in fantasy world, of course) that I would keep it sort of simple by using what I had in my house (corn, parsnips, onions, some spices, etc). Rather than boiling the corn, I decided to roast the corn with garlic, salt, butter and olive oil, which blackened the corn a bit. I then transported it into a soup pot to cook for another 15 minutes or so with a minimal amount of water, some lemon, and spices. What resulted was a chunky soup with tons of flavor that started out sweet from the corn and ended with a slight kick from he spices. I would even opt to increase the spice a bit next time, but that's up to you. Check out the recipe here: http://www.food52.com/recipes/2659_spicy_roasted_corn_soup_for_one and don't forget to vote for me!

Seriously Soupy Serena