Mixed Vegetable Soup

Its been a long time that I posted my new soup recipe. My parents are here and my mom took over the kitchen. So,with some spare time, I resumed my juicing experiments. Believe me, they turned out to be really good. I do not know if the juices made me "look" younger but surely they did make me "feel" younger. I will talk more about the juices in my further posts. 

Lets get back to the soup. Yesterday, the soup that my mom made brought back all the fond memories of my childhood. I remembered how she experimented with food for our health. I do not know if I am exaggerating, but bitter gourd was one of my favorites and all credit goes to my mom.  Very simple, very tasty - this soup surpasses all the other soups I make. I love the green color of this soup for its healthy appeal. Moreover, greens are full of vitamins and minerals and disease-fighting phyto-chemicals. My mom changed the recipe a little  this time, and added rosemary powder and oregano.

Ingredients

Vegetable stock

• Spinach
• Cabbage
• Green Beans
• Sweet Corn
• Carrot
• Cauliflower
• Capsicum (Green Bell Pepper)

Vegetable pieces

• Spinach
• Cabbage
• Green Beans
• Sweet Corn
• Carrot
• Cauliflower
• Capsicum (Green Bell Pepper)
• Green Peas

Garnish

• Spring onion
• Coriander/parsley

Spices

• Bayleaf
• Dry rosemary leaf powder: Rosemary is full of anti-oxidants. Using Rosemary in combination with thyme increases health benefits.
• White pepper
• Soy sauce - 1/4th tea spoon
• Chilli sauce - 1/4th tea spoon
• Black salt -pinch
• Sugar - 1/2 teaspoon
• Corn flour mixed with water - 1 teaspoon

Procedure

1. Take equal quantity of all vegetables(I took  cup each) except green peas. Wash them thoroughly and pressure-cook them . Switch off the stove and let cool .
2.Once the steam is off, blend the cooked vegetables to make the puree. Do not throw the water. It contains all the nutrients.
3.Microwave the vegetable pieces for one minute.
4.Heat a pan and melt two teaspoons of butter/olive oil
4.Add one bay leaf , powdered rosemary leaves,pinch of oregano powder and add the vegetable pieces.Stir for two minutes.
5.Add the puree and the water to the pan.Let it boil.
6.Add salt, pinch black salt, white pepper, soy and chilli sauces and sugar.
7.Stir for  a minute and add corn flour (with water).
8.Add fresh cream.My mom adds milk powder if we do not have cream.
9.Garnish with coriander and spring onions.

Variations

We could add:
-  garlic and/or ginger pieces.
-  green chillies/cayenne pepper - I personally prefer cayenne pepper for its cardiovascular benefits. This effectively opens and drains congested nasal passages.
-  fresh thyme for a different flavor. Thyme is famous for its antimicrobial properties. It serves as a digestive aid.
-  pomegranate seeds or apple pieces for garnish

My kid loves the basic version though and its a feast to my eyes to see her gulp down all the vegetables without making faces!