Vegetable Clear Soup

INGREDIENTS

1. Carrot (medium sized)                            1/2
2. Celery                                                         1 stalk
3. Chinese cabbage                                      4-6 leaves
4. Spring onion                                              1
5. Red capsicum (medium sized)              1
6. Snow peas                                                 8-10
7. Garlic                                                          2-3 cloves
8. Mushrooms                                               6-8
9. Vegetable stock                                        4-5 cups
10. Ajinomoto                                                  1/4 tsp
11. Peppercorns (crushed)                           1/4 tsp
12. Salt                                                              to taste
13. Bean sprouts                                             1/2 cup
14. Lemon juice (optional)                             1/2 tsp

Method of preparation

1. Wash, peel and cut carrot into two lengthwise. Cut it further into thin slices. Wash, trim and diagonally slice celery. 
2. Wash, trim and dice Chinese cabbage into 1 inch sized pieces. Wash, trim and slice spring onion. Wash, halve, deseed and cut red capsicum into one inch sized pieces. Wash, string and cut snow peas into two,
3. Peel and cut garlic. Wash, trim and slice mushrooms. 
4. Heat vegetable stock in a wok or a pan, add crushed garlic and bring to a boil. Add sliced mushroom, carrot, Chinese cabbage, celery, spring onion, red capsicum and snow peas and cook for 2-3 minutes. 
5. Add ajinomoto, crushed peppercorns, salt to taste and bean sprouts. 
6. Stir in lemon juice and serve piping hot.

Shrimp & Coriander Soup

INGREDIENTS

1. Shrimps (medium sized)                                 8
2. Cornstarch                                                         1 tbsp
3. Leek                                                                     1 inch piece
4. Celery                                                                  1 stalk
5. Green chilli                                                         1
6. Coriander leaves                                               1/4 cup
7. Garlic                                                                   2-3 cups
8. Ginger                                                                  1 inch piece
9. Oil                                                                         1 tsp
10. Fish stock                                                            6 cups
11. White pepper powder                                        1/2 tsp
12. Ajinomoto                                                            1/4 tso
13. Salt                                                                        to taste
14. Lemon juice                                                         1 tbsp

Method of preparation

1. Peel, clean, wash and cut shrimps into two lengthwise.  Blend cornstarch in half a cup of water. 
2. Wash, trim and cut leek and celery into julienne. Wash, remove stem and deseed green chilli and cut into julienne. 
3. Wash, trim and finely chop coriander leaves. Peel and chop garlic. Wash, peel and finely chop ginger.
4. Heat oil in a wok or a pan, add ginger and garlic and stir fry briefly. 
5. Add leek, celery, green chilli julienne and continue to stir fry for half a minute. 
6. Add fish stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat, add white pepper powder, ajinomoto and salt to taste. 
7. Add shrimps and cook for a minute, stirring gently. Stir in the blended cornstarch and continue to cook for a minute more. Add finely chopped coriander leaves. 
8. Simmer the soup for half a minute and stir in lemon juice and serve piping hot.

Gazpacho

INGREDIENTS

1. Brown bread                                                                                      2-3 slices
2. Garlic cloves (coarsely chopped)                                                  3-4
3. Medium tomatoes (quartered)                                                       6
4. Medium cucumber (seeded and roughly chopped)                   1
5. Medium green capsicum (roughly chopped)                              1
6. Salt                                                                                                      to taste
7. Wine vinegar                                                                                     2 tbsps
8. Olive oil                                                                                              2 tbsps

Garnish:

1. Small onion (chopped)                                                                    1
2. Small green capsicum (chopped)                                                 1
3. White bread cut into half inch cubes                                            1 slice

Method of preparation

1. Soak the brown bread in half a cup of water for 5 minutes and squeeze out the excess water. 
2. Process the bread with the garlic, tomatoes, cucumber and chilled water in a blender. 
3. Add the capsicum and salt and process again. 
4. Add the wine vinegar and olive oil and continue to process. 
5. Strain the soup into a bowl and chill in a refrigerator. 
6. Garnish with onion, green capsicum and bread cubes. Serve chilled. 

Fish Stock

INGREDIENTS

1. Fish bones, head, skin                           200gms
2. Onion                                                        1 (medium sized)
3. Celery                                                        2-3 inch stalk
4. Mushroom                                                1 large
5. Bayleaf                                                      1
6. Peppercorns                                             4-6

Method of preparation

1. Peel, wash and slice onion. Wash and cut celery into 1 centimetre pieces. Wash and slice the mushroom. 
2. In a pan, put fish bones, head, skin (any unutilised portion of fish), 5 cups of water, onion slices, celery pieces, bayleaf and peppercorns and put it on heat.
3. Bring to boil, remove any scum which floats on the surface and then simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, strain and use the liquid as stock. 

Chicken Stock

INGREDIENTS

1. Chicken bones                   200gms
2. Onion                                   1 (medium sized)
3. Carrot                                   1 (medium sized)
4. Celery                                   1 stalk
5. Leek                                      1
6. Parsley                                 2-3 stalks
7. Peppercorns                       6-7
8. Cloves                                  5-6
9. Bayleaf                                 1

Method of preparation

1. Wash and clean bones. Remove any excess fat. Heat sufficient water in a pan and put the bones in it and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and remove the bones. 
2. Peel, wash and cut onion into quarters. Wash and cut the carrot into 2-3 large pieces. Wash and cut celery, leek and parsley stalks into 1-2 inch pieces. Wash leek leaves. 
3. Put blanched bones, onion, carrot, celery, parsley, leek, leek leaves, peppercorns, cloves and bayleaf in a stockpot (deep pan) with 10 cups of water and heat. Bring the stock to boil. Remove any scum which floats on the surface and replace it with more cold water. Simmer the stock for at least an hour. 
4. Remove from heat, strain, cool and store in a refrigerator until use. 

Vegetable Stock

INGREDIENTS

1. Onion                           1 (medium sized)
2. Carrot                          1/2 (medium sized)
3. Celery                          2-3 inch stalk
4. Garlic                           2 cloves
5. Bayleaf                        1 no
6. Peppercorns               5-6
7. Cloves                          2-3

Method of preparation

1. Peel, wash and slice onion and carrot. Wash and cut celery into small pieces. Peel and crush garlic. 
2. Take all the ingredients in a pan with 5 cups of war and bring it to a boil. 
3. Simmer for 15 minutes and strain. Cool and store in a refrigerator till further use.

Tomato Egg Drop Soup

INGREDIENTS

1. Tomatoes                                 4 (medium sized)
2. Onion                                         1/2 (medium sized)
3. Garlic                                         2-3 cloves
4. Ginger                                        1 inch piece (optional)
5. Coriander leaves                      3-4 sprigs
6. Eggs                                           2 nos
7. Cornstarch                                2 tbsps
8. Vegetable stock                       4 cups
9. Oil                                               2 tbsps
10. Tomato sauce                          4 tbsps
11. Salt                                             to taste
12. Sugar                                         1 tsp
13. White pepper powder             1/2 tsp
14. Ajinomoto                                 1/4 tsp
15. Vinegar                                      2 tbsps

Method of preparation

1. Wash and finely chop tomatoes. Peel, wash and finely chop onion, garlic and ginger. Wash, trim and finely chop coriander leaves. 
2. Break eggs into a bowl and whisk lightly. Blend cornstarch in half a cup of vegetable stock. 
3. Heat oil in a wok or a pan, add choppy ginger, garlic and stir fry briefly. Add chopped onion and continue to cook for a minute more. 
4. Add tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes and cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes. 
5. Stir in remaining vegetable stock and bring it to a boil.  Add salt to taste, sugar, ajinomoto and white pepper powder. 
6. Stir in blended cornstarch and cook for a minute or until the soup thickens, stirring continuously. 
7. Add vinegar and pour whisked egg in a steady stream, stirring gently to form egg threads. Allow egg to coagulate and come to the top. 
8. Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander leaves.