Chinese okra soup

Call it the resolution fever or just going with the flow with so many people getting into the diet mode at the beginning of the year, I am deciding to eat/drink more soup . So this is my first soup of the year.

U heard about this soup a long long time ago when I was shopping for Chinese Okra or as it is called in India Ridge gourd. In India most of the recipes with ridge gourd call for cooking it till most/all of the water is evaporated. It is super delicious because of the concentrated flavor, but if you ask me , a bad way to cook a vegetable which has high water content. 

Anyway I made this brothy soup and yum yum even my kids loves it

Ridge gourd soup

Chinese Okra Soup

Ingredients:

1. 1 okra peeled and washed. Cut into 1/8 inch thick semi circles
2. 1/2 tablespoon butter or olive oil
3. 1 big or 2 small garlic cloves grated
4. 2 tablespoons finely sliced onion
5. 2 cups chicken broth or water
6. Salt and pepper to taste
7. Cilantro for garnishing

In a pan heat the oil or butter and fry the onions till translucent. Add garlic and fry for a minute. Add ridge gourd or chinese okra and fry for about 10 minutes until they lose their raw color. Add the broth/ water salt and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy hot

NOTE: If you want enhanced flavor add a tablespoon of cooked chicken or lamb or shrimp finely chopped

Vegetable Chicken Soup with Green Chile Batard

Today was such a nice warm day and it being winter, it still became cold by evening. So it was time I made some soup. Its been a while that I made soup and today's soup was one of the most delicious soups I ever made. And it was as simple to make

And I served it with a spicy Green Chile Batard which is a kind of Baguette. I got this from the store "Fresh and Easy". And I baked it for 10 minutes with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and it was crunchy and delicious.

Vegetable Chicken Soup (Semi thick soup with Chicken and Vegetables)

Vegetable chicken soup with Green Chile Batard

Ingredients:

1. 1 big chicken breast or 2 or 3 boneless skinless chicken thighs chopped into 1 cm pieces
2. 2 medium carrots peeled and chopped into 1 cm pieces
3. 2 stalks of celery chopped
4. 1/2 cup chopped red onion
5. 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
6. 1 or 2 stalks of rosemary
7. 1/4 cup each of green peas and sweet corn kernels
8. 1 medium tomato chopped
9. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and lemon pepper, grated garlic
10. 2-3 cups of low sodium chicken stock
11. 1 cup 2 % milk
12. 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
13. 1 tablespoon butter
14. 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

In a heavy bottomed pan heat the butter and oilive oil and fry the onions till tender. Add garlic and fry for a minute. Add Chicken and fry for 5-6 minutes. Add carrots and celery and reduce heat, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomato and all the seasonings and stir and fry for 2 minutes. Add green peas and corn. Add the liquids and bring to a boil. Add the al-purpose flour and stir, taking care no lumps form. Add the rosemary stalks and reduce heat and simmer for 15- 20 minutes. Serve hot with your favourite baguette or batard