Tuesday 25 October 2011

Recipe: Courgette & Yellow Pepper Soup

Courgette and Yellow Pepper Soup

I found this recipe in a book I borrowed from my local library – I photocopied quite a lot of recipes from it, but this is the one that I make again and again and again (at least once a fortnight!) It’s such a simple recipe, and the resulting soup is delish.

I’ve included photos in this blog – I’ve also pretty much quadrupled the recipe as my local shop had reduced peppers, so I bought them all, and now have to use them. Some of this soup I’ll keep, the rest I’ll give away to my friends & family.

Also, I’ve used green courgettes – the original recipe calls for yellow courgettes, and they give such a rich yellow colour to the soup, but they can be hard to find. The only yellow courgettes I’ve ever seen are those I grow on my allotment. Green courgettes are fine for this recipe.

A bit of ‘health’ background information now..

Yellow peppers are good sources of potassium, betacarotene, folic acid and vitamin C. They can help to regulate blood pressure and are good for circulation. And they look bright and cheery!

Courgettes, especially those grown on your own plot with no pesticides, offer the above, but may also help fight/prevent cancer, and are good for lowering cholesterol. Which is probably why I like this soup so much!

The garlic you will add provides calcium, potassium & vitamin C, and is antibacterial, antiviral, antiseptic and also good for lowering cholesterol.

So, onto the recipe!


Ingredients (for a 4 person serving)

1 yellow pepper

1 large yellow/green courgette (or 2 smaller ones)

2 garlic cloves

Thyme leaves ( I use mixed dried herbs)

Chicken stock (I use veg oxo or knorr jelly things)

4 tablespoons low fat cream cheese

Salt & pepper


Recipe

Core, de-seed and chop the yellow pepper, add to pan


Top & tail courgettes, slice, add to pan

Crush garlic, add to pan

Add herbs (I never measure this, I just shake the packet..)

Add stock cubes/knorr jelly/chicken stock (not shown)

Simmer for 10 mins on medium heat

Blend soup in food processor – I’ve got a funky hand held thing that I put in the pan and whizz. BE CAREFUL. If the liquid is boiling, it’s got more chance of splattering you and hurting when it does!

Add the cream cheese, and blend again – note the colour change! Oooohh

Season with salt & pepper

Return to heat

Serve soup in warm bowls, with thyme to garnish, and lovelylovely homemade bread!

Voila!


Further info from my recipe says thus:

108 kcals

8g carbs

7.5g fat

2.7g protein

65mg vit C

480mcg carotene

Instead of using cream cheese, you can use ground arrowroot mixed in a small amount of water to create a jelly.

For a 4 person soup, I use 2 oxo cubes or 1 knorr jelly thing.

When you add water to the pan (if using oxo/knorr), use enough water to just cover the veg & put a lid on the pan while it simmers!

If you have little people, or fussy eaters, in your family, this could be the perfect way to get them to eat peppers! I personally hate peppers, and can only eat small amounts of yellow pepper in one go – since I’ve been making this soup, I loooooovvveee them! Same story with courgettes – I’d never eaten one in my life until I made this soup!


Enjoy!

L x

Today I went to the shop..

...and I bought.. lots!

bananas, grapes, cauliflower, brocolli, clemantines, green beans, baby corn, a potato, a bag of 6 yellow peppers and 4 courgettes! and then some pineapple juice, orange juice and a tropical mixed juice.. ooooh. healthy laura is go!

i've just made a supersized batch of courgette & pepper soup (recipe to follow!) and tonight i'll make some pasta sauce. tomorrow i'm making beef burgers. the day after will be chicken & veg day..

Monday 24 October 2011

My Little Shop

Has been restocked!
Visit:
www.geologyshop.folksy.com

More stuff to be added soon!

L x

Monday 3 October 2011

Mushroom ID Help!



Any ideas what 'shroom this is? It's in my back garden, there's only one, it's about 4 inches across and quite close to the ground (maybe 2 inches total height). Quite flat & smooth on the top.

The soil/dirt has flowers in it but it's not in a shady or damp patch.

Any clue?


L x