Two Very Different Types of Soup!

Greek Bean Soup (Fasolada) and Miso Soup

I have so much to catch up on in the bloglovin’ world. So much food has gone down and I’ve been away so long that it’s taking time to sort through all the pics and recipes.

I also realise that it is Spring here and maybe you feel that soup shouldn’t be on the menu. Did I mention how schizo Melbourne weather has been lately? Soup weather it was indeed!

I had a need for comfort so I called my mum and requested her bean soup for dinner the next night – sometimes, only mum’s cooking will do.

Being the wonderful mumma bear that she is, she made it for me and even got dad to deliver it to my door in time for dinner the following night. How’s that for service? I never do this to my parents and yes I decided to take advantage of their good nature,  just this once – hey don’t judge! I was in a bad way emotionally but curiously still hungry!

It was lovely – comforting and filling. Love my mum!

Greek Bean Soup (Fasolada)

Ingredients

1 – 2 cups haricot beans

1 large onion grated

2 carrots diced

1 tablespoons roughly chopped celery leaves

1 red hot chilli pepper

½ tablespoon tomato paste

150 ml slightly concentrated tomato juice

150 ml olive oil

Salt and pepper

Method

Soak the beans overnight.

The next day put the beans in a deep pan with enough water to cover them.

Boil them, but before they come to the boil remove with a wooden spoon the froth that comes up to the surface.

After they come to the boil simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove the beans and drain them in a colander.

Put them back in the pan and add enough boiled water to cover them. (about 2 fingers above the surface of the beans)

Add all the remaining ingredients and simmer for 1 hour or more – until the beans are tender.

Wonderful 🙂

The following evening I made a very different soup. I needed restoration and a different flavour altogether. So, I headed down the Miso Soup path. The recipe called for soba noodles but that sounded too much like ‘sober’ and I wasn’t feeling anywhere near sober/a so I used udon noodles – plus that’s all I had. I had made some Miso soup the week before with ginger marinated tofu but I just wasn’t feeling the vegetarian thing that night so I made it with a chargrilled chicken fillet on the side – on the side is good!

Chargrilled Chicken, Udon Noodles Miso Soup

Ingredients

1 chicken breast
750ml chicken stock
1 tablespoon red or white miso paste
3cm piece of ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 small packet udon noodles
Chinese broccoli, roughly chopped

Marinade

2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon mirin

Method

To make the marinade, combine the hoisin sauce, fish sauce and mirin. Add the chicken breast and toss well. Set aside for an hour; overnight in the fridge is even better.

Chargrill or grill the chicken for 4-5 minutes each side until cooked. Place the chicken stock, miso paste, ginger and garlic in a pan and bring to the boil. Add the udon noodles and chinese broccoli and cook for 3 minutes or until the noodles are just cooked.

Slice the chicken on the diagonal and place on the noodles and broth. I topped mine with coriander because I love coriander!

This is enough for 2 people and I invited my bestie over and just enjoyed the wonderful restorative, clean flavours.