As the most looked-forward-to season of the year, and the pleasant weather it brings our side of the world, comes to a close, there are some special recipes that you can try out in the comfort of your homes, for you and your family to enjoy over an evening chat in the garden.

The modern woman today hardly has the leisure to make elaborate recipes today , because of all the time and effort it takes in today’s fast-paced world.

What’s winter minus a few slow-cooked soups and broths to take away the nip in the air ? Experience the richness and flavor of a few select herbs, vegetables and protein as we share our secret recipes for the best soups to make this winter for your family and friends; we promise they’ll come back for seconds!

Carrot, Leeks and Tomato Soup

Category – Vegetarian

Flavor – Hints of sweetness and tang

Ingredients:

2 fresh carrots (not the big ones used for halwa, the orangey ones used in curries are preferred )

3 Tomatoes ( firm but not raw )

A few finely chopped leeks

2 tbsps butter to fry the leeks

Butter for garnish ( as per taste )

½ tsp ajinomoto (monosodium glutamate )

Pepper (as per taste)

Recipe:

Peel the carrots and chop roughly. Take off the heads of the tomatoes and halve them. Bring water to boil in a saucepan and add these vegetables to it along with a little salt. You might want to add a teaspoon of lemon juice to this water to ensure the vgetables don’t lose their bright color during the boiling process.

Don’t over boil.

Once the veggies are done, drain the water and grind these in a grinder to a puree.

Heat some butter and saute the finely chopped leeks in it. Slowly pour the pureed vegetable mixutre into this and stir gently till the mixture comes to a boil. You can add a bit of the stock water from earlier if it gets a little thick.

Add in salt and pepper as per taste. Serve with buttered croutons.

Chicken soup with Tortillas

Category – Non-vegetarian

Flavor – Hearty , creamy

Ingredients –

Roast chicken bits

2 cups of Chicken broth or chicken stock cubes with reduced salt

Fresh peas and cauliflower ( you can use any winter vegetable)

Garlic

Shredded ginger

Olive oil

Corn flour

Herbs – Oregano and basil

Salt and pepper

Fresh cream

Tortillas
Recipe:

Now, tortillas and chicken seem to come together only in nachos for most of us. How about a nice twist to this tradition dish for a balmy evening?

This soup is a great way to use up leftover chicken from last night’s dinner or from a big party. Just shave off bite-sized bits of the chicken. rub with a basic seasoning of salt, pepper and some shredded ginger.

Boil and puree the cauliflower.

In a pan, heat some oil and saute some garlic and the remaining ginger and add the chicken bits to this. You could add a little white wine at this point if you’d like, but it tastes just as good without it.

Once the chicken is a little seared, add in the peas.

Let the peas fry for a bit and add in the herbs. Then, Pour in the cauliflower puree and the chicken stock.

Note : If you’re using cubes, dissolve one in about two cups of hot water and add it. These cubes are usually really salty to enhance their preservative ability so make sure you reduce the salt in every other ingredient to avoid a disaster.

Let your soup come to a boil. Meanwhile, take about 2 teaspoonfuls of cornflour, dissolve it in some water and slowly pour it into the soup while stirring to avoid lumps.
Cook for about 5 minutes till the consistency is even and add the fresh cream.

Your soup is now ready to serve. Crunchy tortillas make a great accompaniment.

Do try these winter specials at home and post your pictures on Instagram. Tag #desibeautyblog !