SOUPS TO SOJOURN – WINTER SPECIAL
Soup is often referred to as one of those concepts related to our menus and diets which is not only fulfilling, healthy and wholesome but also adds value, versatility, and variety into our day-to-day cooking especially when it comes to the onset of the winter season to beat the chilling thrills on a cool evening. A bowl of hot soup, well-seasoned and flavored complete with all its essentials, be it the color combinations, the crunch, or the garnish, every single ingredient has a very important role to play when it comes to soup making.
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While for some soups are a little not too interesting as a concept to work with regularly. Being a chef, it is one of the easiest categories on the menu to saute, simmer and serve enticing and exciting bowlfuls to our valued guests and foodies. Be it the desi flavours with Indian spices to add to the robust aromas of soups to the mild aromatics from global cuisines which create that perfect melange in that simmering pot of delicacy, balance is the key that needs to be kept in mind at all times.
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Some of the Basic Essentials when working with Soups:
1. A good choice of ingredients: the nature and character of a well-made soup depend on the options and variety of ingredients used in making the same. Be it seasonal availability or veggies available all year round it is important to make a wise choice and use them in a proper ratio and combination.
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2. A good stock to flavour: a stock has been a base and a foundation of making a good soup. A well-made stock involves a good choice of fresh Mirepoix including onions, carrots, celery, leeks, parsley, etc with a touch of spice using bay leaves, peppercorns, etc is a must-have on hand before starting a soup recipe.
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3. A well-balanced recipe: besides having the best choice of ingredients and pre-preps on hand it is advisable to design a recipe that formulates the correct, accurate, and wise use of ingredients in proportion to create a great taste and dining experience for our guests and for all of us.
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4. An appropriate method of cooking: a soup is best made when it applies to certain methods and heat applications like being simmered and cooked appropriately to the right texture and degree of doneness for the veggies/ non-veggie components which are a part of a soup recipe. The correct quantity of liquid content, cooked correctly can make it a hit.
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5. Accompaniments to go along with soups: a choice of ingredients from small cubes of fried/ toasted bread termed as croutons are an all-time favorite with for example a cream of tomato soup, similarly we usually look forward to having fried noodles with our Chinese soups like Manchow, hot-n-sour soups, a bread basket, soup sticks with cream of chicken or mushroom soup.
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Here are a few of my choicest recipes to try out this winter season with soups:
Recipe-1] CLEAR CHICKEN AND VEGGIE SOUP
Recipe-2] HERBED MUSHROOM AND ONION SOUP
Recipe-3] MINTED GREEN GODDESS BOWL
Recipe-4] MIX VEG DELIGHT SOUP
Recipe-5] SOY TOFU SOUP
Recipe-6] TOMACINO CUPPA SPECIAL
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About the author
Dr. Kaviraj Khialani, celebrity master chef is a Mumbai based food and hospitality consultant. He is specialised in over 33 plus international cuisines & is a two times national award winner for his excellence in his field of expertise. Chef Kaviraj has worked with some of the reputed hotel chains & airline companies in India & Overseas. He is a renowned academician, food designer & author- writer on food and culinary features, besides having been featured on Colors Television & Star plus he loves trying global fusion cooking promoting Indian food on an international platter for the diaspora.
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