It has yet been another busy week. Not sure if anyone is keeping track but we are less than nine weeks away from Christmas. 9 weeks! You read well. Where has time gone by? I’m not even sure I’ll have enough time to organise everything. But this year I’ll be able to count on my parents. They are flying all the way down from Poland. It will be their second time in Melbourne. It might a little bit different for them as Melbourne’s Christmas is normally a warm one.
I’m glad to be back for the second week of season 3 of Cook With Us. Based on the number of entries registered last week we can only conclude that the popularity of this contest is as good as ever. We have to warmly congratulate the Cook with Us team composed of @offoodandart, @pandamama and @chefsteve who, each week, tirelessly organise, review, and judge the different competitors. And they’ve been amazing in securing the sponsorship of @curie for season 3. This means that the competition can continue in its current configuration but additional prizes.
For this week’s theme I was considering making one of my favourite soup, a Malaysian Chicken Laksa with dried Tofu. I thought long and hard about it but then I thought that maybe someone else might come up with a similar idea. And beside I’ve made a post about Laksa in the past so I felt that it would be more appropriate to do something original. With my husband, we enjoy soup. Soup in all its glory, flavour, and style! In Poland, we would have soup on a daily basis just before dinner. I know that some of my neighbours here will refer to dinner as Supper as this will be the most likely dish they will have at night. Others may just settle for toast and tea!
Soon after the @docsmith Knife Contest finale, I’ve made a couple of posts with regards to the plight of Strawberry growers in Australia. The growers have had it tough in Australia because of some individuals who decided to sabotage the industry by inserting needles in strawberries. Since that unfortunate incident I have been trying to support them in anyway possible. And at home we have increased our best to increase our strawberry consumption. So when I came across a soup recipe on the blog Sugar et al with Strawberries as the main ingredients for the soup I just couldn’t look away. I had to try it and understand what went through the mind of the person who invented the recipe.
So as usual I gave it a good crack in trying to understand the flavour combination that have gone into creating this particular recipe. I was a little bit worried about how the combination of all the ingredients will work out with the strawberries. The recipe recommends using chicken or vegetable stock so I thought I’ll make my own stock as I’ve always done. I thought that it will help provide another level to the flavour. What amazed me more with this recipe is how colourful and vibrant this dish is. And when we finally had a chance to taste it it was such a surprise. We absolutely loved it. We were supposed to have it for dinner but my little one had a few too many bowl. So I might now need to prepare something else for dinner.
Based on this first experience with incorporating strawberries in my cooking I’m definitely going to try it again and hopefully come up with my own special strawberry recipe some days. In the meantime I will just have to enjoy this particular dish.
I hope you enjoy it too!
Bon appétit!
And good luck to everyone.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
- 350 g roasted red capsicum (approx 11/2 cups)
- 200 g strawberries, washed, hulled, roughly chopped
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp mixed herbs (dried or fresh)
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- Salt and pepper, to season
- Extra strawberries, to serve
- Toasted pumpkin seeds, to serve
- Extra virgin olive oil, to serve
METHOD
- In a large pan, add water, celeriac, carrots, parsley, mushrooms, onions as well as some pepper corns and all spice to make the vegetable stock.
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the bay leaf, garlic and onions and fry till onions turn light brown.
- Add the tomatoes and stir for a minute. Add the red peppers, strawberries and cook till strawberries turn soft and mushy. Remove from heat and cool slightly (about 10-15 minutes).
- Using a hand blender, blend the mixture until smooth. If the mixture is too thick to blend, add in a little stock or water.
- Place back on the heat. Add the vegetable stock, balsamic vinegar, paprika, mixed herbs, maple syrup, salt and pepper and stir to mix.
- Serve warm with fresh strawberries, toasted nuts/seeds, fresh herbs, a dash of extra virgin olive oil and cracked pepper.
That recipe sounds good, but I can’t imagine strawberries in soup, I know that people sometimes add pumpkin that makes it slightly sweet but no strawberries. You cooking vegetable stock yourself, that must be really tasty, but your soup is more like puree, I love such soups, is your red pepper slightly spicy too?
Thank you for your comments. The soup was just at the right heat level so that my 2yr old could also enjoy it. The peppers are not spicy down here is Melbourne.
strawberries in something that is not a dessert, interesting!
It was a really challenge that I found and thought of giving it a try.
Great recipe sounds good and interesting, I can’t imagine strawberries in soup. I will surely try one! This look delicious! Not a strawberry dessert but a strawberry soup!!! Cool recipe.
Thank you for your nice comments.
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Wow. Definately going to try this. I just dehydrated some strawberries and tomatoes so might do half half fresh a dried sprinkled on top. Yum
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Thank you. I think you would love it especially since it’s vegan.
Oh my this is so different but looks great @foodforsoul
Thanks @lizelle. You know me “different” is my middle name. I just love trying new recipe especially those ones that are a bit out there. Sometimes I’m disappointed other times I’m pleasantly surprised. This was the case with this soup which I’ll add to my list of regulars now!
Always a pleasant surprise when something different works!
Congrats on the @curie upvote, well deserved! And Supercook as well, been a great week for you :):)
It has indeed!
Beautiful entry @foodforsoul, an intriguingly different approach to soup. I like the idea of combining strawberries with red pepper, not only does it create a super vibrant colour but I bet the depth of flavour alongside the rest of ingredients is a party for your tastebuds! Once strawberries are back in season here I must try this dish.
Good luck this week!
Thank you for the nice comments. A couple of season back we had a Mexican theme for this particular contest and I made a dish out of chicken wings. Since then I’ve been repeatedly making this dish on special occasion. I can truly admit that this particular soup will be a regular in my household as it ticks all the boxes.
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Thank you so much for the upvote @curie very much appreciated.
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Look at the color!!! I never would have thought of a strawberry soup, that is so new to me. I really do wonder what came to the mind of this lady that came up with this and the fun part is that it looks so easy to put together...
I am quite curious about the needle and strawberry thing, why did these people do that to them? It's really sad...
Thank you for your comments. The needles drama was really a disgruntled former employee who wanted to take revenge on a former employer. That person did it on a couple of strawberry punters but then some copycats emerged and it became a national issue. Hopefully this is now well and truly behind us.
That is so sad, I really hope no one "reinvents" this...
Hola @foodforsoul! Es una sopa diferente, se ve muy rica, la presentación, el colorido, todos los detalles, se ve que disfrutaste, de la sopa, y también, haciendo esta publicación, te felicito, ganaste un voto curie por tan buena publicación, ¿cuéntame cómo fue tu emoción? un abrazo que sigan los éxitos.
Gratias.
That's so sad that people are sabotaging the farmers, and that they would risk harm to consumers! I adore strawberries straight from the farm. We go picking every year now. I have enjoyed branching out and using the little gems in more savory preparations, so this is definitely one I need to try! All those ingredients sound like they would create a wonderful play of flavors on your tongue. I need to remember this one for next strawberry season for sure. 😊
Funny enough all the ingredients were fairly cheap and that was an added value to creating this dish. The soup was delicious and yes it is a bit out there to add in strawberry but it was really a nice addition. The Strawberry season is now on in the state of Victoria and so far so good no more drama. Hopefully it stays this way for a long time.
This looks delish. I've never seen strawberries in soup before. It seems weird but I would definitely try it.
Hi @choogirl. I’m sure you would like this one. And trust me it is not weird at all once you rake the first spoonful. Initially I was going to add honey but then thought that you would enjoy the vegan version and changed it to maple syrup.
Oh wow, that is so thoughtful!
I had never seen a soup with strawberries. I think I have the same curiosity that you had when you discovered it. I'll have to try.
You should definitely give it a try!
This is a very creative soup. At first I thought it would be too sweet but after reading it I think the paprika and vinegar would really balance this out nicely. The toasted pumpkin seeds add a nice texture and taste too as does the raw strawberries. I think it is great too that you are supporting the strawberry industry that has taken a hit with the sabotage. Thanks for sharing this recipe and reminding me that Christmas is really coming up fast!
Happy Christmas in advance lol! This is one recipe I will keep making and sharing with my friends. It was absolutely delicious. I think whoever came up with this recipe is a genius as everything were well balanced and the taste was just perfect not too sweet and not too sour. The crunchiness was an added layer of goodness and I’m glad I had the pumpkin seeds handy. I’m now looking forward to trying the other participants soup.
I really the combination of tomatoes and red peppers but your version with the addition of strawberries sound absolutely intriguing and delightful. As usual, beautiful presentation @foodforsoul.
Thank you @loveself. I’ve been looking forward to this particular week. I like photographing soup as you get to really accentuate the vibrant colours of the different elements. And it turns out lovely too tastewise so it was a win-win for me.
What a very sad thing about the needles showing up in strawberries. I understand how you'd like to support the growers. Thanks for this generous and thoughtful gesture. Thank you for another wonderful entry @foodforsoul.
I am surprised too with the combination of ingredients but am glad it turned out favorably well. The flavors must have complemented each other nicely. I feel like I'd like to taste it myself. Plus all those many different textures going on that I so enjoy ... soft, crunchy, creamy!
Btw, I panicked when I read Christmas is only 9 weeks away. Oh my! Glad your parents will be with you to celebrate the holidays.
Thank you @offoodandart. It was just a lovely and delicious recipe. My favourite part of it was roasting the peppers. It just brings out all the fantastic flavours out of it and then the addition of strawberry was just the right ingredient to balance it all. I’m now looking forward to the milkshake week. To be honest my husband is the one looking forward to it and has been inundating my inbox with all these fancy milkshake. I think he has put on his last 5kg just having milkshake out of my sight!!! To get back to the strawberry growers they’ve really been through a lot especially the ones in Queensland. It was just tragic watching the news and seeing truckloads of strawberries being dumped. Some said it was because the producers were being prudent whilst others said that they just didn’t want to sell their produce at a loss. Whichever is the right version it’s still very sad! Below is a picture I’ve found on the ABC website.
Omg, that's really so sad about the strawberry issue.
Milkshake week sounds fun. Glad your husband is into it. I'm actually suprised the turnout is low. Thanks for your beautiful entry though!
I never thought about putting strawberries and red peppers together...but I really like that idea. Sounds really good!
You should really give it a try it is really really good. I’m was agreeably surprised but how succulent it was.
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I have always said: cooking something different with confidence and without fear can bring good results. How interesting this recipe. I certainly can not imagine the taste of strawberry in a soup, which makes me want to taste it with madness. And the most important thing: the elaboration is simple or at least you make it look easy. anyone could try this without needing to be a professional chef.
Thank you this is kind of my motto and what I inspire to do each time I attempt a new recipe. Thank you for reading my post.
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What an amazing number of votes @foodforsoul - I just wish the payouts were a little better - well deserved for your wonderful recipe and story.
Extremely creative and well done for supporting the strawberry industry - wow - we'd be so sad without strawberries
Thank you @pandamama. I hope you had a great time in Greece. I think things are getting better with the strawberry growers. I went to get some fruits for my daughter yesterday and the price is on the rise.
I'm glad to hear that - thank you - I had a great time in Greece
Love that you put strawberries in there! 😍 looks like it would add the perfect bite of sweetness and great texture!
It did indeed. Thank you for going through my post.
howdy from Texas foodforsoul! wow this is an interesting ingredient twist indeed! But the soup is so vibrant with such healthy components that I would make it with or without the strawberries but since they make it so unusual I've love to try it!
Is soup a cultural dish that your country eats alot of or is it just your family?
Being of Polish origin we do indeed have soup for most supper and it is definitely something I enjoy eating and preparing for my own family.
Howdy again foodforsoul! well it sure would be healthier for us here if we adapted that tradition in America. Thanks so much for sharing it.
Hi @foodforsoul,
It sounds like a very unusual mix, but I am very interested to see what it would taste like together.
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Oh thank you so much. I feel honoured and privileged to be featured in @curie author showcase. With regards to this particular post I made this recipe for the @cookwithus contest. When I joined Steemit I choose to blog primarily about cooking which is one of my passion. I found this particular contest two weeks after it was started and have participated every single week. I am a mother of a lovely little girl and I would like her to inherit part of my passion for cooking. Over the last two years I’ve grown as a cook and I’m very happy to be able to showcase my skills each week. And it allowed me to bring forward some very happy memories of my childhood when using particular ingredients or recipes. It has been an incredible experience so far. And thank you @curie for the acknowledgement.
Looks divine!! Strawberries are a really nice touch, they look so pretty! How to they compliment the red peper taste though?
Also thanks for sharing the recipe nad not making us ask for it! :)
Thank you. They just blend in well together.