Chicken and Cabbage Soup

The great thing about this soup is that, besides being delicious, its low in calories. The cabbage in the soup makes it quite filling and one does not feel the need to add any other carbs (e.g. pasta) to their meal. It would make a great starter, but I personally like to treat it as my main course. The garnish of the fried garlic, though optional, adds tremendous flavor. I highly recommend this recipe to soup lovers.

Calories: About 250-300 per serving

Makes: About 3 large servings

2-3 boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

1 tsp sesame oil (or olive oil)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 tbsp chopped garlic

1 tbsp chopped ginger

6-7 cups chicken broth (or combination of 3 cups of broth with 3 cups of water)

3/4 cup finely chopped or shredded carrot

3 cups thinly sliced cabbage

3-4 lime leaves

3/4 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp fish sauce

2 tbsp rice vinegar

2 cups sliced mushrooms (optional)

1 cup sliced scallions/green onions

Juice of one lime

3 tbsp chopped cilantro/green coriander leaves

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 tbsp thinly sliced garlic, fried till brown and crispy (optional)

Heat oil in a sauce pan and add the onions. When soft, add the garlic and ginger and saute till very slightly brown. Add the lime leaves, carrots and chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring continuously, for about 5 minutes and then add the soy sauce, fish sauce and rice vinegar. Then, pour in the broth and cook on medium heat till simmering. Add the cabbage and mushrooms and cook till chicken is done (about 15 minutes). Stir in the scallions, lime juice and cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the fried garlic and serve hot.

Asian Mushroom Soup

I was at the grocery store the other day and the fresh mushrooms looked so inviting that i HAD to buy them. I bought a pack of creminis, one big portobella mushroom and a pack of the trusted button mushrooms. So for dinner, I decided to make a mushroom soup with an asian twist. To make it a complete meal (and not a starter), I added whole wheat noodles to it. You can omit the chicken from the ingredients and use tofu instead (or not). You can always make it with shrimp too. The soup turned out rather yummy and wholesome.

Makes: 3-4 servings

Calories: About 250-300 per (large) soup bowl.

Ingredients:

1-2 chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips (optional; can be substituted with tofu or shrimp)

1 tbsp sesame oil (or any other oil you have on hand)

1 tsp garlic paste or finely chopped garlic

1/2 tsp ginger paste

1/2 inch fresh ginger root sliced (optional)

3 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced (I used button, portobello and cremini*)

1 and a half cups broth, store bought or homemade

4-5 cups water

3 tblsp soy sauce

3 thai red chillies, whole (optional)

1 cup cabbage (regular or red), sliced

1/2 cup carrot, grated or thinly sliced

1/2 cup scallions (green onions)

3 stems lemon grass, 1-inch each (optional)

2-3 tsp lime juice

1 handful cilantro

3 tsp rice vinegar (optional)

100 grams whole wheat noodles (or 2 noodle cakes)

salt, black pepper and crushed red chillies, to taste

Heat the sesame oil and add the ginger and garlic pastes. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper and stir fry for 4-6 minutes. Add mushrooms, sliced ginger root, soy sauce, whole red chillies, lemon grass and cabbage. Cook for a minute and then add the broth and water. When it comes to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and add carrots and scallions. Let it cook for another minute and then add the noodles. Cook till noodles and chicken are done. Taste and add salt, pepper and crushed red chillies. Add lime juice, cilantro and rice vinegar. Cook another minute and then take off the heat. Serve.

*Always remove the stem when using cremini mushrooms.

The Basic Broth

Chicken or Vegetable broth is something that is used in so many recipes. You can get it in tetrapaks or cans at your local grocery store but i prefer to make it at home. I generally make it in bulk and freeze 1 cup ziploc bags (since they store flat and don't take up too much room in the freezer) of it. Doing this will save you a lot of time and of course, it's much healthier to make it yourself than buying it at the store.

Ingredients:

500 grams Chicken bones

Salt

Pepper

1 tsp Garlic paste/finely chopped garlic

Vegetables (onion, carrot, celery or any ones you prefer)

Parsley (optional)

Put chicken bones in a stock pot and cover with cold water. Add garlic paste, salt and pepper and the vegetables. Bring to a boil and decrease the heat. Let the stock simmer for a few hours, stirring after every 30 mins of so.

Remove bones and vegetables by draining the stock. Use right away or cool and freeze for further use.