Bean Soup

Bean soup has always been a favourite in our home, I love it with homebaked fresh bread!

200 g sugar beans
3 mutton or pork shanks or 1 ham bone with some meat on it
3 rashers rindless bacon, finely chopped
1.5 litres cold water
30 ml butter or margarine
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
15 ml salt
2 ml milled pepper

Cover beans with cold water and soak overnight. Bring the meat, bacon and water to boil in a large saucepan then cover and simmer till the meat is tender.
Saute the onion, celery and carrot in butter in a frying pan for 3 minutes.
When the meat is tender add the saute'd vegetables and the beans and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes more.
Remove the meat and bones, discard the bones and cube the meat.
Puree the remains of the saucepan and add the cubed meat.
Add salt and pepper, boil and serve.

Vegetable Soup (Groentesop)

A favorite for the cold winter evenings, best with homemade bread and butter...
If you want a thicker soup, add barley to the vegetables, you can even include potatoes.

30 ml sunflower oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 large clove garlic, chopped
3 large carrots, sliced
2 turnips, sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 baby marrows, sliced
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 medium brinjals, peeled and diced
kernels cut from 2 fresh mealies
15 ml finely chopped fresh tarragon or thyme
2 litres vegetable or chicken stock
salt and milled pepper

Heat the oil in a large heavy based saucepan and sauté the onions and garlic for appoximately 5 minutes, or until onions are transparent. Add the carrots, turnips, celery, baby marrows, butternut squash, brinjals, mealie kernels, tarragon or thyme and the stock and bring the soup to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover the saucepan and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.
Season to taste and serve.

Oxtail Soup

Oxtail needs long, slow cooking, but the end result is worth it!

1 oxtail
15 ml butter or dripping
1 large onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, diced
1 medium turnip, thinly sliced
2 medium tomatoes, skinned and finely chopped
45 ml chopped celery
3 peppercorns
2 whole cloves
2 litres water
1 bouquet garni (3 sprigs parsley, 1 sprig thyme, 1 bay leaf)
125 ml cake flour
25 ml sherry or dry red wine (optional)
5 ml salt
1 ml cayenne pepper

Wash the oxtail well and separate it at the joints. melt the butter or dripping in a heavy based saucepan. Add the meat and the onion and sauté till the onions are golden and the meat browned. Add the remaining vegetables, the peppercorns, cloves, water and bouquet garni and simmer, covered, for 3 hours. Remove the meat when it's tender and strip it from the bones, remove the bouquet garni and strain the soup, reserving the stock. Purée the vegetables in a blender or food processor. Add the purée to the stock and return the saucepan to the stove. Mix the flour to a paste with a little water and stir it into the soup to thicken it. Add the sherry or wine and season with salt and cayenne pepper. Add the meat and serve immediately.

Pea Soup Potjie

Soup in a potjie? Why not, try this one.....

800 g neck of mutton, sliced
1 small, whole pork shank
5 litres water
100 ml celery sticks, finely chopped
4 strips rindless breakfast bacon, cut into strips
2 large potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
2 large carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
500 g dried split peas
125 ml uncooked rice
salt and pepper to taste

Place all the ingredients excepting the peas and rice along with 2 litres of water in the pot. Cover and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer slowly for approximately 2 hours.
Add the peas, rice, 2 1/2 litres water and salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. If the soup is very thick, add the remaining 500 ml water, or more. Stir frequently to prevent the soup from burning.

...and if you REALLY want to impress your guests, serve the soup with a pot bread prepared in a flat bottomed pot, more about pot bread on my site...

Ostrich Neck Soup

The ostrich neck can be replaced by kangaroo tail or any other feathered or furred game on the bone, from kudu to turtle dove.

2 1/2 kilogram ostrich neck, cut in joints
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup oil
3 onions
3 carrots
3 turnips
3 parsnips
2 celery sticks, chopped, leaves added loose
2 sprigs thyme
a few peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves and salt
1/2 cup Old Brown Sherry, Port or Madeira
1/2 cup good soy sauce (optional)
3 litres water

Peel and quarter the vegetables. Save some decorative slices for garnishing.
Brown the meat in the butter and oil in a large pot. Add the veggies, flavourants, sherry and the 3 litres of water. Cook, checking that it dooesn't burn, adding water if it runs dry.
Remove the meat and strain the soup through a large sieve, discarding the solids.
Pick the meat from the bones (they go to the dog) and return the meat to the broth.
Refrigerate to solidify the fat which you scrape off.
Heat the soup, add the vegetable garnish till cooked, adjust seasoning and serve with hot bread and butter.

Bean Soup

500 g sugar beans
25 ml butter
1 onion, finely chopped
250 g streaky bacon, rind removed, finely chopped
few pieces beef shin
65 ml fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
2 l cold water
finely grated rind of lemon
45 ml fresh parsley, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Soak the beans overnight or according to the quick soaking method (see Tips). Drain and rinse. Heat the butter in a large saucepan and fry the onion until glossy. Add the bacon and stir-fry until done. Add the drained beans, shin, parsley, bay leaf and cold water and simmer slowly for about four hours until both the beans and meat are tender. Mash the beans slightly and season with lemon rind, more parsley, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve hot with vetkoek.

Biltong Soup

125 ml butter
2 beef stock cubes
10 ml coarsely ground black pepper
2 ml whole nutmeg, grated
2 ml freshly ground coriander
250 ml cake flour
500 ml milk
2 l boiling water
250 ml coarsely grated Cheddar cheese
200 g finely sliced moist biltong
cream and port to taste
100 g grated blue cheese
bread sticks for serving

Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan. Crumble the stock cubes and add along with the spices. Add the flour and heat, stirring continually until the flour begins to simmer. Mix the milk and boiling water, and slowly stir into the flour mixture. Stirring continually, heat slowly over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer and thicken. Remove from the heat and stir in the Cheddar cheese and half the biltong. Do not bring the mixture to boil again. Keep warm until ready to serve. Stir in a little cream and port just before serving if desired. Ladle the hot soup into deep soup bowls and scatter a little of the remaining biltong and crumbled blue cheese on top. Serve with bread sticks.

Cape Seafood Soup

FISH STOCK
300 g frozen prawns in their shells (optional)
65 ml lemon juice
1 small crayfish tail (optional)
1 kg fish heads and bones
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
8 sprigs lemon thyme
2 l water
salt

SOUP
30 ml olive oil
1 large leek, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 stalk celery
3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
25 ml chopped fresh lemon thyme
125 ml dry white wine
1 large potato, peeled and finely chopped
65 ml tomato paste
2 ml fennel seeds or sprig of fennel (optional)
5 ml sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
250 g hake fillets, cut into bite-size pieces
30 ml chopped fresh parsley

FISH STOCK: Shell the prawns (if using) and remove the vein. Reserve the shells but remove the heads and discard. If using, remove the crayfish meat from the shell, reserving the shell. Cube the meat. Set the prawns and crayfish meat aside for the soup. Place the prawns and crayfish shells, fish heads and bones, onion, celery, carrot, bay leaf and lemon thyme in a large saucepan, add the water and salt and bring to the boil. Simmer uncovered for about 35 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Strain the stock through a sieve and then strain again through a finer sieve lined with a double layer of muslin cloth. You need 1,5 litres (6 c) stock for the soup.

Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the leeks, garlic and celery until tender and flavoursome. Add the tomatoes, thyme and wine. Bring to the boil and simmer uncovered until the vegetables are soft. Add the fish stock, potato, tomato paste and fennel seeds and simmer until the potato is tender. Season with sugar, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the fish cubes, prawns and crayfish meat to the soup. Simmer until the fish is just done. Add the lemon juice, sprinkle with parsley and serve with fresh bread. Serves 6-8.

Potato Soup with Parsley or Nutmeg

25g / 1 oz butter
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
550g / 1 1/4 lb potatoes, peeled and sliced
700 ml / 1 1/4 pt chicken or vegetable stock
salt and freshly ground pepper
300 ml / 1/2 pt milk
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg or 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
3 tbsp double cream (optional)

Melt the butter in a pan and add the onion and potatoes. Cook gently for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, without browning.
Add the stock and seasoning. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are very soft.
Either pass through a sieve or tip into a food processor or blender and purée until smooth.
Return the soup to the pan and stir in the milk and nutmeg or parsley. Bring to the boil then simmer gently for 5 minutes.
Stir in the cream (if using), just before serving.

Serve topped with crunchy croutons made by browning some small cubes of bread in butter or oil.