Delhi’s chefs share nutritious, immunity-boosting soup recipes

With winter at its peak along with a worrying uptick in COVID cases in the city, there is an immediate need to keep your immune system fighting fit. Just like face masks and sanitisers, a healthy diet is also an equally important component to help combat this disease.

A bowl of soup is both a comfort food and packed with essential nutrients that can give your immune system a major boost. Keeping this in mind, we ask the city’s leading chefs to divulge recipes that feature seasonal ingredients. We are certain these soups will whet your appetite as well as strengthen your immune system.

A CUP of GOODNESS 
“One’s daily diet should be nutritionally balanced with nutrient-dense whole foods that nourish the body. Daily food choices should be low in salt, added sugar, and unhealthy fats,” shares Gagandeep Singh Sawhney, executive chef at Shangri-La Eros New Delhi. His recipe contains the benefits of Vitamin A and beta-carotene in carrots coupled with the goodness of ginger. Sawhney adds, “This recipe has few ingredients and is simple; it contains almost no calories, and boosts the immune system.”

Roasted Creamy Carrot AND Ginger Soup with Herb Chlorophyll

Ingredients

• Carrots (cut into small dices): 1cup
• Onion (finely chopped):1/2 cup
• Ginger paste: 1/4 cup 
• Mix of coriander, parsley, basil, tarragon: 1/4 bunch 
• Vegetable stock: 1 cup 
• Turmeric powder (haldi): 1/4tsp
• Extra virgin oil: 1tsp 
• Carrot chiffonade: 1/4 cup 
• White pepper: 1 pinch 
• Salt: 1 pinch 

Method

• Roast the carrots in the oven for 6 minutes at 180˚C.
• In a pot, add the onion and part of the oil , ginger paste, roasted carrots, and vegetable stock. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the carrot is well cooked.
• Blend with additional oil. Then, strain using a fine strainer.
• Bring the herbs to boil for 3 minutes in a small amount of water. Then blend and strain it.  
• Pour the soup in a bowl. Now, add the carrots julienne on top and chlorophyll herbs around.

SIMPLE INGREDIENTS, BOLD FLAVOURS 
This flavoursome recipe by Prem K Pogakula, executive chef, The Imperial New Delhi, brings to the forefront the earthy flavour of pumpkin as well as the freshness of turmeric. Pogakula shares, “For me basil, turmeric, and fresh ginger are must-adds to any meal or even in tea for an extra flavour while also acting as immunity boosters.”

Pumpkin and coconut soup with fresh turmeric and sprout salad

Ingredients

• Olive Oil: 1tbsp
• Onion (coarsely chopped): 1
• Garlic cloves (grated): 2
• Vegetable stock: 1litre
• Butternut pumpkin (peeled and chopped): 1.5kg
• Lemongrass stalk (finely chopped or grated): 1
• Fresh ginger (grated): 1tbsp
• Coriander: 1 bunch
• Coconut milk: 400ml 
• Fresh turmeric (grated): 50gms

For salad

• Sprouts: 50gms nFresh basil (tulsi): 10gms
• Fresh coriander: 10gms nLemon dressing: 10ml
• Salt/black pepper: to taste 
• Pumpkin seeds: for topping

Method

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat before adding the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion becomes translucent.
• Add the ginger, fresh turmeric, lemongrass, and coriander roots. Cook until the stalks become soft before adding the pumpkin.
• Toss the pumpkin in the oil and cook for five minutes. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil before reducing the heat to lower. Cook for 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Pour the soup into a blender and blend until smooth.
• Return to a clean saucepan and add the coconut milk to the blended soup; give a boil and check for seasoning.

For salad

• Mix all the salad ingredients and check for seasoning.
• Serve the soup with shaved coconut, the remaining coriander leaves, and salad in the middle or by side.

TANGY, TASTY AND WHOLESOME 
The unique flavour profile of tomatoes is amplified by the citrus taste of kaffir lime leaves in this recipe by Vivek Rana, executive chef, The Claridges Hotels & Resorts, New Delhi. “Vitamin C should be the most essential part of one’s daily diet,” shares Rana. Weighing in on the ingredients, Rana concludes, “Always use  round desi tomato for this recipe. If not kaffir lime leaves, use normal lime leaves.”

Kaffir lime leaf infused tomato basil soup

Ingredients

• Fresh tomato: 100gms
• Onion: 10gms
• Carrot: 10gms
• Leek: 5gms
• Celery: 5gms
• Garlic: 5gms 
• Basil: 5gms
• Sugar: 5gms
• Salt: 2gms
• Whole black pepper: 2gms
• Kaffir lime leaf: 3gms 
• Olive oil: 2gms
• Lemongrass (stalk): 1
• Garlic cloves: 4

Method

• Roughly cut the onion, carrot, leek, celery, and garlic. nCut fresh tomato 1/2. nIn a roasting tray mix, tomato, onion, carrot, leek, celery, garlic, basil, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, sugar, salt, black pepper, and olive oil. nPut the tray in the oven at temperature of 160 for 40 minutes.
• Remove the basil and black pepper from the tray. nBlend all the ingredients. nStrain through the strainer and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
• Place soup in a soup bowl, serve with garlic bread.
• Garnish with chopped basil.