Soup is the go-to meal for those cold nights to keep you warm and cosy. How about adding a South African spin for wholesome goodness?
Biltong soup
You will need
- 1 tbsp of low-sodium beef stock powder.
- ½ cup of unsalted butter.
- 1 tsp of crushed garlic.
- ½ tsp of ground nutmeg.
- ½ tsp of ground coriander.
- 2 cups of milk.
- ¼ cup of boiling water.
- ¼ cup of cream.
- Black pepper.
- ¾ cup of finely grated biltong, plus extra slices to garnish.
- ¾ cup crumbled blue cheese.
- ¼ cup grated cheddar cheese.
Method
- Dissolve the stock in a little water and set aside.
- Heat the butter in a saucepan.
- Sauté the garlic for a few seconds.
- Add the flour, nutmeg, coriander and freshly ground black pepper and stir through.
- Gradually stir in the milk, stock, boiling water and cream.
- While cooking, keep stirring to prevent lumps. You can add more milk to the soup to thin it out.
- Add the biltong and the cheeses. Stir well.
- Garnish with a few finely sliced pieces of biltong before serving.
Braaied corn soup
You will need
- 1 tsp of olive oil.
- 1 onion, finely chopped.
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed.
- 6 bacon rashers, chopped (cut fat off).
- 4 celery sticks, chopped.
- 2 leeks, washed and sliced.
- ½ tsp of smoked paprika.
- ½ tsp of turmeric.
- Low-sodium sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
- 1 cup of low-sodium chicken stock.
- 1 cup of milk
- 3 mealies, braaied and slightly charred.
- 2 tbsps of coriander.
- Spring onions, to garnish.
Method
- Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onion, garlic and bacon for 2 minutes until the onions are tender and the bacon is cooked through.
- Add the celery, leeks, spices and seasoning and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes until slightly reduced.
- Cut off the corn kernels from the cobs. Add to the soup. Keep some to garnish, and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Finally, add the coriander and season with pepper.
- Top with the remaining corn and spring onions before serving.
Samp and beans soup
You will need
- 2 onions.
- 4 tbsps of butter.
- ½ kg of sugarbeans.
- ½ kg of samp.
- 2 carrots.
- 2 medium potatoes.
- 1 low-sodium beef stock cube.
- Salt
- Ground black pepper.
Method
- Soak the sugarbeans and samp overnight in water. (If you haven’t soaked the samp and beans overnight, cover with lots of water and bring to a boil.)
- Boil for five to 10 minutes. Cover and remove from the heat.
- Leave to stand for an hour, then drain and use.
- Chop and fry your onions with the butter until caramelised.
- Strain the soaked samp and beans and wash under cold running water.
- Add the samp and beans to the onions. Fry for another 10 minutes.
- Add enough water to cover the samp and beans. Boil for half an hour.
- Peel and grate the carrots and potatoes. Then, add to the samp and beans.
- Boil for a further 10 minutes and add the beef stock cube.
- Boil for another 15 minutes and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.