Creamy lamb’s lettuce soup with carrot and ginger vinaigrette

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Last time when Mr. T and I went away on a short trip, I came across a recipe with lamb’s lettuce. Of course I didn’t have all ingredients at the apartment when I wanted to cook it. But I managed to cook a very tasty soup changing the recipe to this one below. I also didn’t have any backdrops, probs or photo equipment with me so excuse the IPhone picture in this post!

Creamy lamb’s lettuce soup with carrot and ginger vinaigrette 

For the vinaigrette

1 carrot, sliced with a peeler and cut into short strips 

1 red onion, finely chopped

3 cm ginger, finely chopped

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

3 tbsp olive oil

salt, pepper 

For the white beans

1 can white beans, drained

2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1-2 tbsp olive oil

For the soup

3 tbsp rape seed oil

1 white onion, chopped

300g sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

100ml Noilly Prat (or white wine)

500ml vegetable stock

150g lamb’s lettuce, washed and drained

200ml double cream

salt, pepper

Mix all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a bowl and set aside to marinate.

In a small pan fry the beans with the garlic and rosemary over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Sauté the onions with the oil in a big pan for 3 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and sauté for another 5 minutes. Pour in the Noilly Prat, cook until half has evaporated. Add the vegetable stock and cook 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender. Add the double cream, bring to boil and fold in the lamb’s lettuce. Take off the heat and blend with a hand blender or in a food processor. Season the soup with salt and pepper. To serve fill the soup in either bowls or deep plates, add some beans in the middle and drizzle the vinaigrette over.

Bon Appetit 

Warming winter soup

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I just came back from a fantastic round trip in Italy. Driving through Tuscany, Amalfi Coast and Umbria, I had so many delicious meals, that I got inspired to cook a typical Umbrian soup: Zuppa di legumi. The weather here is getting cooler each day and I am longing to go back to Italy to soak up more sun, but instead I’m standing in my kitchen and cook hearty Italian food to share the recipes with you.

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Warming winter soup

500g mixed dried pulses ( red, green, yellow and brown lentils, split peas, black-eyed peas, butter beans,cannellini beans, borlotti beans)

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

200g smoked streaky bacon, diced

1 carrot, chopped

1 leek, sliced in thin rings

3 sprigs rosemary, chopped

5 medium tomatoes ,  hopped

5 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped

4 tbsp olive oil

1,5 liter vegetable stock

salt, pepper

rind of Parmesan, approx. 2-3 cm thick

Heat the olive oil in a big pan, add the garlic, carrots, leek, bacon and rosemary and cook gently for about 10 minutes. Add the pulses, tomatoes, Parmesan rind and the stock, bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add the potatoes  and simmer for further 30 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper.

 

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