June 17, 2020
Zucchini, asparagus and mint soup
Packed with vegetables, this soup is good for both your health and your tastebuds.
INGREDIENTS
- 340g (about 2 bunches) asparagus, trimmed
- 2 1/4 tbs extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
- 1 bunch spring onions, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1kg green zucchini, roughly chopped
- 2L (8 cups) vegetable stock
- 4 zucchini flowers, stalks thinly sliced, flowers reserved
- 1/2 bunch mint, leaves picked
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1/3 cup (80g) of coconut milk, sour cream or raw milk
- Thinly sliced long red chilli and bread, to serve
METHOD
- Cut the tips off the asparagus and set aside until needed. Roughly chop the stalks.
- Heat 2 tbs oil in a large saucepan with a lid over medium heat. Add spring onion and garlic, and gently fry, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes until soft.
- Add asparagus stalk, zucchini, and stock and increase heat to high. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 20 minutes or until very tender.
- Remove from the heat and carefully blitz with a stick blender until smooth. Season, then return pan to low heat. Stir in the asparagus tips and tear in zucchini flowers, then increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 2 minutes or until tips have softened.
- Heat the remaining 1 tsp olive oil in a small frypan over high heat. Add the sliced zucchini flower stalks and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until slightly tender and golden. Remove from heat and stir through the mint leaves and lemon juice.
- Divide the soup among serving bowls. Top with a dollop of coconut cream, fried zucchini stalk mixture, and chilli. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with bread.
NOTES
Serves: 4
Prep time: 15mins
Cook Time: 40mins
Ingredients: 11
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients 2 tbsp honey Juice and zest of 1 lime 1 tbsp olive oil 1 lb boneless skinless chicken, cubed 1 garlic clove, minced Salt & pepper, to taste 2 cups cooked rice (white or brown) 1 tbsp lime juice 1 tbsp chopped cilantro (optional) 1–2 ripe avocados, mashed Juice of ½ lime Salt & pepper, to taste Instructions Step 1 Marinate the chicken In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, lime juice and zest, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add in the cubed chicken. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 15–30 minutes. Step 2 Cook it golden Heat your best skillet for cooking chicken over medium-high. Sear the chicken without stirring for 2–3 minutes, then cook through, about 6–8 minutes total. Temp should hit 165°F. Step 3 Brighten the rice Fluff the warm rice with a fork. Stir in lime juice, salt, and cilantro if you like. Keep it fresh, not heavy. Step 4 Smash the avocados In a bowl, mash the avocados with lime juice, salt, and pepper. Don’t overdo it you want texture. Think creamy with little bites left in. Step 5 Stack it tall Place a ramekin or ring mold on the plate. Spoon in a layer of rice, then avocado, then the honey lime chicken. Press gently, lift the mold. A little tower of joy. Nutrition and Cooking Times Serves: 4 | Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes Total time: 30 minutes Nutrient Value per serve: Calories: 420kcal | Protein: 32g | Fat: 18g | Carbohydrates: 32g
In this bulletin...
Ingredients 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp dried oregano leaves 1/4 tsp dried c hilli flakes 2 (about 500g) chicken breast fillets, halved horizontally 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 small zucchini, sliced 175g mini capsicums, deseeded, halved 1 tbsp no-added-salt tomato paste 400g can cherry tomatoes 2 tsp white balsamic condiment 140g (2/3 cup) wholemeal couscous 160ml (2⁄3 cup) boiling water 250g green beans, steamed, halved lengthways Lime wedges, to serve Instructions Step 1 Combine paprika, cumin, oregano and chilli. Sprinkle spice mixture over the chicken. Step 2 Heat half the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Cook the zucchini for 1-2 minutes each side or until golden. Transfer to plate. Add chicken to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes each side or until browned and almost cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Step 3 Heat remaining oil in pan over medium heat. Add capsicum. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until begins to soften. Stir through tomato paste. Add tomatoes and 125ml (1 ⁄2 cup) water. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 6-7 minutes or until slightly reduced. Add chicken, zucchini and balsamic. Simmer for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Step 4 Meanwhile, combine the couscous and boiling water in a heatproof bowl. Cover and set aside for 3-4 minutes to absorb. Fluff with a fork. Nutrition and Cooking Times Serves: 4 | Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes Total time: 30 minutes Nutrient Value per serve: Calories: 480kcal | Protein: 30g | Fat: 28g | Carbohydrates: 28g