Minnie's Soup Kitchen

Mango and Curry Leaf Soup Yesterday was a sunny Saturday afternoon - our second hint of summer in six days. I had spent the previous evening baking Ottolenghi's marzipan muffins  (adapted - I didn't make the plum compote) and making fudge and  Nigella's rocky road  for a parish  fête . My teeth were on edge from checking that everything was up to standard and I had spent yesterday afternoon manning (personning?) a stall. But, I still wanted to make soup. I hadn't made anything from the fruit section of The Soup Book for a long time - since the 15th March 2012, in fact.  The recipe for mango and curry leaf soup is by Roopa Gulati , of whom I usually expect great things. I gathered together the ingredients: Alfonso mangoes  (I'm not sure that mine were Alfonso), black mustard seeds, curry leaves, red chilli, dark muscovado sugar, turmeric, coconut milk, lime juice and coriander. Roopa gave the preparation time as fifteen minutes: a huge un...

Mango, Coriander and Pomegranate Soup   Today I made my first soup from the fruit section of The Soup Book (by the way, that link brings you to a really good view of the book). The recipe is by Sophie Grigson , whose introductory note states that this "unusual chilled soup is extraordinarily good, bursting with health and vitality, and is made in seconds." The ingredients are mango, red chilli, fresh ginger, fresh coriander, lime juice and pomegranate juice (cranberry juice is a suggested alternative). The spouse is away at present - in the wild north-west of the country where it was snowing earlier! This meant I had to do the shopping, something I don't mind doing, but I tend to spend more than himself when I'm let loose. It's all those two-for-the-price-of-one and "buy one, get one free" special offers. I feel it's my duty to avail of them. Then I come home and find I haven't enough space for all my goodies. But I digress. There was no co...