The New Nordic Diet & IKEA

I am so excited to be teaming up with IKEA to promote the Nordic diet in Australia. Ever since I started this blog back in 2009, I have been doing my bit to help spread the word about the Scandinavian way of eating. Time and time again, I have mentioned the health benefits of a traditional Nordic diet, which includes plenty of seafood, game meat, wild berries and mushrooms and other fresh, seasonal ingredients. There is so much goodness packed into the cornerstones of the Nordic diet that it is about time we start taking real action towards making it familiar to the larger public. 

We all know how ingenious IKEA is in its approach to furniture, and I've always been impressed by their selection of Nordic food as well. I love finding familiar ingredients and I always stock up on a few key products for our home: different types of herring to have with knackebrod, lingonberry jam to have with pretty much everything and those handy bread mixes for long weekend breakfasts. 

In this three part series "The New Nordic Diet & IKEA", I'll share recipes using some of those ingredients found at IKEA. I'm starting off with a traditional salmon soup. This is a great dish for the cooler autumn nights we're heading towards. It's simple food and quick to prepare. If you're keen to make it that extra bit healthier, just leave out the cream and make a clear soup instead. Add seasonal vegetables like carrots and swede, and use fresh herbs for flavour. Knackebrod with cheese is a perfect companion for the soup. I can't even imagine having it without some on the side.

Creamy Salmon Soup

(serves 4)

1 litre of water or fish stock

10-15 whole peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon (or to taste) salt

1 onion, finely chopped

6-7 potatoes, peeled and cut to chunks

500g salmon fillet, cut into bite sized pieces

300ml cream

a whole bunch of dill, finely chopped

knackebrod, to serve

cheese, to serve

1. Add water or stock, peppercorns, salt and onion to a large casserole. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes. 

2. Add potatoes and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are half-cooked.

3. Add salmon and simmer on low heat for a further 10-15 minutes or until the fish has cooked through. Finally add cream and let the soup come to a boil. Turn off the heat, add chopped dill and serve with knackebrod and cheese.

First Day of Winter

Winter is finally here, now bring on the cooler weather! I think this lentil soup will be my favourite this season.

Lentil Soup

(serves at least 6 people)

olive oil

3-4 carrots, peeled and finely chopped

1 brown onion, finely chopped

200g (1 cup) red lentils

2 tins of chopped tomatoes

2 vegetable bouillon cubes (or vegetable stock)

water

black pepper

1. Heat oil in a large pot, add carrots and onion and cook for a few minutes.

2. Add lentils, chopped tomatoes and vegetable stock. Add water as much as necessary (I like thick soups and lentils will thicken the soup as they cook). 

3. Simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables have soften. Serve warm.

Creamy Salmon Soup

One final winter recipe before we flip the calendar page over to September (and spring!) tomorrow. This past winter in Sydney has been exceptionally warm with temperatures reaching up to 25C and beyond. One can hardly call that winter anymore!

I couldn't help myself making one of my all time favourites soups despite the warm weather and I'm secretly hoping we will have at least one or two cooler spring days so I'll have an excuse to make this again before summer is here. 

I love this creamy salmon soup with lots of dill and a side of rye bread or rieska would have been absolutely perfect with this. I'm not sure if carrots are part of the original recipe, but to me they bring added sweetness and colour to this dish and I just must have them there.

With these thoughts I wish you all a happy spring (or autumn, depending where you are) !

Creamy Salmon Soup

(serves 4)

1 litre of water

whole peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon (or to taste) salt

1 onion, finely chopped

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

6-7 potatoes, peeled and cut to chunks

500g salmon, skinned and boned, cubed

300ml cream

whole bunch of dill, finely chopped

1. Add water, peppercorns, salt and onion to a large casserole. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes. 

2. Add carrots and potatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are half-cooked.

3. Add salmon and cream and simmer on low heat for a further 10-15 minutes or until the fish has cooked through. Add dill and serve.

Tomatoey Salmon Soup

I am enjoying a day off work and treated myself to some fresh flowers and a loaf of sourdough this morning. What better to accompany a slice of such bread than a hearty soup? We are having quite a warm July here in Sydney this year so soups haven't been on my menu as much as they usually are at this time of the year. I do, however, love making (and eating) soups when the weather allows.

It's been a while since I've posted a non-vegetarian recipe here on my blog, but I am making an effort to include a bit more fish on my weekly diet. This soup is so easy and quick to whip up and it was a perfect lunch to make between shopping and house-cleaning. I'm certainly fuelled to keep going now!

Tomatoey Salmon Soup

olive oil

1 brown onion, chopped finely

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 x 400g tin crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

600-700ml water

vegetable or fish stock

4 large potatoes, peeled and chopped

400g salmon, skinned, boned and cubed

a bunch of dill, finely chopped

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan and add onions and carrots. Cook for a few minutes, then add tomatoes, water and stock. Add potatoes and cook for 15 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender. 

2. Add salmon and cook for a further 5-10 minutes until just cooked. Finally, add dill.

Tomatoey Salmon Soup

Baby's Breath flowers

Leek and Potato Soup

Sydney is still sweltering in summery weather, with temperatures reaching 30C almost daily. There was, however, a cooler break some days ago and I just had to take the opportunity to make another soup. Potato and leek soup has been a favourite of mine for a long time, and even though I've shared a recipe for it before, I thought it won't do any harm doing it again.

I used nutritional yeast to flavour this soup, but you could easily use a dash of cream or soft cheese (flavoured cream cheese, for instance) instead. All it needs is a little drizzle of good extra-virgin olive oil and another one of those rye-crisp breads with cheese to serve with.

I'd like more of these cool days please!

Leek and Potato Soup

(serves 4-6)

5 big potatoes

2 big leeks

1 litre vegetable stock

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast 

freshly ground pepper, to taste

extra-virgin olive oil, to serve

1. Peel and chop the vegetables and place in a large pot with vegetable stock. Bring to boil and simmer for about half an hour or until vegetables are tender. 

2. Turn off the heat and season the soup with nutritional yeast (or cream) and pepper. Purée the soup in a blender and serve drizzled with olive oil.

Finnish Spinach Soup

There is nothing better than a comforting soup on a rainy day. I made the most of it yesterday and whipped up spinach soup, a childhood favourite served with hard-boiled egg and rye-crispbread with cheese. If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, and soon have fresh nettle available, try a similar soup using those instead. I have a recipe here.

It is supposed to be another warm one here today, so no more soups before autumn really sets in.

I am so ready for a cool change, I'm really looking forward to it!

Finnish Spinach Soup

(serves 4)

1 litre organic full-cream milk

3 tablespoons plain flour

200g baby spinach/English spinach/frozen spinach (thawed), blanched and finely chopped

a good pinch of salt

freshly ground black pepper or a tiny pinch of white pepper

hard-boiled egg (free-range, organic), to serve

1. Add milk and flour to a saucepan and whisk well to combine. Whisking continuously, bring milk to a boil and add blanched, finely chopped spinach. Let simmer for a further 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and season.

2. Serve with hard-boiled egg and crispbread.

Tunisian Breakfast Soup

I really love having soup for breakfast - miso soup is a long-time favourite of mine, but I also don't mind having just a simple vegetable soup or even just some plain vegetable stock with a bunch of kale thrown in. Whilst I can't take credit for this Tunisian breakfast soup, I do love the combination of the flavours and the idea of sitting on my balcony on a sunny winter morning with a bowl of this soup. Ideally you're ought to serve this soup with a dollop of harissa and some fresh coriander sprinkled on top, but I had neither. Instead, I enjoyed mine with some mixed seed sourdough bread. It was delicious nevertheless.

Tunisian Breakfast Soup

(Inspired by Jill Dupleix)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 red capsicum, finely diced

5 tomatoes, chopped

500g cooked chickpeas

1 bunch kale, chopped

700ml vegetable stock

sea salt and black pepper, to taste

harissa (optional), to serve

1. Heat oil in a large pot and cook onion for a few minutes. Add cumin, coriander, most of the diced capsicum, as well as chopped tomatoes. Cook for a further few minutes.

2. Add chickpeas, kale and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. 

3. Season the soup with salt and pepper and add the rest of the capsicum just before serving. 

 

Kale and Freekeh Soup

Hello dear friends!

This morning, during my usual morning swim, I saw a small school of dolphins swimming outside the ocean pool I go to. It was the most perfect start for the day and certainly brought a big smile to my face. It's the small things like this that make life so beautiful! 

We've had a few nippy mornings here in Sydney and I absolutely love it. Walking to the pool in the morning or going for a morning run feels so much nicer and the air is crisp and clean. Warming foods are back on the menu too, this soup being a perfect example. I adore kale, I'm sure you know that by now, and it is just so delicious in soups, stews, salads, you name it. 

This soup was inspired by the beautiful Colleen, who by the way, so kindly read my "love letter" to her on her most recent podcast episode. I was really honoured to hear that, especially since Colleen's podcasts were the reason why I decided to go vegan.

A few notes on the recipe - if you can't find freekeh, try using rye grain (rye groats) or even brown rice instead. In addition, I would really recommend using some of the 'tougher' green leafy vegetables (kale or chard, for instance) as the texture will be much nicer and not too soft. Add any other vegetables you may have - celeriac and parsnip would be great.

Enjoy!

Kale and Freekeh Soup

(serves 4)

200g wholegrain freekeh, cooked until tender

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 carrots, chopped

1 bunch kale, chopped

2-3 litres vegetable stock

salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a large pot, add onion, garlic and carrots and cook for a few minutes. 

2. Add kale and vegetable stock (start with 2 litres, add more if necessary) and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. 

3. Finally, add cooked freekeh to the soup and season with salt and pepper.Turn off the heat and serve.

 

Keeping It Simple: Curried Pumpkin Soup

We have been loving soups at casa M&M lately - a clear indication that autumn is on its way! This curried pumpkin soup is a favourite for many reasons - the taste of course is one, but also the mere simplicity of it. When pumpkins are in season you can pick them up at the markets really inexpensively and just cook up a huge batch and freeze some for later. 

I've gone for traditional curry flavours in this soup and they marry so well with the sweet pumpkin. I've taken the liberty to add some B12-enriched nutritional yeast, but you can certainly leave this out if you prefer. Be bold with those spices though, the pumpkin can definitely handle them!

 Curried Pumpkin Soup

700g - 1 kg peeled and roughly chopped butternut pumpkin

2 small brown onions, chopped

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

ground black pepper

water or vegetable stock

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, optional

1 tablespoon tamari

1. You can start by cooking the onions in a bit of oil, if you wish, but I usually take a short cut and just plonk everything except the nutritional yeast and tamari in a large pot and bring it to boil. The onions won't have that acrid taste even if you take this short cut. You will need just enough water to cover all vegetables, more if you prefer a runnier soup, less if you want it thicker.

2. Leave the soup to simmer on low heat for about 30-40 minutes, until everything is nice and tender. Remove the pot from the heat, then add the nutritional yeast and tamari. Blend or puree the soup until smooth and silky. Serve on its own or with some rye or wholegrain croutons.

Craving for Leek and Potato Soup

Hi friends! 

Hope your weekend is going well and you are enjoying good food and company of your loved ones. I have the simplest recipe to share with you today, and a staple at most homes, I'm sure. I don't think there are many foods that I find as comforting as soups and potato and leek soup has always been a big favourite of mine. There are no tricks in this recipe, but just a marriage of pure flavours and season's produce. Hope you enjoy!

 

Potato and Leek Soup

(serves 4)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 brown onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 big leek, finely chopped 

5-6 medium sized potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

water or vegetables stock

pinch of good quality salt

freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large pot and add the onions and leeks. Sauté for a few minutes, then add the herbs, potatoes and enough water or vegetable stock to cover all the vegetables. 

2. Bring the mixture to boil, then leave to simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the vegetables are really tender. Finally add nutritional yeast and season the soup with a pinch of salt and pepper. Puree the soup in a blender until creamy. Serve with sourdough croutons pan-fried in olive oil until golden brown.

Split pea soup

Today is Shrove Sunday, which of course means split pea soup and Shrove Buns. I will give those buns a miss this year, but split pea soup is definitely on the menu and this vegan version is an old favourite of mine. Although we are still in the midst of summer here in Sydney, I have no issues eating a big bowl of soup, the thicker the better. You can easily adapt this recipe to your liking, try using different vegetables like celeriac, celery and garlic or experiment with different dried herbs and spices. If you want to make it extra-fancy, add a drop or two of liquid smoke in the mix too. 

Split pea soup

(serves an army)

230g green split peas

230g yellow split peas

1 brown/yellow onion

3 large carrots

1 large parsnip

1 teaspoon ground mustard*

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

10 whole black peppercorns

 2 litres water or vegetable stock

a good pinch of quality salt

* I tend to keep ground mustard at home because it has a longer shelf-life than ready-made mustard. If you prefer, you can use a small dollop of normal mustard (wholegrain or Dijon) to season each portion at serving. 

1. Rinse the split peas and remove any stones or discoloured peas. 

2. Place all other ingredients, except for salt in a large French casserole. Bring to boil and leave to simmer for 40-60 minutes, depending on how mushy you like it to be. Season with salt and serve. You can freeze the excess soup. 

 

Inspired by Raw

It may not always seem like it, but I actually eat most of my daily meals raw. I love starting my day with a green smoothie and prefer salads and other raw meals for both lunch and dinner. This is not just a summer thing either, but I enjoy raw meals throughout the year. Obviously the abundance of fresh produce in summer makes it much easier to stick to all raw foods and during the cooler months your body is asking for something warm. Listening and responding to these needs is an important part of mindful eating.

I'm a strong believer in the benefits of raw food. It has been said to raise energy levels, improve your skin and even aid physical illnesses. I also find raw food incredibly inspiring - it's amazing how much you can create by using fresh ingredients, like vegetables and fresh herbs, and seeds, nuts, sprouts, etc. The choices are endless!

Even if you're not keen to go all raw, consider replacing even one meal a day with a fully raw alternative. Green smoothies, soups like the ones below and salads are a great way to get your raw groove on.

”The food you eat can be either 

the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.” 

Ann Wigmore

Raw Carrot Soup*

(Recipe adapted from here)

(serves 1-2)

2 small carrots

1 tomato

1/2 avocado 

fresh ginger, to taste

juice of 1/4 lemon or to taste

pinch of good quality salt

freshly ground black pepper

water

* Preferably use all organic ingredients.

1. Chop the carrots, tomato and avocado in small pieces. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add enough water to reach desired texture.

Raw Creamy Green Soup*

(Recipe inspired by Enlightened Eating)

(serves 1-2)

4 cups loosely packed baby spinach

1/2 avocado

1 celery stalk

4 tablespoons chopped green beans

1/2 bunch or about 5 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons chopped shallots/green onions

juice of 1/4 lemon

pinch of good quality salt

1 cup water

* Preferably use all organic ingredients.

 

1. Chop the avocado and celery stalks. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Ingredients for raw kitchen:

• nut and hemp milks (see recipe for almond milk)

• nut or seed butters (almond butter recipe here, leave out the roasting bit for a raw version)

• nuts (raw or soaked)

• Seeds (raw, soaked or sprouted  - sunflower, pepitas, hemp, chia, quinoa)

• grains (soaked) and legumes (sprouted)

• sprouts (see my sprouting guide here)

• dehydrated vegetables, seed crackers and breads, etc. (preferably made using a dehydrator) 

• fermented and pickled foods

Books & Links

Davis, B. and Melina, V. Becoming Raw - The Essential Guide to Raw Vegan Diets (2010)

Russell James

Ani Phyo 

David Wolfe

http://www.rawmazing.com

Quick Summer Gazpacho

Now that we've all survived Christmas (or have we?), it's time to take it easy for a few days and let our minds and bodies rest. My Christmas menu worked wonders and I felt satisfied, but not stuffed. Still, I don't mind having a few lighter days to balance things out and this quick summer gazpacho is a perfect way to enjoy summer's bounty. 

I've used sweet tomatoes as a base for this cold soup. Blended with cucumber and cooked chickpeas, the colour of the soup is a beautiful pale peach and the taste is sweet but tangy, thanks to the apple cider vinegar and lemon juice. This is a perfectly filling, yet light meal for a summer's day.

Quick Summer Gazpacho

(serves 2-4)

600g tomatoes, seeded and cut into chunks

1 big cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks

250g cooked chickpeas

2 scallions/spring onions, sliced

(fresh herbs, like parsley and basil)

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground celery seeds

pinch of sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1/2 lemon, juiced

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Place the tomatoes, cucumber, cooked chickpeas and spring onions and herbs (if using) in a blender. Blend until smooth.

2. Season the mixture with paprika, ground celery seeds, salt and pepper. Add in the lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and olive oil. Blend for a couple of minutes. Add water/ice if you want it thinner. Serve cool.

Slowing down - Cauliflower and goat cheese soup

 

After leaving my previous job six months a go, I didn't know what I'd end up doing and how things would turn out. I knew I needed a change so I decided to take the leap and see where it takes me. Not long after, I landed in my new role and I was busier than ever with new and exciting projects.

I am so happy I took that leap and I am loving my new career, but for a while now I've felt like I am trying to do a little bit of everything without really getting anything finished. I realise it's now time to slow down and re-set my concentration again. I am heading towards even busier times with only a few weeks left until we move into our new home, and after that it's time to start planning the wedding.

I'm sure you understand and appreciate just how much time and effort each blog post takes to make. For this reason, in the future, you'll be seeing a little less frequent posting here on Scandi Foodie. This will hopefully not only give me more time to concentrate on other projects, but also result in better quality posts for the blog.

So for now, I'll leave you with this cauliflower and goat cheese soup - silky, creamy and comforting.

I'll see you soon!

 

Cauliflower and goat cheese soup

(serves 4)

1 medium sized cauliflower, cut into small florets

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 sprig of fresh rosemary, finely chopped

5-6 cups water or vegetable stock

pinch of sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

50g (1/2 cup) rolled oats

150g goat cheese

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add rosemary and cauliflower florets. 

2. Add in the water or the stock and bring to boil. 

3. Add the oats and season the soup with salt and pepper. Leave to simmer until the cauliflower is fully tender. 

4. Turn off the heat, add the goat cheese and purée the soup with a hand blender. Serve warm.

Red lentil and sweet potato soup

My "going through the cupboards"- phase continues and whilst I was at it, I attacked my pantry and the fridge, emptying out all of the expired stuff. I generally don't like throwing food out, but every now and then I have to be brutal and accept that I had bought something or was given something I had never used up. I picked up a half-empty (or was it half-full...) packet of red lentils and decided to cook that up for lunch. At the back of the packet was a recipe for a soup which sounded just perfect for our lazy Labour Day lunch. My fiancé even kindly agreed to hand-model for me whilst he was slurping down his bowlful of thick, velvety soup. There was enough left-overs for tomorrow's lunch as well as to freeze for another time.

Red lentil and sweet potato soup

(serves 4-6)

(recipe adapted from the back of the red lentils packet)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin coconut oil

1 brown onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds

pinch of sea salt

1 cup red lentils, rinsed

1 medium sized sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks

5-6 cups water

1 tablespoon tamari

freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the coconut oil in a heavy-based pan. Add onion, spices and salt and simmer for a few minutes. 

2. Add the lentils, sweet potato and water and simmer for 30 minutes or until the potato is tender. 

3. Season the mixture with tamari and freshly ground black pepper and puree into a smooth, thick soup.

Winter flavours - Cauliflower and fennel soup

Winter is a wonderful thing. I just love this time of the year, especially when we get those clear, brisk days when there is not a single cloud in the sky, but a cool wind reminding us that it really is winter. On days like this there is nothing better than wrapping cold hands around a warm cup of tea or a big bowl of soup and there are plenty of earthy vegetables in season for us to enjoy. 

This cauliflower and fennel soup is thick and velvety, just the way I like my soups. The aniseed flavour of fennel pairs lovely with the cauliflower and I've kept the seasoning simple to bring out the flavours of the vegetables. There is nothing fiddly about this soup -  just add all ingredients in a giant French oven and let simmer until tender. Then blend into a smooth soup and enjoy with crusty bread.  Perfect! 

Cauliflower and fennel soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 brown onion, sliced

1 clove of garlic

1 sprig of rosemary

1 medium sized cauliflower, cut into florets

1 fennel bulb, sliced

1 litre vegetable stock

freshly ground black pepper

(pinch of salt) 

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or French oven. Add the onion, garlic and rosemary and sauté for a few minutes.

2. Add in the cauliflower florets, fennel and vegetable stock and bring to boil. Let simmer for 20-30 minutes or until all vegetables are fully tender. 

3. Purée the soup with in a blender and season with freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of salt if needed.

Leek, broccoli and pea soup

I can't tell you how much joy my little green patch has brought to me this week. Every morning, the first thing, I've walk to the window and peak through the curtains to see how my herbs and plants are doing. They've survived a tough week of strong autumn winds and rain, with a little sunshine in between and I feel so proud and happy for this. 

I've celebrated my new kitchen garden with the best way possible - every day, whilst cooking, I've walked to the balcony to pick fresh herbs for my salads and soups and the herbs will hopefully thank me for this as they do enjoy their daily water and picking. I do realise, however, that herbs don't generally have a long life span so I'm prepared to replace in a few weeks time. I am also already planning what seeds to sow in a couple of month's time when we will be enjoying longer days and more sunshine again.

Today I also received other great news! We had our oven replaced into a brand new, fan forced ILVE gas oven and after two weeks of not being able to bake anything, I am really looking forward to giving the new oven a go.  Today, however, it was this soup that I was craving and my bright red French casserole full of good-doing soup was as welcoming as my little green patch outside.

Leek, broccoli and pea soup

(serves 4-6)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 big leeks, rinsed and sliced

1 green garlic, sliced

1 medium sized broccoli, florets and stalk, chopped

400g frozen peas

1 litre organic vegetable stock*

small handful of mixed fresh herbs (oregano, parsley, marjoram) 

freshly ground black pepper

(pinch of salt)

100 g soft ricotta, for serving

2 tablespoons lemon juice, for serving

*Use more stock if you want the soup to be thinner.

1.Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the leeks and the garlic and cook for a few minutes.

2. Add the broccoli, peas and the vegetable stock. Bring to boil and let simmer until all vegetables are soft (20 minutes). Add the fresh herbs and season the soup with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Purée the soup in a blender and serve with soft ricotta flavoured with some lemon juice.

Wild mushroom soup

Is it just me or does autumn make you feel a teeny bit nostalgic? Maybe it's the sound of the pounding rain, or the cooler and darker nights when you feel like wrapping yourself in a big blanket and cuddling up on the sofa with a good book. In the kitchen, I take out my huge French casserole and a big wooden spoon and I can happily stand next to the warm stove stirring soups and stews.

Back in Finland autumn was always my favourite time of the year - I think having a birthday in September had something to do with it, though. After moving to Australia and having somehow come to terms with the opposite seasons, it took me a few years to start embracing this time of the year again.



My love for autumn produce has not changed, however. I still adore the mushrooms, chestnuts, apples, root vegetables and all that this season has to offer. Pumpkins, like the ones in these photos, make a beautiful piece of decoration too and there is no need for expensive cut flowers in the dinner table.

I treated myself with a small bag of precious dried wild mushrooms lately and thought there is no better way to celebrate their strong flavour than a gorgeously warming soup. This soup is exactly that. It is strong and bold, it is chunky with mushrooms and has a re-assuring feel to it - it will make you feel comforted and cosy. 



You could easily make this into a loving pasta sauce by just using less vegetable stock. Whatever you do don't throw away the liquid after soaking the dried mushrooms! Try freezing it for a later use in pasta sauces or other soups or use it more in this soup for a stronger flavour.

 

Wild mushroom soup

(serves 2-4)

30g dried wild mushrooms

1 tbsp olive oil

1 brown onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

200g fresh Swiss brown mushrooms (or mushrooms of your choice), sliced

1 sprig of fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

a few sprigs of fresh thyme

2 tbsp good tomato paste (organic)

0,5 litre wild mushroom soaking liquid (or less for a milder taste)

1 litre vegetable stock ( or less/more depending how thin/thick you want it)

big handful of fresh parsley, chopped

freshly ground black pepper

1. Soak the dried wild mushrooms in warm water for 30 minutes. Drain the mushrooms, but keep the liquid. Chop the mushrooms coarsely and set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add brown onion and garlic and sauté for a few minutes.

3. Add all the mushrooms, along with the rosemary and thyme and sauté for a further 5 or so minutes. Add some of the soaking liquid in as well.

4. Add the tomato paste, vegetable stock and more soaking liquid if you wish. Cover, then let simmer for a good 30 minutes.

5. Lastly, season the soup with freshly ground black pepper and throw in a handful of fresh parsley before serving. 

6. Serve with a rustic wholegrain bread.

Rustic tomato soup

 

Everywhere around me people are sneezing and coughing - yep, it's that season again and I am fighting back with this nutritious tomato soup. I always make soups by a bucket full and then freeze some of it for those emergencies when you come home from work hungry and don't know what to cook. I adore simple, no-fuss soups which you can make with the ingredients you are likely to have at home at any time.

 

This soup is so easy to adapt to your own liking - try adding coconut milk for a creamier taste or different vegetables for a more wholesome soup. You could replace lentils with potatoes and use different herbs, dry or fresh. You could add garlic as well of course, I've left it out but it would be a perfect addition to the vitamin shot you'll get with this soup. I sure hope this soup will work its magic!

Rustic tomato soup 

(serves 4-6)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 brown onion, finely chopped

small knob of ginger

1,5 kg tomatoes, cut in quarters

3 tbsp red lentils

1 cup vegetable stock

a few sprigs of fresh thyme

2 handfuls of fresh basil

1 tbsp raw honey

freshly ground black pepper

(coconut milk, optional)

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and grated ginger and sauté for 2-3 minutes. 

2. Add tomatoes and sauté for a further few minutes. 

3. Add the lentils and the vegetable stock, bring to boil and let simmer for about 20-30 minutes.

4. Add the herbs, honey and freshly ground black pepper. Using a stab mixer, puree the soup until smooth. Add some coconut milk if you want a creamier taste.

5. Serve with wholegrain or gluten-free bread.