Yeah I know .. it IS a bit weird!
Just a couple of weeks ago I made my first ever, well first actually called by that name, GREEN SOUP - and it was so, so good.
And then I visited my mum that weekend and was looking through her recipe book - as I often do - as it has so many good recipes from such a long time ago, hand written and some torn from old newspapers ... and I found a recipe for 'green soup'.
It was just one of those coincidences where you can't NOT see where it goes - and so today I made her green soup recipe too.
In all honesty, I preferred the first green soup I made, but this one is a very good soup too.
I think it probably shows its age - there are of course fashions in flavours and trends in textures.
That's intriguing too .. yes it's a more filling soup as it includes potatoes and peas .. but it also has flavours and ingredients that were more unusual back then - it has ground coriander and cumin, a little fresh green chilli and roasted cumin seeds (I just dry toasted in a pan and then ground).
But hey, I'll DEFINITELY be making it again - a super-simple, nourishing, good, simple and filling soup ... er, YES.
Here's what you need for maybe four smaller bowls or two greedy people - or by greedy I mean a huge bowl each for a main course and no need for bread with it either (cos it's already got potato in the soup)!
1 medium-large potato, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1.25 litres chicken - or vegetable stock - to be honest I just throw the stock cube in and add the water separately but you can make up the stock first if you prefer
a nice cube of fresh ginger, peeled
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
a good handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1 fresh green chilli, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
approx 400g fresh or frozen peas
the juice of half a lemon
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, roasted and ground
small pot of natural yogurt
Into a big saucepan put the potato, onion, stock, ginger and spices and bring to the boil then simmer for 30 minutes.
Fish out that piece of ginger and discard.
Add the fresh coriander, chilli, salt, peas, lemon juice and roasted cumin powder.
Bring back to the boil and simmer for three minutes until the peas are soft.
Pour it all into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
Tip back into the saucepan, season with salt and pepper to taste, tip in the pot of yogurt and bring back to a simmer.
Once at a simmer, remove from heat and serve - you could add a swirl of yogurt, some extra black pepper or fresh coriander to garnish if liked.
