Thanks for the warm welcome, and my mum's best dish!

March 4, 2009

Hi all,

Thanks for the warm welcome I've received since joining the group. Just

thought I'd share a recipe with you all that my mum makes for me quite

often. She's not a vegetarian so sometimes struggles for ideas, but

insists she cooks for me when I visit home (I'll be sure to direct her

to this group!) She's from Trinidad: this " soup " -it's pretty thick,

that's why i hesitate to call it a soup- but has some interesting, and

what i think are AMAZING flavours and textures going for it!

1 large onion

12 okras (lady-fingers)

Half a cassava

Quarter 1 large yam

1 small butternut squash/a couple of sweet potatoes

Red split lentils (soup mix with barley is a nice alternative)

Quarter 1 white cabbage

2 carrots

2 red/green peppers

1 beef tomato/a few smaller ones

1 cup pasta (i like to use wholemeal)

1 hot chilli

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp oregano

Salt and black pepper to taste

It's very simple (i can make it so it has to be!). Literally chop all of

the veg up into equal size chunks. put then into a large, heavy-based

pot and cover with water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to simmer for

about 1-2 hours (depending on how big you like to cut your veg), until

veg is almost cooked through. Add the pasta and simmer until cooked

(usually about 10 minutes...but i leave mine a little longer so it goes

really soft, and the veg melts down a little more to thicken the soup

up). As with all soups there are lots of variations, and you can swap

and change ingredients as you wish.

Deb

(please take my university dissertation survey

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB228TRAVNTYD)

March 4, 2009

I enjoy hot food and this recipe sounds like one I shall give a try to soon.

Thanks for the posting,

DM

, " veg_deb " <veg_deb wrote:

>

> Hi all,

>

> Thanks for the warm welcome I've received since joining the group. Just

> thought I'd share a recipe with you all that my mum makes for me quite

> often. She's not a vegetarian so sometimes struggles for ideas, but

> insists she cooks for me when I visit home (I'll be sure to direct her

> to this group!) She's from Trinidad: this " soup " -it's pretty thick,

> that's why i hesitate to call it a soup- but has some interesting, and

> what i think are AMAZING flavours and textures going for it!

>

> 1 large onion

> 12 okras (lady-fingers)

> Half a cassava

> Quarter 1 large yam

> 1 small butternut squash/a couple of sweet potatoes

> Red split lentils (soup mix with barley is a nice alternative)

> Quarter 1 white cabbage

> 2 carrots

> 2 red/green peppers

> 1 beef tomato/a few smaller ones

> 1 cup pasta (i like to use wholemeal)

> 1 hot chilli

> 1/2 tsp chilli powder

> 1 tsp thyme

> 1 tsp oregano

> Salt and black pepper to taste

>

> It's very simple (i can make it so it has to be!). Literally chop all of

> the veg up into equal size chunks. put then into a large, heavy-based

> pot and cover with water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to simmer for

> about 1-2 hours (depending on how big you like to cut your veg), until

> veg is almost cooked through. Add the pasta and simmer until cooked

> (usually about 10 minutes...but i leave mine a little longer so it goes

> really soft, and the veg melts down a little more to thicken the soup

> up). As with all soups there are lots of variations, and you can swap

> and change ingredients as you wish.

>

> Deb

> (please take my university dissertation survey

> http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB228TRAVNTYD)

>

March 5, 2009

Hi, Deb!

I think your soup looks really good! What can one use instead of yams and

cassava? I live in the midwestern U.S., and outside of maybe Chicago or St.

Louis,

I don't know of places where these vegetables are available. (We have sweet

potatoes

readily available; some people assume that they are the same as " yams " , since

that

is what they are called around here--but I know there are tropical yams that are

quite

different, and I'm assuming those are what you listed in your soup ingredients

as " yams " .

Would regluar ( " Irish " ) potatoes or a certain type of squash do as a sub

for the

hard-to-find tropical yams and cassava?

The okra and red lentils sound really good--no doubt these cook down

together to make the broth nice and thick! I am going to experiment and try to

make something like this

very soon! It sounds so good and hearty!

Blessings and peace!

Laura B., in Illinois

PS: The mention of okra makes me long for summertime! We have a 3-time-weekly

farmers' market in my town and several of the vendors bring in fresh okra for

several

weeks in the midsummer. I love it and try to buy enough to freeze some for

winter soup-

cooking use!

Posted by: " veg_deb " veg_deb veg_deb

Wed Mar 4, 2009 12:26 pm ((PST))