PEA AND HAM SOUP
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
2
1
⁄2 cups green split peas
850 g smoked ham hock
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
6 cups chicken stock
1
⁄2 cup frozen peas
Method:
Wash split peas and place in a 2-litre bowl with 1-
litre of water. Cover and allow soaking for 8 hours or
overnight. Remove rind from ham hock and discard.
Cut meat away from the bone and roughly chop.
Reserve bone. Drain peas and place into a 5-litre
microwave safe dish. Add ham bone, chopped ham,
onion, thyme, bay leaf and chicken stock. Cook
uncovered on P10 for 15 minutes. Reduce power to
P6 and cook for 15 minutes. Skim top of soup and
cook on P6 for a further 30 minutes. Remove ham
bone and bay leaf and stir in frozen peas. Cook on
P6 for 10 minutes. Blend half the soup and return to
the bowl, stirring through the remaining soup. Serve
hot with crusty bread.
Tip:
Substitute 500 g bacon bones and 250 g of diced
bacon rashers for the ham hock.
Do not add salt when cooking lentils or pulses, as
they will toughen. Add salt after cooking if desired.
CHICKEN AND PRAWN LAKSA
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
Soup:
2 tablespoons laksa paste
400 ml coconut milk
1 litre chicken stock
1 tablespoon soy sauce
fresh ground black pepper
Laksa:
250 g rice noodles
8 cups boiling water
leaves from 1 bunch of coriander
4 small red chillies, seeds removed
and finely chopped
1
⁄2 cup bean sprouts
4 lime wedges
1 tablespoon peanut oil
400 g cooked chicken tenderloins, sliced
12 green king prawns, peeled
Method:
Soup:
Place the laksa paste, coconut milk, stock, soy
sauce and pepper into a 3-litre dish and cook
covered on P10 for 8 to 10 minutes.
Laksa:
Place the noodles and water in a 4 litre dish. Cover
and cook on P10 for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring halfway
through. Drain well and divide between 4 deep
bowls. Place the coriander, chillies, bean sprouts
and lime on top. Place the peanut oil and prawns in
a 1-litre dish and cook on P7 for 3 to 5 minutes,
stirring halfway through. Add the chicken and prawns
to each individual bowl and set aside.
To serve:
Heat soup on P10 for 2 minutes. Pour the hot soup
over the ingredients in the 4 bowls and serve.
Potato and Corn Soup
POTATO AND CORN SOUP
Serves: 6 to 8
Ingredients:
6 rashers bacon, chopped
1 onion, thinly sliced
500 g potatoes, peeled and diced
4 cups chicken stock
1 (420 g) can creamed corn
2 tablespoons flour, mixed with a little stock
1
⁄2 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper
Method:
Place bacon in a 4-litre dish. Cook on P10 for 2 to 3
minutes. Remove bacon from dish and set aside. Add
onion and potatoes to dish and cook on P10 for 8 to 10
minutes. Add stock and cook on P10 for a further 8 to
10 minutes. Blend flour with 2 tablespoons of stock
and add to dish with corn, thyme and bacon. Cook on
P10 for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir halfway through cooking.
Season with salt and pepper.
SWEET POTATO AND CORIANDER SOUP
Serves: 4 to 6
Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 teaspoon crushed chilli
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
1 kg sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1
⁄2 teaspoon cumin
500 ml chicken stock
200 ml coconut milk
1 tablespoon chopped coriander
Method:
Place onion, garlic chilli, ginger, and sweet potato
into a 4-litre bowl. Cook covered on P10 for 10-12
minutes, stirring halfway through cooking. Stir in
cumin, chicken stock and coconut milk. Cook on P10
for 10-12 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.
Add coriander and stir. Allow to cool slightly then
puree in a blender or food processor. Serve topped
with extra coriander and chilli.
Soups and Snacks
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