February 18, 2008

POTATO, APPLE, ARUGULA SOUP AND FRUIT CHAAT



Potato, Apple, Arugula soup is my contribution to Lisa from "Food and Spice" for her "No croutons required" event. For this month's theme, she asks us to cook a "vegetarian soup" which makes even carnivorous diners drool! Hope they all drool over this yummy soup!! Thanks for hosting Lisa!:))


About "Soup":
According to the dictionary, "Soup is a liquid food prepared from meat, fish, or vegetable stock combined with various other ingredients and often containing solid pieces."
The word soup originates from "Sop", a dish originally consisting of a soup or thick stew which was soaked up with pieces of bread.
One of the first soups made is dated back to about 6000 B.C. and was made of hippopotamus or the hearts of 5 sparrows!! Ahhhh!!!:D (Info from WIKI)

I found the recipe for this soup in a one pot dish cookbook. Combination of hearty chunks of Potato, sweet-tart Apple and spicy, peppery Arugula which is rich in Vitamin C and iron, with added beans, red peepers and light spices, it sounded great to me. So here it is, enjoy and absolutely no Croutons needed for this soup at all!:)

Potato, Apple and Arugula soup:



You need:

2 tbsp Butter,
2 large red waxy potatoes, peeled and cubed,
1/2 red Onion, chopped into big pieces,
2 Tart Apples, cut into chunks,
2 cups Arugula, chopped to half if they are large,keep them whole if they are young and tender.(You can use baby Spinach too to replace Arugula)
1 large bottled roasted red bell pepper,chopped,
1/2 cup canned Kidney Beans,
4 cups Vegetable Stock,
1 tsp Allspice powder,
salt and pepper and 2 tsp Lemon juice.

Any crusty bread you like to serve with soup. I had Pretzel bread roll.

To make the soup:
1. Heat the butter in a heavy bottomed deep pan. Add onion and potato cubes and saute for 5-7mins stirring constantly.
2. Add in Apples, red pepper, Kidney beans and stir. Pour in the veg stock, Allspice pd, salt and pepper to your taste.
3. Bring to boil, turn down the heat to simmer, cover and cook for 15mins.
4. Add Arugula (or Spinach), lemon juice, simmer until potatoes are fork tender.
5. It's ready eat now but if you want the soup creamy, take out 1/4 of the soup and blend and pour back into the soup. I prefer chunky veggies in thin stock.
6. Garnish with Apple slices or few Arugula and serve it warm in bowls with crusty bread. This serves four people easily. Great comforting soup for cold Winter days!

One more look:


Enjoy!:)

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I made a popular Indian savory and sweet "Fruit Chaat" for Marta from "An Italian in the US" blog for her "Fresh Produce of the Month" event. She has chosen "Orange" this month. Thanks for Marta!:)



Fruit Chaat is a popular Indian savory "fruit salad" and with added tangy, spicy Chaat powder to chilled sweet assortment of fruits makes it a very refreshing, lip smacking dish to have in Summer or any day! It also makes a great side dish with Barbecued meat too!:)

Fruit Chaat:



You need these to make Fruit Chaat:
1/4 cup each of Mandarin Oranges or any kind of Oranges including blood oranges, Tangerines etc, sliced Bananas, ripe Mangoes cubed, Apples cubed, Melon cubes, Pineapple cubes, Pears, Grapes, 1 tsp Lemon juice.
Spices: 1-2 tsp Chaat powder, pinch of salt, 1/2 tsp Sugar, 1/8 tsp pepper powder, 1 tsp finely minced fresh Mint leaves.


To make it:
1. Mix all the assorted fruits in a bowl with lemon juice, chill it in the fridge for an hour.
2. Add the spices, mix gently and chill again to serve on it's own or with BBQ meat.

Chaat Masala: Chaat masala powder packet is available in any Indian store. If you want to make it at home, here is how to make a simple Chaat pd, some have cloves etc but I like this. Amchoor is the main ingredient which is a tangy powder made by dry Mango slices.

2 tbsp Mango powder (Amchoor), 1 tsp Cumin seeds powder, 1/2 Ginger powder, pinch of salt, 1/4 tsp sugar, 1/8 tsp each of red chilli pepper and black pepper. Mix all this and store in air tight container and use as much as you need to mix with fruits or to sprinkle on snacks.
Have a great week!:)

59 comments:

Pravs said...

Lovely pics..was not able to see first 2 pics though. I didn't know how to make chaat masala from scratch.. now i can :)

Namratha said...

The soup looks chunky and delicious, love the look of it too. Ahhh chaat, reminded me of eating this from the street vendors, used to love it. Nice entries :) Howz the weather there now? Last week you said it snowed right?

Siri said...

Dear ashaji, the soup looks soo yummy n comforting for these chilly weathers..:D.. Love the fruit chat too!.. by the way, I made 'Kottu Parotta' from Aroma.. and just loved it.. I posted it today..:))

take care n cya!

Hugs,
Siri

FH said...

Pravs, blogger is giving lot of trouble this morning, had to reload pics 3 times!!
Hope you can see them now. Chaat masala is easy to make, even easier to buy!:))

Namratha, it snowed for one day, next day it was all gone. Now it's warm but raining a bit this morning because of the Tornado in Alabama.
I love fruit chaat too!:)

FH said...

I just checked the Kottu paratha Siri, looks yum! I just came home from the dental appointment and trying to catch up with everyone now!:D

VINI said...

Hey Asha, as always I'm amazed by your new additions. Was unable to see 2 pics of the latest ones. How do you make your dishes look so good?! It's like when we go to a restaurant saying we are not hungry, but as soon as we open the door we feel starved...it's the same effect going through your blog :). Delightful.

Finla said...

The soup looks really delicious. Even half a carnivorous like me is converted. And it looks so filling which i love about soup.
Love the chat too.

FH said...

Vini, glad you liked them. It's just fun to add new combos and experiment a little when cooking dishes!:))
I can see the pics now, just checked but I think few are having trouble seeing them, don't know why! Will check again!:)

Hi F, how are you doing? Still have ears? :D
Yeah, this is purely vegetarian, yummy to taste with addition of Peppery Arugula and Allspice. Hope you try!:)

TBC said...

The soup sounds good. I'm trying to imagine what it tastes like.:-)
Fruit chaat is one of the healthiest desserts. No need to feel guilty about eating it either.

sra said...

Your photos always look so bright and colourful! I've eaten fruit chaat just once, you know!

FH said...

tbc, allspice is almost like garam masala but it's not as strong, really tastes great. Yeah, for meat lovers, this would boring but apple and Arugula gives it a zing!:)

sra, fruit chaat is very easy to make as long as you have assorted fruits. Try it again, lip smacking for Summer days!I like MDH Chaat pd too!:)

sunita said...

Absolutely looove your soup...I'm so going to try this...thanks.

Jayashree said...

The soup looks wholesome and healthy.....thx Asha..

Kalai said...

Looks great, Ashakka! The soup would be a wonderful balance of flavors. Never had fruit chaat before, but it looks and sounds awesome! Great entries! :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha,
fruit chaat looks mouth watering.reminds me of my college days.

shalini

FH said...

I hope you do Sunita, it was yummy. You could throw in some meal balls too if you like!:))

Do make some Jaya, very easy and a quick meal!:)

FH said...

Kalai, my mom used to sprinkle some pepper powder on Pineapple slices, it's the same idea but tastes even better with Chaat pd. Try it!:)

Shalini, we all have memories associated with certain food we ate as kids in India.That's the fun of it to recreate them in here. Feels so good, isn't it?!:))

Jaya M said...

Every time is afeast time here Asha,
fruit chaat is what i am craving for now .thanks for sharing
hugs and smiles
jaya

FH said...

Phata phat Chaat, eh Jaya? :))

vimmi said...

Hi Ashaji,
You participate in all events, don't you. Never cooked with aragula though. The last pic of soup with a piece of bread looks so inviting.

I have ordered the book Dakshin from Amazon. Should be here this week. I am so excited about it.

Waiting for ur bharta. I have made panipuri today with 5 different types of waters, will blog about it tomorrow

Lakshmi said...

Ashakka, Your soup reminded me of Chinese Clear Soups. A medley of all vegetables in stock...yumm it must be. Fruit Chat looks colorful, I make them too. Healthy way to eat fruits.

Red Chillies said...

Totally new combination Apple and Arugula, in fact it threw me off. I have heard about Arugula from Rachael Ray's cooking. She calls it rocket lettuce or something and says it is spicy. Is that true? I need to try it once.

EC said...

both the dishes look so delicious...thanks for the chat masala recipe

Srivalli said...

Soup and Chaat looks great Asha,...you always come up with such different recipes..nice to know..both hubby and son are doing good now!..take care..

KonkaniBlogger said...

Love the colour of the soup Asha. It looks so filling and complete. Nice chaat too :)...

Sig said...

Asha darling, this is my fourth attempt to get to the comment form, something is wrong with your site today, may be its just blogger :(

Anyways, just wanted to say that I love the addition of apples to the arugula soup... sweet and bitter will go really well! Love arugula, so I know I am gonna love this...

Sia said...

soup looks delicious ashakka. much needed one for me. not keeping well today. got running nose with fever and throat infection. there is a drastic change in the weather here. the night temp was -10 deg celcius.

FH said...

Vimmi, they are all my blog buddies,so I try and make something for all their events if I can!:))
Dakshin is excellent. Also buy few Mallika Badrinath's books in India, they are great and inexpensive too.
Pani Puri with 5 waters, YUM!

lg, stock gives all the flavors, without it soup would be little boring!:)

FH said...

rc, Arugula tastes peppery and great to eat in salad as it is but cooked lightly would be great too. It is little more expensive than the regular lettuce, but you should try it once in a while.

EC, Chaat masala is basically is tangy, salty powder with cumin flavor. There are Chaat pd with garam masala too, it would be too spicy on the fruit, I like light spices.

FH said...

Hi Sri, made your Kurma y'day, was yummy!:)
Yeah, both have recovered now, nasty flu is going around here this year!

Thanks Maya. Nothing is better than biting into chunky veggies in soups!:)

FH said...

Sig, had some blogger/Google problem y'day. I couldn't get into my own blogs for few hrs and it was frustrating but it's working fine now. It happened to lot of blogs too, we were all complaining by hundreds!
Apple is great addition, sweet and tart, try it!:)

Oh Sia, so sorry. This year, Flu is really nasty here too, it lasts for 3 weeks at a time. Rest and have some hot and spicy soup. That's all we can do until it goes away. Take care of yourself. Hugs!:))

Laavanya said...

What a unique combination of ingredients in that soup Asha!
The fruit chaat looks delicious and something that I ought to try soon.

FH said...

Arugula and Apple is great combo Laavi, try it.Potato just gives the body!:)

Seena said...

I forgot to look the recipe, seeing the red beauty..:D Nice pan to serve the soup!
DELICIOUS!!!

Vanamala Hebbar said...

fruit chaat is coool ... :)

Suganya said...

So this is the soup you were talking about... Fruit chat sounds great. I presume it does well with other fruits too.

Meera said...

The soup looks fantastic. Chaat too, looks so good. awesome pictures, as always.

FH said...

Seena, I found a wooden tray in World market last week, thought I would show off here! Hahaha!

Yeas it is Mala, and spicy too!:)

FH said...

Yes it is Suganya and for the fruit chaat, you can any sweet and tart fruits, goes well with spicy chaat pd!:)

Thanks Meera. If the light is right, I will get a great pics. Sometimes I just delete them because they come out so bad!:D

Sagari said...

love the combination of potato and apple in a soup ashaji

amna said...

hadnt heard of arugula before! i dont know how you manage to come up with such amazingly unique recipes :)

FH said...

Sagari,thanks girl. Sweet and tart soup tastes great, try it!:)

I don't think you get Arugula in India Nags, but it has a peppery taste, great in salads. For this soup, you can add Spinach too!:)

Daily Meals said...

Both the dishes are looking yummy Asha!

FH said...

Thanks Vijaya, hope you make the soup this weekend!:)

Rama said...

Lovely Pctures.....Your photos always look so bright and colourful..

FH said...

Thank you Rama, hope you try!:)

Pooja said...

Wow , everything here suits to my taste today , no non-veg dish :)) .
soup looks yummy , i can really slurp it all without having crontouns :)) .
. that salad is simple yet so tempting ,thats what your creativity is my lovely friend.
A beary hug to you :) .thanks a lot for sharing all the recipe.

DK said...

Thats one differnt combo for the soup! Never tried a fruity combo....

And with regards to our "secret" comments - I have only one thing to say - You are such a darling :) slow but a chweet one at that..hahahaha

chemcookit said...

Asha,
thanks a lot for taking part to the event! It looks really good!
I'm sorry, but I still didn't receive your email! I don't know what's going on. In any case, I sent myself an email remainder, so I'll be able to add this lovely entry to the roundup.

FH said...

Thanks Pooja,most of the time it's vegetarian fare here, sometimes I have non-veg!:)

DK, thanks from your slow friend! HeeHee!
Apple and Arugula go well together, hope you try buddy!:)

Marta, I am puzzled too! All my entries are going to your spam. I did follow all your e mail protocol as you said in your post! Hmmm..!! Strange!
I can send you again if you like. Glad to see you here though. Enjoy!:)

Annu said...

Hi Asha,So glad to see your comment on my blog.Fruit chaat the name itself makeing me do it rite now. Nice entry.......

FH said...

Thanks Annu, glad to see you here too girl. Try it this weekend.
Visit Foodie's Hope, that's my main blog ie if you don't know about it. These are dishes cooked just for events and posted here!:))
Have a great weekend.

krystyna said...

Hi Asha!
I like any kind of soup, spacially with potatos. Your soup sounds very yummy and you serve it in beautiful way.
Soup is healthy, specially in winter.
Thanks for this inform about soup. Very interesting.

krystyna said...

I never ate Fruit (Chaat) with spicy.
Photo is beautiful. Maybe I'll try some day.

Have a great weekend!

FH said...

Thanks K, hope you try the fruit chaat. Little different from the usual fruit salad!:)

Kribha said...

Apple in a soup? That's so different. I've never tried this combination before. Fruit chaat looks so simple. With my hubby at home all day I'm trying to do different dishes to impress him. So, this chaat is on the list. Will be trying out soon.

FH said...

Fruit chaat is yummy Kribah, try it. It's great for the kids as well. You can add any fruits you have at home too!:)

Mansi said...

man! your platter and spread keeps getting bigger and bigger madam!!

that chilli oil is awesome:) the apple-arugula rocks!

btw, you are NOT ALLOWED to take your spring break before you send me an entry for WBB-Balanced Breakfast, ok!!:) hehehe:D

FH said...

Yes madam, as you say!!:D

I will be making something easy and delicious for you tomorrow but takes time to type in though. I have got about 10 days from today and then I am off for a month or less!:)