Gazpacho (Cold Spanish Vegetable Soup)

This refreshing cold soup is very easy to make. Also a good option to make a day in advance.

Serves 4:

- 6 tomatoes

- 1 big cucumber

- 1 big red pepper

- 1/2 onion

- 1 clove garlic

- 1 stalk celery

- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

- 2 tbsp wine vinegar

- 1/2 red chili, deseeded and chopped

- 1 cup water

- salt

- pepper

Put all the ingredients except salt and pepper in a blender (you may need to do this in batches if you use a hand blender) and process until smooth. Season and refrigerate for at least an hour. Serve cold with chopped pepper, onion, celery, tomato, cucumber (or just one of these) and garlic croutons.

For the garlic croutons: cut some white bread into small chunks, sprinkle with olive oil, chopped garlic, parsley and salt. Fry the pieces of bread over medium heat in a dry pan until golden and crispy (stir continuously to prevent burning!). Serve immediately or let cool down and keep in an airtight container.

Fragrant Corn soup with Lemon grass

This is a super sweet and creamy (no cream) corn soup with a delicate touch of lemongrass. Worth the try!

- 4 corncobs

- 1 liter milk
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 potato, peeled and chopped
- 1 celery stick, chopped
- 2 lemongrass stems cut in 3
- a few fresh thyme sprigs
- 3 bay leaves
- (1 tbsp butter)
- (chives)


Halve the cobs and cut the kernels from the cobs.
Bring cobs to a boil in a pan with milk. Remove from stove.
Saute onion, carrot, celery and potato in a splash of olive oil for about 3 minutes on medium heat.
Add corn kernels, thyme, lemongrass and bay leaves and saute for another 2 minutes.
Add milk plus cobs and simmer for 30 minutes.
Let it cool down, discard cobs, thyme, bay leaves and lemongrass and puree (with a tablespoon of butter, or without for the healthier version) in a blender. Add some water for a thinner soup.
Pass through a fine sieve and serve hot, sprinkled with chopped chives.

Spicy Pumpkin Soup

This is a super easy and healthy soup. I'm not really a pumpkin fan myself, but this soup is just delicious!

Serves 4:

- about 500 g pumpkin/squash, peeled, deseeded and cut in to chunks
- 1 zucchini (or 2 or 3 baby courgettes), roughly chopped
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 cm of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tsp (hot) curry powder
- handful of fresh coriander
- ½ liter water or (vegetable) stock

Brown onion in a pan with some olive oil, add ginger and curry powder, saute for one or two minutes.

Add pumpkin and saute for two minutes more.

Add water or stock and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the pumpkin is getting soft.

Add zucchini and simmer for five more minutes.

Turn stove off and let cool a bit, then add half of the coriander and puree in a blender. Serve hot, with some more fresh coriander (and a dollop of yoghurt).