Red Vegetable Soup

a recipe by Azlan Adnan

INGREDIENTS (in order of appearance)
Half a small pumpkin, peeled then cut into chunks
1 large red onion (about 400 g), diced
2 large red capsicums, roasted, then peeled and sliced thickly
3 large carrots, cut into small pieces
4 large tomatoes, peeled, deseeded, then diced
5 cloves of garlic
125 g of salted butter (half a block)
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 heaped tbsp corn flour
single cream (about 400 to 600 g)
1 tbsp of chilli powder
ground black pepper to taste
Tabasco sauce
1 litre vegetable stock from boiling the carrots and pumpkin (see In the Meantime, below).

METHOD (this is what you do)
Sweat the onions with the garlic in the butter over low fire for about 5 minutes.
Do not brown the onions.
If you brown the onions, start all over.
Add the diced tomatoes and salt and keep sweating for another 15 minutes.
Add the Tabasco and black pepper.
Notice how the texture changes as a result of the low heat and salt.
If there has been no dramatic change in the texture, keep sweating the mixture until it happens.
I repeat, do not brown the onions.
If you brown the onions, start all over.
Sprinkle on the sugar.
Turn the heat up and caramelize (brown) the sugar. This takes about 2 minutes.
Do not burn the sugar.
If you smell something burning or see some black stuff stuck to the bottom of your pot, you've burnt the sugar. Start all over.
Once you have caramelized the sugar, turn the heat down.
Sprinkle on the chilli powder.
Sprinkle on the corn flour.
Continuously stir the gunk (yes, this is how it is supposed to look and feel like at this stage, don't panic) for 2 minutes non-stop over low heat.
Add about 1 litre of vegetable stock and pureed carrot and pumpkin.
Turn the heat up and bring to boil.
Add the roasted red capsicums.
Turn the heat down and gently simmer for 20 minutes.
Spoon the soup into individual bowls.
Add the single cream just before serving.
Do not add the single cream into the pot.
(Big mistake if you did, go start all over again).

IN THE MEANTIME (I told you, you should have read this first)
Boil the carrots and pumpkin until soft.
Reserve the stock.
Blend the carrots and pumpkin with some cold water until well-pureed.
Add back to the stock and stir well.

Copyright 2003-2005 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice