The soup can be served either hot or chilled, with sour cream. It is perfect made a day or 2 in advance, and leftovers are delicious the following day. It is important to purée the soup and pass it through a sieve to get rid of the spice kernels.

60ml olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small chilli, cut in half
3t cumin seeds
2t coriander seeds
750g carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 large onions, peeled and cut into large chunks
4 sticks celery, washed and cut into chunks
1 medium fennel bulb, washed and sliced
±700ml water
2t salt
1 large bunch coriander, washed, and leaves separated from stalks
1 handful of leaves retained for garnish

120ml soured cream (optional)

1. Over a medium heat in a heavy-based pot warm the olive oil with the garlic, chilli, cumin and coriander seeds until the spices begin to sizzle and the aroma is released.
2. Turn up the heat, add the vegetables and stir well to coat each piece with the flavoured oil.
3. Cover with a lid and cook without colouring for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add water to barely cover, add salt and the coriander stalks. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer until all the vegetables are soft, ±20 minutes. Strain the vegetables, retaining the stock (the water that the vegetables were boiled in).
5. In a food processor or liquidiser, purée the vegetables. Push the soup through a sieve into a clean pot. Mix the stock into the puréed vegetables to your desired consistency (more stock for a thinner soup) and re-heat (or place in fridge until required).
6. Chop the coriander leaves and stir into the soup, taste and adjust the seasoning.
7. To serve
8. Serve hot or chilled with a scoop of soured cream, a sprig of fresh coriander and focaccia or other crusty bread.

Serves 6

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Boksburg – (011) 823-5365 boksburg@wickedfood.co.za

Runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Piquant, sweet, aromatic, and succulent all at once – this is a wonderful Tanzanian soup,  reflective of the hot African sun, and also a perfect winter warmer.  Serve hot as a filling meal, with a frosty drink on the side to offset the red hot pepper.

Oil for frying
1 large chicken, cut into pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 T dried red chilli, ground to a powder
2 T curry powder
2 t black pepper
1 large tomato, peeled and chopped
2L chicken stock
1 cup desiccated coconut
2 ripe bananas, sliced into chunky quarter pieces
1 large tomato, peeled and cut into wedges, for garnish

1. In a casserole or large pot heat the oil, and brown the chicken pieces. Remove chicken and set aside.
2. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until soft.
3. Add the powdered chilli, curry powder, and the black pepper and fry until fragrant ±2 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes, stock, cooked chicken pieces, and coconut, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Once the  chicken is cooked, remove from the soup, allow to cool, then strip away the meat and cut it into bite-sized chunks, discarding the skin and bones.
6. Add it back into the pot with the banana chunks. Simmer 10 minutes.
7. When ready to serve, ladle into bowls and garnish with tomato wedges.

Serves 4-6

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood Cooking school runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these classes are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Wickedfood Cooking School teaches students how to make this soup in our Thai cooking class. This delicious recipe was inspired by one we saw being made at Thai House Cooking School in Bangkok. According to Pip, of Thai House Cooking School, a good tom yum soup (Sour and spicy prawn soup) should be made and served immediately.

1 litre water
2 lemongrass stems, cut into 5cm pieces
5 slices galangal
3 shallots, sliced
4 kaffir lime leaves, torn into pieces
300g prawns, shelled and deveined
200g mushrooms, cleaned and halved
3-4 chillies, just broken with a pestle
4T lime juice
4T fish sauce
2 coriander plants, chopped coarsely (with the roots and stems)

1. Bring the water to the boil.
2. Add the lemongrass, galangal, shallots and kaffir lime leaves and simmer for 4 minutes.
3. Add the prawns, mushrooms and chillies and return to the boil.
4. Add the lime juice and fish sauce, taste and adjust the seasoning.
5. Add the chopped coriander and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Great Asian recipes – Click here:

Chicken feet

Biryani

Kaeng kari ka – yellow curried chicken

Phanaeng Beef Curry in sweet peanut sauce

Phat Thai

Tom yum kung

Green pawpaw salad

Fish head curry

Warm squid salad in a pineapple

Spiced pork spare ribs

Deep-fried silken tofu

Thai beef salad

3 Cup Chicken

Cooking schools in South East Asia

Thai House cooking school • Bangkok • Thailand

Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School • Thailand

Red Bridge Cooking School • Hoi An • Vietnam

Books reviewed by Wickedfood on Asian food:

Secrets of the Red Lantern

Kylie Kwong: Recipes and Stories

A Passion for Thai Cooking

Balance & Harmony, Asian Food

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Boksburg – (011) 823-5365 boksburg@wickedfood.co.za

Runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these classes are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

A little curry powder and saffron elevate the classic combination of cauliflower and cheese to another dimension in this soup. It is ideal as a winter warmer. This delicious cauliflower soup can be served with warm Indian bread or Cheddar on toast.

The recipe is taken from the Wickedfood cookbook-of-the-week – Cooking for Friends by Gordon Ramsey. This recipe will also be included in our cookbook-of-the-month cooking class, when we will be featuring a number of the recipes from the book and reinterpreting them with lots of additional tips for our students.

¼ cup olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1t mild curry powder
pinch of saffron strands
300ml hot chicken or vegetable stock
300ml milk
100g medium or strong Cheddar, grated

1. Heat half the oil in a large saucepan and add the onions and celery. Stir over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables are beginning to soften.
2. Add the remaining oil, cauliflower florets, curry powder and saffron, and season with salt and pepper. Stir well and cook for a couple of minutes. Cover the pan and cook for another 4-5 minutes, lifting the lid to give the mixture a stir every now and then.
3. Remove the lid and pour in the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, then pour in the milk, adding a splash of water if the liquid does not cover the vegetables. Return to a gentle simmer. Partially cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes until the cauliflower is very soft.
4. Use a hand-held stick blender to liquidize the soup, or blend the soup in 2 batches if using a regular blender.
5. Return the soup to the pan and place over low heat. Bring to a gentle simmer, then slowly stir in the cheese to melt. Loosen the consistency with a little hot water if the soup is too thick, and taste and adjust the seasoning

Serves 4-6

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood® cooking school runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and team building cooking classes these classes are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

This is a Wickedfood Cooking School take on a hearty, comforting Italian winter soup. Originally made with pink and white marbled Borlotti or cranberry beans, it is just as good with tinned cannellini beans, as used here, which cuts preparation time by at least 1 hour. The soup can be prepared entirely ahead of time up to, up to step 5. Add the pasta only when you are going to serve the soup.

1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 carrot, chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
3 or 4 pork ribs or ham bone with some meat on them or 2 small pork chops
1 tin tomatoes, cut up, with their juice
2 tins cannellini beans, with their water
±500ml broth or 1 beef stock dissolved in the same quantity of water
Salt
Freshly ground pepper about 6 twists
±200g small tube pasta
2 T freshly grated Parmesan

1. Heat the oil in a large pot and sauté the onions over medium heat until pale gold.
2. Add the carrot, celery and pork, and sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring the vegetables and turning the pork from time to time.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes and their juice, turn the heat down to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes.
4. Add the drained beans. Let them cook in the tomatoes for 5 minutes, stirring thoroughly, then add the broth and bring to a moderate boil.
5. Remove about half the beans from the pot, purée and return to the pot. Check the soup for density; adding more water if needed, and bring to a steady boil Season.
6. Add the pasta, cooking for about 6 minutes, (the pasta is very firm to the bite, the soup should stand for about 10 minutes before serving, so if you do not stop the cooking when the pasta is very firm it will be quite mushy by the time it gets to the table.)
7. Just before serving, add the grated cheese.

Serves 6

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Boksburg – (011) 823-5365 boksburg@wickedfood.co.za

Runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these classes are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.