Chicken Soup with Fusilli

When we were young, Mum used to cook this for us when we were ill as chicken soup is known to have healing properties. She would add alphabets shaped pasta instead... Awww!! It sure brings back sweet old memories of our childhood...

I've improvised her recipe with the addition of fennel as it adds an aromatic and sweeter flavour to the soup. Fennel provides an excellent source of Vitamin C and anti-oxidant properties. The high fibre content is also helpful to prevent colon cancer and reduces elevated cholesterol level. 

It's a simple dish which everyone in the family can enjoy! (",)

Ingredients (Serve 2)

2 chicken thighs, cooked and shredded

2 carrots. peeled and diced

3 celery stalks, peeled and finely chopped

1 fennel bulb, outer leaves removed and finely diced

1 white onion, finely diced

1 Chinese parsley stock, finely chopped

2 litres chicken stock

200g fusilli, boiled and drained

Salt

Black pepper

Method

Add some cooking oil into a heated casserole pot.

Sautee the onions till softened. 

Stir in the carrots and cook for about 5 mins and then throw in the celery and fennel.

One min later, add in the stock and lower the heat to simmer till vegetables have softened.

Add in the chicken meat and fusilli and bring the soup to boil again. Stir occasionally.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately with sprinkles of chopped parsley.

Sweet Corn & Carrot Soup

Whenever I know that mum would be cooking this soup for the dinner, I would be so excited and can drink up 2 bowls of it. I simply love the sweetness from the sweet corn and carrots.

The long hours of simmering brought out the fragrance of the sweet corn. It is light and smooth to the throat. Whenever I prepares this soup, I will miss mum. She is the guru of wonderful soups!

Ingredients (Serve 4)
4 sweet corn, cut into 3 sections
2 carrots, cut into small chunks
400g pork ribs / lean pork
2 tbsp wolberries
2 litres water (for stock)

Method
Add boiling water to pork ribs to skim off fat (prevents the soup from turning cloudy). Repeat this step till the water is clear.

Boil water in a pot and add pork ribs. Simmer for 1 hour at low heat.

Add sweet corn and leave to simmer at low heat for another 1 -2 hours.

Place carrots and wolberries and simmer for another hour.

Add salt to taste and serve hot.

Carrot & Potato Soup with White Peppercorns

Since young, dinner will never be complete with a nice bowl of soup. Our family is really fortunate as Mum makes the best soups! She set very high standards on getting the best ingredients and wouldn't mind spending hours brewing it. I'm sure she prepares it with LOVE!

This is just one of her many well-loved soup recipes.

Ingredients (Serve 4)
2 carrots, cut into small chunks
4 potatoes, cut into small chunks
1 large white onion, sliced
400g pork ribs / lean pork
1 small pack of white peppercorns
2 litres water (for stock)

Method
Add boiling water to pork ribs to skim off fat (prevents the soup from turning cloudy). Repeat this step till the water is clear.

Boil water in a pot and add pork ribs. Simmer for 1 hour.

Add onion and peppercorns and simmer for another 1 hour.

Place carrots and potatoes and simmer till softened.

Add salt to taste and serve hot.

Watercress Soup

Argh! The humid weather is taking a toll on me. This is one of my fave slow boiled soup which helps to cool me down. For me, no Chinese dinner is complete without a nice bowl of soup. So good that I can finish 2 bowls of it..

Ingredients (Serve 4)
300g watercress, trimmed
400g pork ribs / lean pork
4 red dates, seeded
2 Mi Zao (sweet dates)
2 litres water (for stock)

Method
Add boiling water to pork ribs to skim off fat (prevents the soup from turning cloudy). Repeat this step till the water is clear.

Boil water in a pot and add pork ribs. Simmer for 1 hour.

Add red dates and Mi Zao to the soup and simmer for 1 hour.

Place watercress in the soup and boil for 20 - 30 mins.

Add salt to taste and serve hot.

Potato & Sweet Corn Chowder

Ingredients (Serve 4)
4 cobs sweet corn
1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, finely diced
1 celery stick, diced
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
700ml vegetable stock
2 tbsp parlsey, finely chopped

Method
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the cobs for 5 mins. Reserve 200ml of water.

Cut the corn kernels from the cobs. Place half portion of the kernels into a food processor with the reserved cooking water. Blend the mixture until smooth.

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add garlic, onion, celery and a large pinch of salt. Cook for 5 mins.

Add potatoes and carrot. Cook for another 5 mins. Add stock, blended mixture and remaining corn kernels. Reduce heat and simmer for approx. 20 mins or until vegetables are softened.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Add parsley before serving.

Non-vegetarian variation: Use chicken or beef stock instead.