How about a steaming bowl of soup to keep you warm on a cold and quiet winter evening. Try making ‘Hot n Sour’ soup in your kitchen –this soup will leave you feeling full and nourished – perfect for a cosy night in by the fire. It is a hearty and vibrant vegan soup with delicious soaked red chillies, vinegar and garlic.

Follow the recipe step by step-

Serves: 5

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

Dry chillies                      3 (deseeded and soaked in warm water for an hour)

Garlic                                2 flakes

Vinegar                             4 tsp

Oil                                       3 tbsp

French beans                     2 (tender and sliced finely)

Mushrooms                        6 (finely chopped)

Cabbage                               ½ cup (finely chopped)

Carrot                                    1 (medium finely chopped)

Vegetable stock                   4 cups

Sugar                                      1 tsp

Black pepper powder           ½ tsp

Salt                                            to taste

Soya sauce                               2 tsp

Corn flour                                 3 tsp (mixed well with half cup of water)

 Method:

Drain red chillies. Grind them to a fine paste with two teaspoons of vinegar, garlic cloves and one tablespoon of oil.

Heat two tablespoons of oil in a non-stick pan. Add red chilli paste. Stir for a second.

 Add beans and mushrooms. Stir fry for two to three minutes.

 Add cabbage and carrot. Stir fry for two-three minutes more.

Add vegetable stock, sugar, salt, pepper powder, soya sauce and vinegar (two teaspoons).

Boil for five minutes.

Add corn flour paste. Boil for another five minutes or till soup becomes thicker.

You can buy readymade vegetable stock from a good departmental stores but you can make it fresh at home as well.

Home-made vegetable stock – boil 2 chopped carrots, 10 French beans, 5 mushrooms, one cup chopped cabbage, one cup chopped broccoli, one chopped onion in 6 cups of water. Give a whistle in a pressure cooker. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Turn off flame. Let the steam comes out on its own. Open the cooker and simply strain the water without mashing the vegetables. This water is vegetable stock.         

You can enjoy this recipe in cold winter evenings sitting in your lawn or balcony, along with soup sticks, baked garlic bread or even muffins.

Keep yourself healthy and inspired sipping ‘Hot n Sour’ soup on any chilly night.