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Get-well-soon soup

By Philippa Jamieson 

Any time I feel remotely unwell, I whip up a batch of this super flavourful and nourishing soup. Serves 4–6.

This is a versatile soup. You can play around with quantities depending on your taste, and use whatever veges are in season: potatoes, pumpkin, parsnip, kūmara, Jerusalem artichoke, yams, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, kale, shredded cabbage.

Red lentils are quick to cook in this soup, but you could instead add cooked brown lentils, or cooked beans such as pinto or adzuki. 

For an even more Asian flavour, add some chopped Vietnamese mint while cooking, or garnish with freshly chopped coriander.

Recipe first published in Organic NZ, June/July 2018

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Ingredients 

  • 1                 large onion, finely chopped
  • 2–3             garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 T              ginger, grated
  • 1 T              soy sauce
  • 1 T              vinegar (balsamic or apple cider)
  • ¼ t              chilli (or more, to taste)
  • salt to taste
  • 1 T              coconut or olive oil
  • ½ cup         red lentils
  • 1 litre          stock or water
  • 2–3 stalks   celery
  • 1                 large carrot, sliced
  • 2 cups        kūmara, cubed
  • 2 cups        broccoli or cauliflower florets
  • 2 cups        chopped leafy greens such as kale, cabbage, spinach, silverbeet, puha or nettle
  • 1 T              miso, dissolved in ½ cup hot water
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 2–3 T          karengo seaweed, dried

Method

  1. Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, then add the first 7 ingredients.
  2. Put the lid on, reduce heat, and let the base ingredients ‘sweat’ for 5-10 minutes.
  3. Add lentils and stock or water, and bring to a simmer.
  4. After 10 minutes, add celery and carrots.
  5. After another 5 minutes, add kūmara.
  6. Once root veges and lentils are becoming soft, add broccoli and cook a further 5 minutes.
  7. Add leafy greens and cook 5 more minutes.
  8. Turn off heat, add lemon juice and miso, and stir through.
  9. Put some karengo to each person’s bowl, then ladle in the soup.
Philippa Jamieson was editor of Organic NZ magazine (2008-2021) and is now the editor of the monthly e-news and website content.

Hot cross buns

By Isabel Pasch 

Enriched and decorated breads are a European Easter tradition that dates back thousands of years. Easter was the festival held at the (northern hemisphere) spring equinox in celebration of the Germanic goddess Eostre, the goddess of dawn. It was the end of the long winter fast. The Christian version was really just a takeover of this festivity.

In Europe, enriched and braided brioche breads grace Easter breakfast tables. In Britain, spiced and fruit-enriched hot cross buns became the popular national treat.

Recipe first published in Organic NZ, March/April 2021

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Freshly baked hot cross buns

Equipment needed

  • 1 baking tray or 1 approx. 24 cm square or round cake tin
  • Kitchen Aid (optional)
  • Piping bag with fine tip, or plastic freezer bag
  • 1 large mixing bowl

Ingredients (makes 10–12 hot cross buns) 

  • 750 g        strong bread flour
  • 400 ml      milk
  • 1               egg
  • 150 g        unsalted butter
  • 150 g        golden sugar
  • 1 tsp         vanilla essence or ½ scraped vanilla pod
  • 1 pinch     salt
  • 3 tsp         active dry yeast or 40 g fresh yeast

Egg glaze

  • 1               egg
  • 3 Tbsp      water
  • 1 pinch     sugar
  • 1 tsp         spice mix (as below)

Spice mix

  • 2 tsp         ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp         ground ginger
  • 1 tsp         ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp         ground coriander
  • 1 tsp         ground allspice
  • 1 pinch     ground cloves

Dried fruit mix

  • 80 g          raisins
  • 40 g          cranberries
  • 20 g          currants
  • 20 g          dried apricots

Cross mix

  • 150 ml      milk
  • 50 g          flour

Method

  1. All ingredients should be at room temperature. Start by soaking the fruit (for 1 hour).
  2. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the milk and add 1 Tbsp of the sugar. Add approximately 150 g flour and mix to a runny batter. Stand in a warmish place for about 30–45 min or until the mixture is bubbling and starting to rise.
  3. Add the rest of the flour, sugar, egg, vanilla, salt and spices. Roughly mix with a wooden spoon.
  4. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and use your hands. Knead and punch the dough until all ingredients are combined and the dough is smooth. Add the butter. Now it gets a little messy again, but as the dough starts to bind the butter, it will become smooth and shiny. Mix by hand for about 10 minutes. Or, if using a kitchen aid or similar, use the dough hook and start on slow for 3 minutes, then go to fast for 3 minutes. After adding the butter, knead for another 2–3 minutes or until the butter is fully incorporated.
  5. Drain fruit mix, add to dough, and mix until evenly distributed (1 min if using a mixer).
  6. Return dough to the bowl, cover it with a teatowel and let it rise in a warm place for 60–90 min or until doubled in size. (Tip: you can do this rise overnight. Instead of letting your dough rise, place it in the fridge and take it out the next morning. It pays to reduce the amount of yeast by 1/3 for this step.)
  7. Tip the dough out of the bowl and punch it flat. Divide it into 10–12 equal portions. Roll into round buns and set at equal distance in your greased cake tin or free shape on a tray, and leave to rise for another 30–40 minutes.
  8. Preheat oven to 200ºC.
  9. Just before placing them in the oven, pipe on the cross mix with a piping bag fitted with a fine tip. Or a plastic freezer bag with one corner cut off (small hole) will work fine as a single-use piping bag.
  10. Glaze the buns around the crosses with the egg and spice mix.
  11. Immediately after placing the buns in the oven, drop the temperature to 180ºC. Bake for approximately 30–35 minutes or until golden brown on top. Let cool a little before serving.
Isabel Pasch in the kitchen of Bread and Butter Bakery, Auckland
Isabel Pasch in the kitchen of Bread and Butter Bakery, Auckland. By training a microbiologist and science journalist, Isabel is passionate about organics and ran a bakery for 14 years until 2024, baking a wide range of breads, pastries and more, using certified organic ingredients.