This is one of my favourite soups from one of my favourite recipe books: Rebar. It is a deep rich soup made traditionally with yams and peanuts, but as my son has a peanut allergy we substituted peanut free almond butter (Barney Butter). It is spiced with cumin and corriander combined with lime and pineapple making for a delicious vegetarian soup.

I made it a few weeks ago, just after my Dad went into hospital. While ostensibly for him, this soup would have been too spicy and was just perfect to see me through the week. I ate some of it, gave some it away to a friend and froze the rest. Cost-wise, we figure the whole batch cost approximately $12 and made 8 servings, coming in at $1.75/serving, half of the price of Amy’s soups (currently ranging from $3-$4, depending on the store). I packed it in reused plastic containers that are a good serving size, so no extra waste. A most delicious soup!

While I used chicken stock from the cupboard, the next soup will have bone stock, started today! What a wonderful feeling to be back in the kitchen, making stuff I really enjoy. While I think there is a balance to be had between convenience in this busy world (my Dad is, after all, in the hospital and life has been even more hectic -hence this late post), I have always found cooking to be a time to slow down, to take the time to really enjoy the senses. It is a practice of mindfulness, where you can truly focus on the here and now and the relationship between the flavours and textures that you are working with. Here, the lime is a beautiful addition. Lime deepens flavours and really brings them out. I remember when I added lime and mint to strawberry jam. Devine! The strawberry flavour was intense! Here, the lime balances and delivers the combination of spices, pineapple and ginger to the taste buds. Lovely!

So very fulfilling to be carrying on the thoughts from last term’s consumption blog. Putting learning and reflection into practice.

Refrences

Alsterberg, Audrey & Urbanowicz, Wanda. (2001). Rebar: modern food cookbook. Big Ideas Publishing Inc.