Ingredients

3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
half a shallot, peeled and minced
350 g raw pumpkin pulp, cut into cubes
350-400 ml filtered water
whole sea salt, just enough to taste
freshly ground white pepper, to taste
1 yellow pepper, cleaned, peeled and diced
fresh, cleaned oregano, for garnish
dehydrated red peppers, for garnish

Makes 2 servings.

Directions

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil over a medium heat and cook and stir the shallot until translucent. Add the pumpkin, water, salt and pepper, cover with the lid, turn the heat down and cook for about 15 minutes. Stir in the pepper and cook until the pumpkin and pepper are perfectly tender. Remove from heat and blend until you reach a very smooth consistency. Reheat the cream soup if necessary and serve with the fresh oregano and dehydrated red peppers.

Ingredients

600 g watermelon pulp (seeds removed), broken into pieces
1 medium zucchini, cleaned and cut into pieces
1 tomato, cleaned and seeds removed and cut into pieces
1 small red onion, peeled, cut into small pieces
the juice of 6 cm fresh ginger root, cleaned, grated and squeezed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
the juice of half a lemon
1 tablespoon shoyu
half a teaspoon dried ginger powder
whole sea salt, just enough to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Makes 3-4 servings.

Directions

In a blender, puree all the ingredients until you reach te desired texture. Transfer into a bowl and refirgerate for at least 1 hour, taste again for seasoning then divide the soup among serving bowls. Serve chilled.

Ingredients

3 potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
half a cauliflower, cleaned and divided into small florets
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (and some to serve)
a 3-4 cm piece of leek, cleaned and finely chopped
300 ml water (save the water you used to cook the vegetables)
100 ml oat milk, unflavoured and unsweetened
freshly gound black pepper, to taste
smoked sea salt, just enough to taste

Makes 2-3 servings.

Directions

steam the potatoes and cauliflower and keep the cooking water. In a large, heavy bottomed saucepan (or wok) heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the leek until translucent. Add the potatoes and cauliflower and keep cooking for another few minutes. Transfer the vegetables into the bowl of a mixer and process. Pour the water and oat milk very slowly and keep processing until creamy and smooth. Add more water or oat milk if you prefer a thinner texture. Reheat the soup over a low heat if necessary then divide it into individual bowls. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of black pepper and smoked sea salt. Serve warm.

Ingredients

400 g broccoli, cleaned, divided into florets and steamed
200 ml water (the broccoli cooking water)
100 ml oat milk, unflavoured and unsweetened
2 tablespoons tahin
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (and some more for serving)
whole sea salt, just enough to taste
chili powder, to taste
a handful of white sesame seeds

Makes 2-4 servings.

Directions

Place the steamed broccoli, water, oat milk, tahin, olive oil and salt in the bowl of a food processor and blend until very smooth. Heat the soup if necessary, divide it into individual serving bowls, sprinkle some chili powder and olive oil over it and garnish with the sesame seeds.

Ingredients

1 large ripe avocado, peeled
1 zucchini, cleaned
half a medium cucumber, cleaned
a handful of fresh basil, cleaned
250-300 ml almond milk, unsweetened and unflavoured
juice of half a lemon
whole sea salt, just enough to taste
a few pinches of dried, powdered ginger
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-2 teaspoons coriander infused oil (here’s how you can prepare it: place 2-3 teaspoons coriander seeds in a glass jar and add 150-200 ml extra virgin olive oil, seal and leave in a cool, dark place to infuse for about two weeks. You can either strain the oil or leave the coriander seeds in for a stronger flavour)
freshly ground green pepper, to taste
fresh chives, if desired, for garnish

Makes 2 servings.

Directions

Combine the avocado, zucchini, cucumber, basil, almond milk, lemon juice, salt, ginger and olive oil in a blender and blend on high until very smooth. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes then ladle into bowls or dishes. Add a drizzle of coriander infused oil, sprinkle with some green pepper and garnish with chives if desired.

Ingredients

For the fava bean soup

700 g dried fava beans, soaked in filtered water for 12 hours, drained then rinsed under cold running water
1 small shallot, peeled and chopped
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
whole sea salt, just enough to taste

For the cherry tomato and basil relish

2 handfuls cherry tomatoes, cleaned and cut into halves or quarters
extra virgin olive oil, to taste (and some more, to serve)
whole salt, just enough to taste
a large handful of fresh basil, cleaned and chopped

Makes 4 servings.

Directions

Cook the fava beans until very tender (use 2 parts water to 1 part beans). In a pot, sauté the shallot in the olive oil, then add it to the soup. Season with salt and process with a blender until smooth. Let cool at room temperature then refrigerate.

Place the cherry tomatoes in a salad bowl, add the olive oil, salt and basil and toss. Refrigerate until serving time.

When the soup is cold and ready to be served, divide it among individual bowls then top with some extra olive oil and the cherry tomato and basil relish.

Ingredients

100 g dried and peeled chestnuts, soaked in filtered water for 20 minutes
1 medium celeriac, peeled and cut into pieces
whole sea salt
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Himalayan salt, just enough to taste
400 ml filtered water (you can use all or part of the leftover cooking water you used to steam the celeriac)
400 ml plain and unsweetened oat milk
freshly ground black pepper, just enough to taste
hazelnut oil, to taste
fresh parsley leaves, to taste

Makes 2-4 servings.

Directions

Boil the chestnuts in filtered, slightly salted water until very tender (it will take no less than 30 minutes), then rinse them under cold running water and rub off any dark skins. In the meantime, place the celeriac bits in a steamer fitted over a saucepan, add enough water to reach the bottom of the steamer and sprinkle with some salt. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and steam just until tender (it will take about 15 minutes). Remove the celeriac from the heat and transfer it in the bowl of a food processor, add the chestnuts, olive oil, Himalayan salt, water and oat milk and process until very smooth. Add some more water or milk if you like a runnier soup (using milk only will make the texture a bit richer). Reheat the soup if necessary, then stir it into serving bowls, sprinkle some black pepper and hazelnut oil over it and garnish with the parsley leaves.

Ingredients

1 small pumpkin
a pinch of whole sea salt
filtered water (to cook the pumpkin)
2 apples (I used Red Delicious), peeled and cut into cubes or slices
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, and some more to serve
juice of 3 cm fresh ginger root
a large handful of pumpkin seeds
half a teaspoon dried, powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt

Makes 2-4 servings.

Directions

Peel the pumpkin and remove the seeds, then cut the flesh into cubes. Place the pumpkin cubes in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, sprinkle with the salt, and add the water. Cover and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, until soft. Add some more water if necessary. When cooked, set aside and allow to cool a bit, then transfer the mixture into a food processor. Add the apples, the olive oil and the ginger juice and blend until smooth and creamy, adding some more water for a much looser texture (in case you do add some more water, make sure it’s not too cold). Briefly crush the pumpkin seeds in a mortar with the ginger and salt. Gently reheat the soup if necessary, transfer into cups or serving bowls and sprinkle with olive oil and some of the pumpkin seeds-ginger-salt mixture before serving.

Thoughts, tips, ideas

This soup is good warm or at room temperature but also colder. You can even  make it completely baby-friendly and leave the ginger (as well as the pumpkin seeds and salt) out.

Ingredients

For the soup

1/2 ripe pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into pieces
2 cucumbers, ends cut off, washed, peeled and cut into pieces
1/2 shallot, peeled and chopped
2 handfuls of almonds, peeled and soaked for 1 hour
juice of 1 lemon
3 teaspoons agave syrup
3 cm fresh ginger root, peeled
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (and some more for the garnish)
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt
1/2 teaspoon powdered coriander seeds
a pinch of ground white pepper
a pinch of chilli powder (and some more to garnish, if desired)
1 cup of natural mineral or filtered water, chilled

For the pesto

3 handfuls of Brazilian nuts
2 cloves of garlic
4 large handfuls of fresh basil
whole sea salt, just enough to taste
zest of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
natural mineral or filtered water, just enough to reach the right texture

Makes 2 servings.

Directions

Place all the soup ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or blender and purée. You can add some more water if necessary. Once you finish processing, let the soup cool completely (freeze for the first 30 minutes then transfer into the fridge for another 30 minutes). In the meantime, you can prepare the pesto.

Coarsely chop the nuts in a food processor or coffee grinder. Peel and mince the garlic. Wash the basil leaves and break them with your fingers. Place the nuts and garlic in a (preferably marble) mortar and pound briefly with the pestle. Add the basil, salt and lemon zest and pound a bit more.  Slowly pour the olive oil  while you keep stirring with the pestle, then add the water, little by little, until you get  to the right texture (it should still be  a bit chunky to better complement the very light consistency of the soup).  If you don’t have a mortar, you can use a food processor to make the pesto but be careful not to overprocess and overheat the mixture, which would lose  both colour and taste. However, the best option is to use a mortar and pestle method. As soon as the soup is completely chilled, divide it into  individual serving cups and top with a dollop of pesto. Sprinkle over a little chilli powder, finish with another little drizzle of olive oil if desired and serve.

Part sauce, part soup, part side dish, this creamed pumpkin is versatile, simple and delicious. You can enjoy it as a sauce with almost any kind of pasta and other grain-based dishes. As it’s incredibly smooth, it makes a perfect soup. It can also be wonderful paired with beans.

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

1 medium sized pumpkin
half a leek
whole sea salt, to taste
chili powder, to taste
half a teaspoon dried ginger powder
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups filtered water, and some more to blend, if necessary

Directions:

Clean, trim and slice the leek. Peel the pumpkin and remove the seeds, then cut the flesh into cubes. Pour the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the leek and stir fry for 1 minute. Stir in the pumpkin cubes, sprinkle with the ginger, some salt and chili powder and add the water. Cover and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, until soft. Add some more water if necessary. When cooked, set aside and allow to cool a bit, then transfer the mixture into a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy, adding some more water for a looser texture. Reheat before serving.

Ingredients

1 ripe cantaloupe pulp, seeds removed, cut into cubes
2 cucumbers, peeled
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 cm fresh ginger root, peeled
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
the juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons apple vinegar
half a teaspoon whole sea salt
ground white pepper, to taste
ground paprika, to taste
red chili powder, to taste
1 red pepper, diced
half a cup filtered water

Makes 4 servings.

Directions

In a blender, puree all the ingredients except the diced red pepper. When smooth, divide the soup among serving bowls and stir in the diced red pepper. Taste for seasoning and serve chilled.

Tips, thoughts, ideas

The sweetness of ripe cantaloupe is the key to this delicious cold dish. Characterized by a distinctive spicy-fruity taste, this soup works beautifully on a hot day as an appetizer or as a quick meal.