Won Ton Soup

Yum .. This soup is amazing, and you can throw some bok choy into the soup at the end to add a little extra veggie into this delicious soup!

Won Ton Soup
(Essential Asian Cookbook)

Ingredients

250g (8 oz) raw prawns
4 dried Chinese mushrooms
250g (8 oz) pork mince
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 tbsp finely sliced water chestnuts
1 x 250g (8 oz) packet won ton wrappers
5 cups (1.25 litres) chicken or beef stock
4 spring onions, very finely sliced, for garnish


Directions

Peel, devein and finely chop the prawns.
Cover the mushrooms with hot water and soak them for 20 minutes. Drain and squeeze to remove excess liquid. Remove stems and chop the caps finely. Thoroughly combine the prawn meat, mushrooms, pork, salt, soy sauce, sesame oil, spring onion, ginger and water chestnuts.
Work with 1 won ton wrapper at a time, keeping the remainder covered with a clean, damp tea towel to stop them from drying out. Place heaped teaspoons of mince mixture in the centre of each square. Moisten the edges of the wrapper, fold it in half diagonally and bring the 2 points together. Place the won tons on a plate dusted with flour to prevent sticking.
Cook the won tons in rapidly boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes. Bring the stock to the boil in a separate pan. Remove the won tons from the water with a slotted spoon and place them in a serving bowl. Garnish with the extra spring onion and pour the simmering stock over them. Serve immediately.

NOTE: The won tons can be prepared one day ahead up to Step 4 and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. Cook just before serving. A 250g (8 oz) packet of won ton wrappers contains 60 small sheets- wrap any leftover sheets in cling wrap and freeze.

Asparagus Soup

Asparagus Soup with Herbed Goat Cheese taken from the Food Network

Now, I'm not a huge fan of asparagus, but this recipe is delicious! Go easy on the salt, it needs very little!! Enjoy!

Ingredients

Goat cheese:

• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) goat cheese, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Vegetable Oil cooking spray

Soup:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 large leek (white and light green part only), thinly sliced
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  
• 2 pounds medium asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Special equipment: a 1/2-ounce cookie or ice cream scoop
  

Directions : Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Goat cheese

Using a fork, in a small bowl, combine the goat cheese and basil until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Using a 1/2-ounce cookie scoop or a round tablespoon measure sprayed with vegetable oil cooking spray, scoop the goat cheese into balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Soup: In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring constantly until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the broth, asparagus and basil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the asparagus is tender, about 15 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat.

To serve: Ladle the soup into shallow bowls and garnish with the herbed goat cheese.

Cook's Note: The soup can also be pureed by ladling, in batches, into a food processor or blender and blended until smooth.