My father in law has been a professional cook for at least 3 decades, and is currently working for a big company, cooking for at least 400 people everyday. If we live near their house, I could probably be his apprentice. But since we live 4 hours away, I get to visit them very few times a year. And every time we go home there, dinners are always festive. Last time, my spotlight (ie extra large eyes) shone on this clear but rich and flavorful soup.
If only paprika and tomatoes are always cheap here, I'll have this every minute every second of the day <add background music here> .
This is called autumn soup because of the colors; but you're welcome to try this out on winter, spring summer or fall <add background music here> . Sorry guys, this dish is too lovely to stop me from singing while thinking about it. ^_~ check it out for yourselves!
Ingredients (serves 2)
green bell pepper, 35 g (cut into small cubes)
yellow paprika, 60 g (cut into small cubes)
red paprika, 60 g (cut into small cubes)
cherry tomato, 115 g (cut into 4)
cabbage, 20 g (optional)
carrot, 40 g (cut into small, thin cubes)
olive oil, 2 tbsps
ajinomoto, 2/3 tsp
mushroom powder, 1 tsp
black pepper, 1/4 tsp
water, 4 cups
sugar, 1 tsp (optional)
Procedure
On a pan over medium heat, pour olive oil. As soon as the oil is hot, toss in all the vegetables except for tomato. Sprinkle with black pepper and ajinomoto.
Add tomatoes after a minute or two then continue stir-frying until they're soft as you like them in a soup.
Add water, sugar and mushroom powder. Simmer.
Enjoy it hot!
Tips and Tricks When cooking this dish, try using the freshest vegetables for they are in their juiciest and most flavorful state. Choose paprika with the thickest flesh. Use the sweetest tomato if you don't have cherry tomatoes. Canned tomato also did well when I used it last time. This is another one of those dishes that will frustrate you if you cooked one serving for everybody. What I mean is, you'll end up with a table of depressed diners who didn't get a second or third serving of this. So, borrow a witch's cauldron and fill it up to the brim enough to sip while counting down to welcome the happy new year!
Here is my father-in-law's version. He used more olive oil and cut the vegetables a bit more smaller and softer (which I think made the soup really flavorful). Truly an unforgettable soup.'