A visit to Africa is not complete without sampling the local cuisines. We, at Acacia Africa, take pride in what we cook en-route, providing our clients a healthy mix of delicious dishes. For today’s recipe our crew has sent us the top 5 soups they make to keep the cold nights at bay. Fit for a king and a truck full of people!
French Onion Soup
Serves 24
5.5 kgs onions 12 cloves garlic
3/4 cup of flour 09 Litres of beef stock (or veggie stock for your vegetarians)
Salt and pepper to taste 1 cup of butter
Melt the butter, fry onions until soft. Add crushed garlic and flour and cook for a couple of minutes. Add stock and salt and pepper. Bring to the boil then simmer for 20 mins, stirring frequently.
Pumpkin Soup
Serves 24
3/4 cup of butter 15 tbspns curry powder
3 large onions, chopped 12 chicken stock cubes
7.5 litres water 3.5 kg pumpkin, peeled and cut into small pieces
1 litre milk salt and pepper to taste
Melt butter in saucepan then add curry powder and onion. Cook until soft. Stir in crumpled stock cubes and water and bring to the boil. Add pumpkin pieces and cook until tender. Cool. Push through fine sieve. Return to saucepan and stir in milk and salt. Heat gently.
Tomato Soup
Serves 24
10 kg ripe tomatoes, quartered 10 large onions, chopped
Oil 6 tbspns Worcestershire sauce
8 tspns oregano 8 tspns basil
Salt and pepper 10 tbsp corn flour
4 litres chicken stock
Heat oil, fry onions until soft. Add tomatoes, herbs, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and stir well. Simmer for 30 mins or until soft. Moisten corn flour with a little stock, add remaining stock to saucepan. Bring to the boil. Pour in blended corn flour and continue cooking until soup thickens. Simmer for 5 mins.
Lentil Soup
Serves 24
4 kg onions, chopped 2 kg carrots, thinly sliced
4 kg potatoes 8 litres of vegetable stock
1 kg lentils salt and pepper
Wash lentils, remove any stones. Sauté chopped onions. Add carrots and all other ingredients except potatoes. Peel potatoes and chop small, add to soup for the last 20 mins. Simmer until all ingredients are well cooked. Can also add curry powder to spice up your soup.
Tomato and Aubergine Soup
Serves 20
12 large aubergines, cubed 8 cloves garlic, crushed
6 cans tuna (optional) 2 medium size tin of tomato paste
8 litres chicken stock oil
Salt and pepper
Heat oil in a saucepan. Fry cubed aubergine. Add crushed garlic, stock, tomato paste and salt and pepper. Bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 15-20 mins. Flake tuna and stir into soup together with any liquid from cans. Simmer for further 5 mins.
Stay tuned for next month’s recipe of the month to find out what our crew cook on route!
Written by Michelle Lewis