recipe: tea soup

I am home sick today, complete with the migraine, fever, body aches, congestion, the whole nine. The old adage about curing a cold with chicken soup I cannot attest to, but I do know that cooking does make me feel better. I took a look in the cupboard and decided to throw together this recipe that included a bunch of those home remedy ideas.

tea bags (i used both chai spiced black tea & English breakfast tea)
water
onion
bell pepper
celery
cilantro
garlic
ginger
flour
oil
ground cayenne pepper
kale (or other dark leafy green)
snap pea pods
mushroom (i used shitakke)
teryiaki sauce (or soy sauce)
lime juice
stock pot

Combine the flour and oil in the stock pot and begin a roux over low heat, allow it to darken to at a brick color.
Finely dice the onion, bell pepper and celery (reserve the celery leaves), garlic and if you are using fresh ginger that as well.
Add the diced veggies to the stock pot and allow them to soften over low heat until the onions become translucent, do not induce browning and allow the flavors to fully meld to form the base.
Add the water and stir the roux into it. Add the tea bags. Bring the water up to a boil and down to a simmer to allow the roux to begin to thicken the water and start the steeping process for the tea.
Season with the cayenne pepper if you want a little extra depth to the flavor of the soup, but do not over season as it’s not supposed to be spicy.
Chop the kale, cut the snap pea pods to bite size if they are large pods, julienne the mushrooms.
Allow the mixture to simmer about 10 minutes.
Add a 3:1 ratio of the teryiaki sauce and lime juice.
Add the rest of the veggies and allow them to cook until tender, introducing the dark greens first and working backwards to the mushrooms.
Finish with the chopped celery leaves and the cilantro.

~ by thedoormouse on 14 April 2009.