This soup is inspired by World Disco Soup Day, which is celebrated each year to raise awareness around food waste. A minestrone of sorts, this Disco Soup is a great way to clear out those abandoned fridge vegetables that may be looking a bit past their best (think soft celery, shrivelled carrots, leaves and stems of cauliflower and broccoli) and bring them to life in a tasty broth with pasta.
Serves: 4–6
INGREDIENTS
Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, diced
2 cups ‘disco’ vegetables (e.g. celery, cauliflower leaves, broccoli stalk, carrots), diced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 parmesan rind
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ground paprika
½ teaspoon chilli powder
400-gram tin crushed tomatoes
1 litre vegetable stock
200 grams dried spaghetti
sea salt and ground pepper
grated parmesan, to serve
Paprika fried onions
2 red onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
oil, to cook
METHOD
Paprika fried onions: Place the onions in a large bowl and toss with the flour and paprika until coated. Heat 5cm oil in a sauté pan over a medium heat. Add onions and cook for 1 minute on each side or until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen towels, then transfer to a plate and set aside.
Soup: Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a low heat. Add the onion, disco vegetables and garlic and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the parmesan rind, vinegar, paprika, chilli and tomatoes. Season, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the stock and simmer for 10 minutes or until the vegetables have bite to them but are not raw.
Cook the spaghetti in a large saucepan of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, toss in olive oil and divide between bowls. Ladle over the soup and generously sprinkle with fried onions and grated parmesan. Serves 4–6.
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127
In Dream Escape, we journey from Japan and Morocco to Italy, India and beyond, sharing recipes inspired by travel, heritage and comfort. We celebrate the champions of the Outstanding Food Producer Awards, explore the stories and recipes of chefs shaped by their cultural roots, and warm up with everything from West African soups and slow-braised lamb to porchetta, butter chicken and beef noodle soup. Alongside destination menus, Scandinavian sweets and cosy pub classics, Chrisanne Terblanche shares her favourite street-side dining spots in Bangkok, while Yvonne Lorkin explores red wine varietals. This issue, we invite you to slow down, turn the pages and escape through food.