Warm up with a bowl of soup

Cabbage Soup with Caldo Verde Sausage

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 spicy sausage (12 cm), thinly sliced

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

½ teaspoon pepper

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1/2 tsp salt (or as needed)

2 medium potatoes (400g), peeled, sliced

250 g kale, stemless, coarsely chopped

1 litre of warm water or vegetable broth

Corn broa (or other bread), to serve

In a medium saucepan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté the sausage. After golden brown, place in a bowl.

In the same pot where you sautéed the sausage, add another 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté the onion along with the salt.

After the onion is well browned, add the garlic, paprika and pepper and sauté for 1 minute.

Then add the potato and sauté for another 1 minute.

Then pour in water or broth, stir well and lower the heat.

Half cover the pot and boil for 12-14 minutes – or until the potato is cooked through.

When the potato is cooked, remove the pot from the heat and mash the potato. The pieces of potatoes should appear in the soup (not puree).

Finally, place the soup back on the stovetop and add the kale and sausage.

Boil for another 5 minutes over low heat.

Serve with toasted corn or other bread.

Pumpkin Soup

400g pumpkin cut into thin slices

1 small potato or sweet potato, peeled, thinly sliced

1 peeled apple, cut into thick slices

1 small onion cut into thick slices

2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

1.5 litre (or as needed) vegetable broth

100ml dry white wine

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1/3 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For garnish

Milk froth

Walnuts or almonds finely chopped

Freshly ground mixed spice

Preheat oven to 190C. Line 1 flat baking pan with parchment paper.

Cut the pumpkin into wedges (like a melon). Remove seeds and fibre with a knife and cut it into slices.

Peel the potato, apple and onion. Cut them into slices.

In a bowl place the pumpkin, potatoes and onions. Mix well with melted butter, salt and pepper and spread the vegetables on the flat baking pan with parchment paper.

Bake in a preheated oven at 190C for 30 minutes or until golden.

While the vegetables are cooking, take a large saucepan and add the broth, wine and spices.

After the vegetables are cooked, add them to the pot along with the spices, thyme, and broth.

Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Extinguish the fire. With a hand blender, stir until pureed. To get a more velvety texture, pass it through a sieve. If necessary, add more broth.

Serve the soup in small warm glasses with the toppings: milk froth, finely chopped walnuts and freshly grated spices.

Recipes provided by the Lidl food academy. Stasikratous 34, Nicosia 1010. https://www.lidlfoodacademy.com.cy/