A simple Zucchini Soup to warm you up this winter

A simple soup is always appreciated in the heart of winter. We all have already canned soup in our cupboards but you should try this recipe: you'll change the way you think about soups!! It is super simple and delicious. Even kids will love it! And thanks a lot to my friend Frank who once prepared this soup for me and my husband in Montréal!

Serves 4
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 1 pound (500g) zucchinis - preferably organic to keep the skin, cut into cubes
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese or 3 Laughing Cow portions
- 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- water
- salt & pepper

Wash the zucchinis and cut them in to cubes. As mentioned in the ingredients list, if you buy organic zucchinis, you do not need to peel them. It's the best way to prepare this soup.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and add the zucchinis. Coat them with butter and let cook for 3 minutes on medium heat, stirring.

Pour the broth into the saucepan and then add water to cover. Add a bit of salt and pepper.

Cover and let cook for about 20 minutes, or until the zucchinis are tender.

Add the cream cheese to the soup, stir well and mix everything with a hand blender until there are no more zucchini pieces and the soup is smooth.

Adjust the seasoning and serve hot. Enjoy!

Dahl: Indian Lentil Soup

The Dahl (also spelt Dal, Dalh or Daal) is a vegetarian dish, traditionally prepared with pulses. For this recipe, I used red lentils. Deliciously spiced and flavored, this recipe is easy to make and can be served with rice, vegetables, naan or roti (wheat-based flat bread), or as a side dish with Indian curries.
The dahl is an excellent source of proteins. Enjoy!

Serves 4/6
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 200g red lentils

- 2 tablespoons lemon juice

- 1 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves (or parsley - but you'll have less flavor), chopped

- 1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes

- 2 inches (5 cm) piece fresh ginger, cut into slices

- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

- 2 cloves garlic, crushed

- 1 small onion, finely chopped

- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

- 1 teaspoon ground coriander

- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

- salt

In a pan, bring to the boil the lentils and 3 cups (750ml) water.

Reduce the heat. Add the ginger and turmeric powder and cover. Simmer for about 25 minutes or until tender. Make sure you stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

Remove the ginger and add salt (about 1/2 teaspoon).

In a frying pan, heat the oil, add the garlic, onion and mustard seeds. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. When the onion is golden, add the cumin seeds, ground coriander and chili pepper flakes and cook for 2/3 minutes.

Add this preparation to the lentils and stir. Add 1/2 cup water and cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and season to taste.

Sprinkle with the coriander.