Kitchen Garden Recipes - Recipes from our Kitchen garden - ProperFoodie https://properfoodie.com/kitchen-garden-recipes/ Nutritious and full flavoured recipes Sun, 13 Feb 2022 23:18:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.4 https://properfoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/square-logo-96x96.png Kitchen Garden Recipes - Recipes from our Kitchen garden - ProperFoodie https://properfoodie.com/kitchen-garden-recipes/ 32 32 Pea and Ham Soup https://properfoodie.com/pea-and-ham-soup/ https://properfoodie.com/pea-and-ham-soup/#comments Sun, 13 Feb 2022 23:14:02 +0000 https://properfoodie.com/?p=7051 Quick and easy pea and ham soup, made with fresh or frozen peas and your favourite choice of ham. A filling and nutritious midweek meal or easy starter for your next dinner party, ready in just 15 minutes. 👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe For a quick and easy, family friendly meal this recipe is up...

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Quick and easy pea and ham soup, made with fresh or frozen peas and your favourite choice of ham. A filling and nutritious midweek meal or easy starter for your next dinner party, ready in just 15 minutes.

Pea and ham soup in a bowl topped with creme fraiche, chunks of ham and fresh mint
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Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means if you click the link and then go on to purchase, I will receive a percentage of the cost. See my privacy policy and disclosure statement for further details.

👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe

For a quick and easy, family friendly meal this recipe is up there with some of the best. Its quick, nutritious, and everyone gets a good helping of greens. Its also great for using up any leftover ham.

🥘 Ingredients

This recipe makes enough pea and ham soup to serve 2 people (or 4 starter-sized portions):

Ingredients for making pea and ham soup.

Ingredient notes

Measurements: For the amounts required, see the recipe card below and also use the toggle button to see the recipe in cups.

Peas: Use fresh or frozen peas in this recipe.

Ham: Choose wafer thin or thick cut ham, which ever you prefer. This recipe is perfect for using up any leftover ham thats about to go out of date. Or why not try with gammon.

Crème fraîche: Crème fraîche is used here to add a slight creaminess to the soup without making it too rich, however it is completely optional. Alternatively use plain yogurt or soured cream.

Mint: Chopped mint is the perfect partner to this soup and adds a lovely freshness to the sweet peas, but again this is an optional extra.

Stock: Use good quality stock, both vegetable or a meat based stock will work well.

🔪 Step by step instructions

  1. Melt the butter in a large pan on a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and fry until soft.
  2. Next add the flour and stir in well.
  3. Gradually add the stock whilst continuing to stir.
  4. Add the frozen peas then simmer for 2-3 minutes until cooked through.Four images showing how to make pea and ham soup for steps 1-4.
  5. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the soup to a blender. Blitz until smooth. (alternatively use a hand blender).
  6. Return the soup to the pan, once warmed through taste and season. Then add the ham, crème fraîche and mint leaves and mix in well. Serve with extra ham, crème fraîche and mint leaves.Two images showing how to make pea and ham soup for steps 5-6.

💭 Expert tips

  • Frozen peas: To get this meal on the table within 15 minutes I always opt for frozen peas. Frozen peas are a great veg to have handy in the freezer. Just add directly to the soup and cook for a couple of minutes. So easy! 
  • Vegetarian version: For a veggie version of this recipe just leave out the ham or alternatively try my Tuscan Ribollita Soup, Leek and Potato Soup or Cauliflower Soup.

❓ Frequently asked questions

How to store?

Once made this soup can be stored in the fridge or freezer. Simply wait for the soup to fully cool then transfer to a sealable container. Seal and store in the fridge for 2-3 days or freeze for up to one month. To reheat defrost in the fridge overnight (if frozen) then transfer to a pan and gently heat until piping hot throughout.

How do you thicken pea and ham soup?

This recipe uses flour as a thickening agent, which is added at the start of the recipe. The stock is gradually stirred in, allowing the flour to cook out and create a thick sauce.

How do you make soup thinner?

If you find the soup to be too thick once its been blended, it can be thinned down by adding a ladle of water. Stir in the water and keep adding small amounts of water until happy with the consistency.

pea and ham soup in a bowl with creme fraishe, mint leaves and ground black pepper.

🍵 Other soup recipes

If you've tried this recipe, let me know what you think by leaving a star rating in the recipe card or comment section below. I always appreciate your feedback! You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram or Sign up to my email list!

📖 Recipe

Pea and ham soup in a bowl topped with creme fraiche, chunks of ham and fresh mint
Print

Pea and Ham Soup

Quick and easy pea and ham soup, made with fresh or frozen peas and your favourite choice of ham. A filling and nutritious midweek meal or easy starter for your next dinner party, ready in just 15 minutes.
Course Dinner, lunch, supper
Cuisine British
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 2 people
Calories 474kcal

Ingredients

  • 20 g butter
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 2 celery stalks finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 20 g plain flour
  • 500 ml veg stock
  • 400 g frozen garden peas or if you have fresh - 500g un-podded peas - additional time need to pod your peas!
  • Sea salt and pepper to season
  • 125 g of your favourite choice of ham or gammon and extra to serve on top
  • 1 tablespoon crème fraîche and extra to serve on top (optional)
  • Handful fresh mint leaves finely chopped and extra to serve on top (optional)
  • Bread for dunking optional

Instructions

  • Melt the butter in a large pan on a medium heat. Add the onions, celery and garlic and fry until soft.
    20 g butter, 1 onion, 2 celery stalks, 2 cloves garlic
  • Next add the flour and stir in well.
    20 g plain flour
  • Gradually add the stock whilst continuing to stir.
    500 ml veg stock
  • Add the frozen peas then simmer for 2-3 minutes until cooked through.
    400 g frozen garden peas
  • Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the soup to a blender. Blitz until smooth (alternatively use a hand blender).
  • Return the soup to the pan, once warmed through check consistency, taste and season. Then add the ham, crème fraîche and mint leaves and mix in well. Serve with extra ham, crème fraîche and mint leaves.
    Sea salt and pepper to season, 125 g of your favourite choice of ham or gammon, 1 tablespoon crème fraîche, Handful fresh mint leaves

Video

Notes

Ham: Choose wafer thin or thick cut ham, which ever you prefer. This recipe is perfect for using up any leftover ham thats about to go out of date. Or why not try with gammon.
Crème fraîche: Crème fraîche is used here to add a slight creaminess to the soup without making it too rich, however it is completely optional. Alternatively use plain yogurt or soured cream.
Mint: Chopped mint is the perfect partner to this soup and adds a lovely freshness to the sweet peas, but again this is an optional extra.
Stock: Use good quality stock, both vegetable or a meat based stock will work well.
Frozen peas: To get this meal on the table within 15 minutes I always opt for frozen peas. Frozen peas are a great veg to have handy in the freezer. Just add directly to the soup and cook for a couple of minutes. So easy! 
Vegetarian version: For a veggie version of this recipe just leave out the ham or alternatively try my Tuscan Ribollita Soup, Leek and Potato Soup or Cauliflower Soup.
How to store? Once made this soup can be stored in the fridge or freezer. Simply wait for the soup to fully cool then transfer to a sealable container. Seal and store in the fridge for 2-3 days or freeze for up to one month. To reheat defrost in the fridge overnight (if frozen) then transfer to a pan and gently heat until piping hot throughout.
How do you thicken pea and ham soup? This recipe uses flour as a thickening agent, which is added at the start of the recipe. The stock is gradually stirred in, allowing the flour to cook out and create a thick sauce.
How do you make soup thinner? If you find the soup to be too thick once its been blended, it can be thinned down by adding a ladle of water. Stir in the water and keep adding small amounts of water until happy with the consistency. 

Nutrition

Serving: 192g | Calories: 474kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 1837mg | Potassium: 783mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 2332IU | Vitamin C: 85mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 4mg

This post was first published in Jul 2018. Updated in Feb 2022 with an improved recipe, new images, step by step instructions and expert tips.

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Celery, Apple and Walnut Pesto https://properfoodie.com/walnut-pesto/ https://properfoodie.com/walnut-pesto/#respond Thu, 27 Oct 2016 14:07:00 +0000 https://properfoodie.com/?p=18017 Sweet and earthy walnut pesto recipe made with juicy apples, crunchy walnuts and fresh celery leaves. This recipe is great for using up the leaves on top of your celery and can be whizzed up in just 5 minutes. 👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe With autumn comes the changing of the weather and leaves and...

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Sweet and earthy walnut pesto recipe made with juicy apples, crunchy walnuts and fresh celery leaves. This recipe is great for using up the leaves on top of your celery and can be whizzed up in just 5 minutes.

celery apple and walnut pesto in a bowl.
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👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe

With autumn comes the changing of the weather and leaves and the need for more comforting and warming dishes comes about. So its out with the basil and in with the celery leaf, out with the pine nuts and in with the walnut to create this delicious autumnal pesto. Celery and walnut pesto is less aromatic than a basil pesto recipe, with more of an earthy flavour. Its perfectly balanced to go with autumnal dishes such as roasted root veggies, baked sweet potatoes, warming and creamy lasagnas and even plump, little ravioli parcels.....there's plenty of ideas to go at.

The celery leaf is also great to use up in soup recipes: celery, apple and blue cheese garden soup post 

Celery, apple and walnut pesto drizzled over circles of baked sweet potato.

The autumnal vibe of this recipe was inspired by our latest trip to Italy. Did we eat a lot whilst we were there?.... Yes, of course, we ate a tonne. Did we care that we were meant to be there to plan our wedding and not eat all of Italy's pasta in one sitting? No, not one bit.

italy in autumn
Autumn sunrise, Peschiera del Garda

🥘 Ingredients

To make this walnut pesto recipe you will need:

  • Celery leaves roughly chopped
  • Walnut oil
  • Garlic cloves roughly chopped
  • Walnuts
  • Green apples cored and diced
  • Mint leaves
  • Edamame beans
  • Parmesan grated
  • Salt
  • Cider vinegar

Ingredient notes

Measurements: For the amounts required, see the recipe card below and use the toggle button to see the recipe in cups.

Celery leaves: can be replaced with celery stems but make sure to peel the outer edge to remove any stringy bits first.

Edamame beans: are optional but will add extra protein and give the pesto a more robust texture.

Walnuts: are the best option for this recipe but if you can't get hold of any a good substitute would be pecans.

Parmesan: For a vegetarian version replace parmesan with vegetarian cheese.

🔪 Step by step instructions

  1. Place the celery leaves, garlic cloves, walnuts, chopped apples, mint leaves, beans, salt and cider vinegar into a blender or food processor. Add half of the water and half of the walnut oil.
  2. Pulse into a paste adding more water or oil if needed.
  3. Grate the parmesan and stir in a bit at a time until you are happy with the taste and texture.
  4. Taste and add more salt, parmesan or oil depending on the taste and consistency you are after.

Our wedding

But yes......our wedding!! Thats right - this massive thing that seems to be gobbling up my time at the moment, but something that I've failed to talk about on here. So next year, Ben and I will be married in the beautiful surroundings of the Italian countryside, following on from our engagement last year whilst we were in Pienza!

italy-in-autumn
Our wedding venue: Villa Mosconi Bertani, Negrar.

Of course the plans so far for the wedding are lots of pasta, risotto, wine and a good bunch of laughter and happy times. Excited doesn't even begin to describe where I am at with this right now. There's still lots of planning to be sorted, and I'm sure a great deal of stress to cope with but I can't wait to get back to Italy next year and become Mrs Jones :-O

italy-in-autumn2
Our wedding hotel: Delsa, Verona

🍹Autumn holiday

But back to the trip we've just had: A holiday abroad in autumn is just simply magical. All the trees are changing and brandishing fiery reds or warming oranges, the mornings have a slight chill which brings a mysterious mist and subtle sunrises. The birds are also aware of the changes and migrate above the skies or dance in pretty patterns through the trees.

Grapevines are usually harvested for their annual fruits at this time of year, but some vineyards have vines that flower a little later so are still flush with huge bunches of juicy grapes. A glorious site and I really do hope that next year we can get wedding pictures amongst grapevines with cascading bunches of grapes 🙂

italy in autumn
Italian grapevines in Autumn at Peschiera del Garda
italy-in-autumn
Salo, Lake Garda, Italy in autumn
italy-in-autumn3
Peschiera del Garda, Italy in Autumn

The autumnal produce of Italy from peaches and beetroot to truffles and cabbage, meant that we had some stunning plates of food. Of course there was the usual mountain of cheese and cold cuts, but there was also plenty of inspiration for me with dishes like: sea bream baked with paprika and radicchio; suckling pig with apples, raisins and cabbage; shredded beetroot chutney; fresh pappardelle pasta with a creamy mushroom sauce and fresh truffle; the glorious and ubiquitous apricot breakfast tart; sea bream and lime tortelloni with burrata cheese; and of course walnut pesto. I just had to have a go at making my own version of this incredible pesto! 

💭 Expert tips

  • Only add half of the liquid ingredients (oil and water) to begin with. Blend and then check the consistency before adding more water or oil if needed.
  • Grate the parmesan separately then stir in to the blended pesto. This improves the texture and gives more control over the taste and amount of parmesan

❓ Frequently asked questions

How to store?

Transfer the pesto to a sealable jar or container. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months. To defrost leave on the side overnight. If freezing I recommend freezing small amounts in small containers so you can defrost as much or as little as you need.

What to serve with walnut pesto?

This pesto is great stirred through pasta, rice, couscous, quinoa or any other kind of grain. I also love to use it as a topping on roasted sweet potato, chargrilled veggies and pan fried chicken or fish.

If you've tried this recipe, let me know what you think by leaving a star rating in the recipe card or comment section below. I always appreciate your feedback! You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram or Sign up to my email list!

📖 Recipe

celery apple and walnut pesto in a bowl.
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Celery, Apple and Walnut Pesto

Sweet and earthy walnut pesto recipe made with juicy apples, crunchy walnuts and fresh celery leaves. This recipe is great for using up the leaves on top of your celery and can be whizzed up in just 5 minutes.
Course Appetizer, condiment, dip, party food, side, Snack
Cuisine Italian
Diet Vegetarian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 10 portions
Calories 211kcal

Ingredients

  • 100 g Celery leaves roughly chopped
  • 150 ml Walnut oil
  • 100 ml water
  • 2 Garlic cloves roughly chopped
  • 50 g Walnuts
  • 85 g Green apples cored and diced
  • 10 g Mint leaves
  • 50 g Edamame beans
  • 75 g Parmesan grated
  • Pinch of Salt
  • Teaspoon Cider vinegar

Instructions

  • Place the celery leaves, garlic cloves, walnuts, chopped apples, mint leaves, beans, salt and cider vinegar into a blender or food processor. Add half of the water and half of the walnut oil.
    100 g Celery leaves, 150 ml Walnut oil, 100 ml water, 2 Garlic cloves, 50 g Walnuts, 85 g Green apples, 10 g Mint leaves, 50 g Edamame beans, Pinch of Salt, Teaspoon Cider vinegar
  • Pulse into a paste adding more water or oil if needed.
  • Grate the parmesan and stir in a bit at a time until you are happy with the taste and texture.
    75 g Parmesan
  • Taste and add more salt, parmesan or oil depending on the taste and consistency you are after.

Notes

How to store? Transfer the pesto to a sealable jar or container. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months. To defrost leave on the side overnight. If freezing I recommend freezing small amounts in small containers so you can defrost as much or as little as you need.
What to serve with walnut pesto? This pesto is great stirred through pasta, rice, couscous, quinoa or any other kind of grain. I also love to use it as a topping on roasted sweet potato, chargrilled veggies and pan fried chicken or fish.
Celery leaves: can be replaced with celery stems but make sure to peel the outer edge to remove any stringy bits first.
Edamame beans: are optional but will add extra protein and give the pesto a more robust texture.
Walnuts: are the best option for this recipe but if you can't get hold of any a good substitute would be pecans.
Parmesan: For a vegetarian version replace parmesan with vegetarian cheese.

Nutrition

Serving: 10portions | Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 143mg | Potassium: 97mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 158IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 1mg

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Celery, Apple and Blue Cheese Soup https://properfoodie.com/celery-apple-blue-cheese-soup/ https://properfoodie.com/celery-apple-blue-cheese-soup/#comments Thu, 13 Oct 2016 12:48:50 +0000 https://properfoodie.com/?p=2643 With the nights drawing in and with the noticeable drop in air temperature, I feel the need to get out my big pan and cook up some freezable batches of soup. This garden soup is a brand new recipe and one that came about due to the tonnes and tonnes of celery leaves we've had...

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With the nights drawing in and with the noticeable drop in air temperature, I feel the need to get out my big pan and cook up some freezable batches of soup. This garden soup is a brand new recipe and one that came about due to the tonnes and tonnes of celery leaves we've had in our veg patch this year.

celery and blue cheese soup | ProperFoodie

Why make this recipe?

Its rustic, its hearty and its a really properly homemade soup. The fresh taste from the celery leaves is nicely balanced here with the sweet apples and the bitter blue cheese. It really is a soup that has it all and is just what I want to come home to on a dark, rainy night.

Celery

Not something at the top of most people shopping lists and I know a lot of people would rather avoid celery. However, the humble celery stick is highly regarded in our household....more so since the creation of this great soup (and maybe a little more so by me than Ben, I could eat celery all day long).

Why is celery good for you?

  • Its super low in calories and fat (guilt free eating all the way)
  • It contains a good amount of fibre so is great for digestion.
  • Its shape, texture and strength make it perfect for chopping into crudites for dips. (check out my beetroot and red pepper dip for something sweet and zinging to dip your celery into).
  • Its ridiculously easy to grow. It really does take care of itself; as long as it has good soil and the room to grow to its full potential (a good 30cm between plants). The yield is also pretty good, especially in terms of leaves.
  • It can be used in all types of recipes and really gives a great boost to the flavour: salads, stews, soups, pesto. (watch out for my celery pesto post coming soon)
  • Its leaves, which are often over looked, usually have the most flavour and have a lovely deep green colour. As each plant supplies a large quantity of leaves; its more than likely that celery growers will find themselves over run. As the leaves are so bulky it can be extremely difficult to store them, so celery leaf soups, stews and pestos are the perfect solution. They look so pretty as well with the vibrant bright green shining through.

Ingredients

To make this celery, apple and blue cheese soup you will need:

  • Olive oil
  • Onions
  • Garlic cloves
  • Green apples
  • Celery stalks
  • Fresh sage leaves
  • Dried oregano
  • Celery leaves (optional)
  • Vegetable stock
  • Blue cheese plus extra for topping
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Celery leaves | ProperFoodie
onions | ProperFoodie
apples | ProperFoodie
celery apple and blue cheese soup | ProperFoodie

Growing celery

  • Celery needs its space to grow fully and its surprising how much it will spread. So leave plenty of room between plants.
  • Celery is ready to harvest when the sticks are around 20cm or more in length.
  • Healthy celery has upright stems which snap. Stems should not be limp and bendy.
  • Leaves should be fresh, crisp and a darker green to the rest of the plant
  • When harvesting try to keep the stem connected at the base and store as a whole plant. This helps to keep its freshness. Celery can be kept in the fridge for several weeks.
  • The leaves are less easy to store as they are quite bulky and there can be a lot just on one plant. They are also at their freshest and tastiest just after being removed from the stems. Therefore, remove and use as soon as you can. If you can't use all the leaves place washed leftovers in a bowl, cover with cling film and keep in the fridge for up to a week.
  • If using the stalks in a recipe, use a peeler and scrape away the outer layer, which will remove the stringy bits which can be quite annoying if they get stuck in your teeth.
  • If you're making this soup in a big batch for freezing, leave the blue cheese out and add later. Defrost, reheat and then melt in the cheese before serving. The fresh cheese really adds to the taste of the soup and helps bring it back to life. It also means you'll have some cheese leftover for a pretty topping.
  • Not a fan of blue cheese? Then leave it out. Its still a very tasty dish with plenty of flavour. Or you could always replace with a different cheese - I imagine a cream cheese would work really well.

Other autumnal recipes

If you've tried this recipe, let me know what you think by leaving a star rating in the recipe card or comment section below. I always appreciate your feedback! You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram or Sign up to my email list!

📖 Recipe

celery, apple and blue cheese garden soup | ProperFoodie
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Celery, Apple and Blue Cheese Garden Soup

A hearty celery soup with sweet apples and blue cheese. Perfect for a cold, autumnal night.
Course Appetizer, starter, starter or main
Cuisine British
Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 223kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 Onions peeled and chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 300 g of sweet green eating apples core removed and roughly chopped
  • 450 g celery stalks peeled to remove the stringy bits and chopped
  • 10 fresh sage leaves
  • 5 g oregano leaves or half teaspoon dried oregano
  • 250 g celery leaves washed and roughly chopped
  • 700 ml vegetable stock
  • 100 g blue cheese plus extra for topping
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • In a large stock pan heat the olive oil, add the garlic and onions, then gently cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Next add the apples, celery stalks, sage and oregano. Stir well before pouring in the stock.
  • Bring to a simmer and then add the celery leaves. Mix well to help the leave to wilt.
  • Pop on the lid and leave to simmer gently for 20 minutes, check occasionally.
  • Once the celery and apple have softened remove from the heat and ladle the soup into a blender. Blend on high for 5 minutes to ensure the soup in nice a smooth, then return to the pan. To create a perfectly smooth consistency; sieve the soup back into the pan (make sure you push as much through the sieve as possible, otherwise some flavour may be lost).
  • (if freezing your soup, stop at this point and ladle into seal-able containers - add blue cheese and seasoning when ready to defrost and reheat)
  • Put the blended, sieved soup back on a low heat and melt in the blue cheese. Taste and add more cheese if desired and season.

Nutrition

Serving: 338g | Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 1241mg | Potassium: 702mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 1412IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 243mg | Iron: 1mg

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Bircher muesli with stewed apples https://properfoodie.com/bircher-muesli-with-stewed-apples/ https://properfoodie.com/bircher-muesli-with-stewed-apples/#comments Tue, 09 Oct 2018 21:32:51 +0000 http://www.properfoodie.com/?p=7696 The perfect Bircher muesli made slightly quicker than the original version and served with chilled, stewed apples and apple crisps Bircher Muesli This pretty little bircher dish is my new favourite breakfast, dessert, snack or even late night treat, all rolled into one. - It really does go down very well at any time of...

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The perfect Bircher muesli made slightly quicker than the original version and served with chilled, stewed apples and apple crisps

love real food Bircher muesli

Bircher Muesli

This pretty little bircher dish is my new favourite breakfast, dessert, snack or even late night treat, all rolled into one. - It really does go down very well at any time of day and I'm happy to eat it whenever I can. I promise  - its that good. Its like an apple pie but loads better for you. - Whats not to love!!

What is Bircher muesli?

So what is bircher and why is it suddenly everywhere? Firstly - its more than likely that Bircher is so popular because its just so blimin' good. However, this is not a new recipe, its actually a dish thats been around for over 100 years.

Bircher muesli with stewed apples

The original Bircher Muesli

Muesli first came about in 1900 when Swiss Physician Maximilian Bircher-Brenner introduced the dish to his hospital patients as part of a healthy fruit and veg based diet. Bircher-Brenners recipe was based on a similar dish he had come across whilst in the Swiss-Alps. First, oats were soaked in water and lemon juice overnight  and then mixed with either cream or honey before adding in grated apple, nuts and yogurt.

spiced apple bircher

My quick cinnamon Bircher Muesli

Although similar, my version of this dish includes perfectly stewed apples rather than grated apples and serves the oat mix and apples separately. Why??!! . . . - because this dish is all about celebrating apples - in particular the apples that sprouted out of our first little apple tree up on our allotment / kitchen garden.

apple tree

Little apple tree

After last years lack of fruit on our apple tree we were over the moon to discover 3 perfectly, perfect, crunchy apples this September. So I just had to make something extra special and this lovely apple bircher recipe also happens to tie in perfectly with Apple day on the 21st October.

picking apples

Overnight oats

So admittedly my version does skip out the overnight soaking part. This was in attempt to come up with a quick and simple version of this fabulous recipe. And I will say, rather smugly, that this worked out pretty well. - Using porridge oats, apple juice and mixing in the yogurt straight away means that my Bircher requires just a quick 10 minute chill in the fridge. That said, overnight oats are super popular at the moment -  and I am just a tiny bit in love with my blueberry cheesecake overnight oats, which you can find in my free recipe ebook. So allowing the oats, in this Bircher recipe, some time to soak will do it the world of good. So feel free to chill overnight if you have the time.

Bircher muesli with homemade apple sauce

Stewed apples

So yes the stewed apple thing is my super, unique twist on this traditional, old school dish. I love apple pie and who doesn't love homemade apple sauce? So in order to still fully enjoy my stewed apples, but not feel like a complete pig after stuffing my face with a huge apple pie - and no doubt gallons of custard. - I topped the apples with my Bircher Muesli and apple crisps for the perfect healthy alternative. A sprinkle of nuts to finish it off and there you have my perfect breakfast and dessert and healthy 3pm treat.

Autumnal Bircher muesli with stewed apples

The best apple Bircher muesli

For further details on making the best original and traditional Bircher Muesli and to find out exactly what does and doesn't work, have a read of Felicity Cloakes article. Felicity has tried and tested several popular versions to come up with her perfect Bircher recipe.

Apple Bircher muesli

30 minutes to make recipeunder 500 calories recipevegetarian recipe1 of 5 a day recipe

📖 Recipe

Autumnal Bircher muesli with stewed apples
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Bircher Muesli with chilled stewed apples and apple crisps

The perfect Bircher muesli made slightly quicker than the original version and served with chilled stewed apples and apple crisps
Course Breakfast
Cuisine British, Swiss, Swiss-German
Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 glasses/pots
Calories 322kcal

Ingredients

For the Cinnamon Apple Crisps:

  • 2 small red apples
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Stewed Apples

  • 600 g baking apples (2 large apples)
  • 10 g butter
  • 100 g golden granulated or caster sugar

For the Cinnamon Bircher

  • 75 g porridge oats
  • 225 g natural yogurt
  • 25 ml Apple juice
  • 40 g Sultanas
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

To serve:

  • Chopped hazelnuts

Equipment:

  • Baking tray and greaseproof paper
  • Large pan
  • Mixing bowl
  • Piping bag optional
  • Serving glasses/jars/pots

Instructions

To make the cinnamon apple crisps:

  • Pre heat the oven to 160 degrees fan and prepare a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper.
  • Thinly slice the 2 red apples and remove all pips - the thinner they are the more crisp they will be after baking. Slice straight through removing any stalk or pips as you go. I slice mine at a 90 degree angle to the core, to allow for a star shape in the centre of the crisps where the pips were.
  • Place the sliced apple on the lined baking tray. Try not to overlap the slices as they will stick together during baking. Sprinkle over ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon then bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until crisp. Check them regularly as they will burn quicker than you think. Also as check and remove the smaller thinner ones as necessary as they will bake and crisp up quicker.
  • When crisp, remove from the oven and set to one side to cool. Do not refrigerate as they will go soggy.

To make the stewed apples:

  • Whilst the crisps are baking, start preparing the baking apples. Peel and core then slice into chunks (around 1 cm cubed in size). Place a large pan on a medium heat and add the butter. As the butter starts to melt add the chopped apple and golden sugar. Stir well until the sugar dissolves. Pop on a lid and allow to simmer for 5 minutes of so - check and stir regularly. As soon as the sugar starts to caramelise (turns darker brown) and the apples become soft, remove from the heat. Transfer to a bowl and set to one side to fully cool. Place in the fridge to chill until ready to serve.

To make the bircher:

  • While the crisps and stewed apples are cooling, prepare the bircher. Place the oats, yogurt, apple juice, sultanas and cinnamon into a mixing bowl and stir together until well combined. Add a little more yogurt or apple juice if the mix appears to dry or stiff. Chill in the fridge for at least 10 minutes or until ready to serve or overnight if you have time. (I usually transfer the bircher to a piping bag and secure with a peg before chilling. Piping the bircher on when serving is so much easier and neater)

Putting the dessert together.

  • Once the stewed apples are fully chilled the dessert can be put together. This only takes 5 minutes and so for the freshest of finishes I tend to build these desserts just before I serve them. Line up your serving glasses/pots. Spoon the stewed apples into the bottom of each glass - fill them to about half way. Next pipe or spoon the bircher onto the top of the stewed apples. Top each glass with a couple of apple crisps and sprinkle over the chopped hazelnuts. Serve with extra apple crisps on the side.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 260g | Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 63.2g | Protein: 6.3g | Fat: 6.7g | Saturated Fat: 2.8g | Sodium: 80mg | Sugar: 50g

PIN FOR LATER

Bircher muesli with stewed apples & apple crisps

I am linking this recipe to #cookblogshare hosted by peachickbakery, hijackedbytwins, recipesmadeeasyeverydayhealthyrecipes and Easypeasyfoodie. I am also linking to #cookonceeattwice by searchingforspice.

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