Dinner: Soups

Pumpkin soup
Onion soup
Peas soup
Borsjtsj

Pumpkin soup

pumpkin (SV pumpa, SF kurpitsa), onions, leeks (SV purjolök, SF purjosipuli), potato, laurel/bay leaves (SV lagerblad, SF laakerinlehti), stock powder (SV buljong, SF kasvisliemi), salt, black pepper

tomato, paprikas, carrots, fresh koriander, cream, grated horseradish (SV pepparrot, SF piparjuuri)

Cut the onions into small pieces and the leeks into thin rings.
Fry the onion and the leeks.
Add the pumpkin and the potato, peeled and cut into cubes (and sliced carrots and cut paprikas) and enough water to cover them.
Add the stock powder, the bay leaves, salt and pepper and boil.
When you stir the soup regularly, the floury substance of the pumpkin and the potato will make the soup thicker.
When nearly ready you can add the optional tomatoes (cut into pieces).
After the soup has stopped boiling you can add the optional cream, fresh koriander and/or the grated horseradish (koriander and horseradish lose some taste when being boiled)

Onion soup

onions, cornflour (maizena), ), stock powder (SV buljong, SF kasvisliemi), salt, pepper, butter or oil to fry

Fry the onion-rings (for this soup it's even nicer to fry in butter) until evenly golden.
Then add water and the stock powder and some salt and pepper and boil for about 1/2 hour.
Dissolve the corn flour into some water and mix this in the soup and stir.
The corn flour makes the soup a bit thicker. You can also boil some finely chopped potato with the soup to get this result.

Peas soup

onions, green/yellow peas, laurel/bay leaves (SV lagerblad, SF laakerinlehti), pepper, salt, marjoram (SV mejram, SF meirami)
If taking dried peas, these should be soaked overnight first.

Fry the chopped onion until golden, the add the peas and enough water to cover them.
Add the bay leaves, salt and pepper.
Boil for at least an hour (if using dried peas).
Add the marjoram, and bring to taste with salt and pepper and let boil for another five minutes.

Borsjtsj

red cabbage, beetroots (SV rödbeta, SF punajuuri), carrots, onions, garlic, tomato puree, bay leaves (SV lagerblad, SF laakerinlehti), black pepper, salt, oil, vinegar.

juniper berries (SV enebär SF kataja), sour cream, yoghurt

Cut the onions and fry them in the oil.
Add the finely chopped garlic and the bay leaves.
Meanwhile peel the beetroots and cut the into cubes, and cut the cabbage into small pieces.
The amount of beetroot and of red cabbage match more or less.
Peel and cut a few carrots.
Add the vegetables to the fried onions, fill up with water until everything is just covered.
Add salt and some vinegar. The vinegar will help the vegetables to keep much of their colour.
Leave boiling until the vegetables are almost ready (this might take up to an hour or more if you prepare big quantities).
When the borsjtsj is almost ready, you add the tomato puree and some salt and pepper and some crushed juniper berries to bring to taste.

The borsjtsj should be a very thick soup and is traditionally served with sour cream, but instead of sour cream, you can serve it with a mixture of ordinary cream and yoghurt (half on half), which is much cheaper than sour cream.