It might seem paradoxical to write about soup at this time of year, when the temperatures (at long, long last) are climbing.

Well, welcome to my tortured world. For some reason, I suffer intense cravings for soup once the temperature climbs past 25C/77F/40million with the humidex.  These cravings continue all summer and finally wind down around – oh, October or so.

So, what is a girl to do when she works in an increasingly chi-chi foo-foo part of town where the average bowl of soup sets you back – oh, $10 or so? Which, by the way, she has no intention of shelling out at any point, let alone where such things as “apricot” and “lentil” are included in the ingredient list for one fancy dan soup?

Why, make up her own fancy award-winning recipes, of course!

And, I lied in the subject line.  That’s just what I told JJ yesterday when he called me a right weirdie for attempting to make soup out of the leftover curry from dinner.

Never without a witty riposte (don’t you hate that?!) he said “Ye know ah can’t stand that Seinfart wanker.”  Well, if he hates Seinfeld so much, why the hell does he know who the Soup Nazi is, I ask you?!

But I digress.  There will, however, be soup for you – that is, if you’re crazy enough to try this recipe.  Drumroll, please…

Mulligastrone a la brouhaha

What, you ask, is “mulligastrone”?  Well, obviously it is a combo of mulligatawny and minestrone.  (Oh, and you don’t think I saw you rolling your eyes?!?  Well, if Rachael “too chipper by half TV chef” Rae can make even more millions by adding water to spaghetti and meatballs and call it “stoup” (“thicker than soup, thinner than stew, hee hee, old family recipe, tee-hee!”), then why the hell can’t I take some liberties?  Eh?

Now, because I’m Greek and we don’t believe in written recipes, there is no actual recipe for this.  But that makes it more fun, doesn’t it?

First off, take some stock which you have slaved over a hot stove preparing or have pulled out from your freezer, having slaved over a hot stove preparing it some time back:

Now, so as not to lose my future multimillion dollar TV chef credentials, I assure you that prepackaged stock never actually gets used in my house.  However, so as not to intimidate those less culinarily gifted than me, I always put my “product of slaving over hot stove for several hours” stock into recycled tetrapaks which I … oh, never mind.

Put your stock in a saucepan and heat until it is at a low boil (or, as us TV chefs are wont to say, a rrrrrrrrolling boil!).

Oh, I almost forgot.  If you like super-spicy food or, like me, your tastebuds have been almost completely destroyed by chainsmoking, you might want first to heat a small amount of canola or other plain oil in said saucepan then add a heaping spoon of this stuff:

Turn down to low and cook about 2 minutes or until it starts to break down and smell fabulous.  Then add your stock.

Second, put in some small soup-sized pasta:

How much? you ask?  Hell, I don’t know.  As much as you want.  Somewhere between a handful and the whole package will do… probably closer to the former, though.

Simmer (at the same low rrrrrrrrolling boil) for 10 minutes or so.

Third, add in your leftover curry.

(This, by the way, was beef vindaloo that I bought pre-made because it was on sale.  I also added half a can of chickpeas to it.  Chickpeas or some other kind of beans will be essential for the “strone” component of the mulligastrone.)

Put as much in as you want.  If you want a thicker soup, put in some of the curry sauce too.  If, like me, you like thinner broth, shake most of the curry sauce off before putting in the saucepan.  Cook for 5 minutes or so.

Fourth, turn off the heat and stir in some leftover rice from the same curry dinner:

Again, how much is up to you.  Not this much, though.

That’s it!  And now, for little effort, you have a lovely soup that looks like this:

Add some of this, if you’d like:

… and chow down.

Now, the mulligastrone, like most highly spiced dishes, will benefit from sitting overnight.  At least, I think it will.  You see, I have a confession to make – I haven’t actually yet sampled it.  I’m bringing it to work for lunch today and it is the first time I’ve made this recipe.

However, I’m very confident that it will be guid.  Why?  Well, I am Brouhaha, after all.  And don’t you think I look better than Rachael Ray?!?

I’m sure the Food Network will be calling any day now.  Really.  Please wish me luck in my new and exciting career…

And, in the meantime, a very happy Thursday to you all!