Control Tower Soup
Based on:
TypeSoup
Serves4 people
DateNovember 14, 2026
A towering, tense vegetable soup inspired by America's air traffic chaos, full of sharp and sour flavors.
A spicy-sour vegetable soup featuring a 'control tower' built from stacked halved courgettes and carrots, standing in steaming broth. The sharp flavors and tense balance echo the chaos in American airspace.
Ingredients
- 2 courgettes
- 4 carrots
- 1 leek
- 1 red bell pepper
- 2 onions
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 liters vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 red chili pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 lemon (juice)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
Method
- Cut the courgettes in half lengthwise. Cut the carrots into 5 cm pieces and halve them lengthwise.
- Slice the leek into rings, dice the bell pepper, finely chop the onions and garlic.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot. Sauté onion, garlic, and chili pepper for 3 minutes.
- Add leek and bell pepper, fry for 2 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste and smoked paprika, cook for 1 minute.
- Add the stock and bring to a boil.
- Add carrots, simmer gently for 5 minutes.
- Add courgette halves and simmer another 8 minutes until all vegetables are just tender.
- Season with lemon juice, white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- Ladle soup into deep bowls. Stack three carrot halves and three courgette halves per bowl to form a tower, standing upright in the soup.
- Drizzle some olive oil over the tower for shine.
Serving notes
- Serve with extra lemon wedges for those who want more sourness.
- Place a small pile of bell pepper cubes as a 'radar screen' next to the tower.