A special Freedom Meal took place on 5 May, Liberation Day. Our location was one the many locations throughout the Netherlands, where a Freedom Meal was prepared. Amsterdam children made the Freedom Soup themselves. Under the guidance of chefs Samuel Levie and London Loy who have been the chefs of the Freedom Soup in previous years. While preparing the soup, they talked to each other about freedom: what does freedom mean to them? How do they experience freedom or rather unfreedom?

The soup was served to the parents, siblings, grandparents and other invited guests, including Mayor Femke Halsema who joined the long tables in the Centrale Markhal. Everyone enjoyed delicious soup, great stories were exchanged and more than 300 people attended! The many special encounters provided the connection, which partly resulted in a very successful afternoon.

Nick Toet, the new presenter of Taarten van Babel (formerlyTaarten van Abel), came up with this year’s Freedom Soup 2024 recipe.

NICK TOET’S freedom soup
Tomato soup with miso and spring onion
Serves 6
2 tbsp sunflower oil
2 leeks, washed and cut into half rings
3 onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp Korean chilli flakes (gochugaru) or 1⁄2 tsp chilli flakes
1⁄2 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp miso paste
3⁄4 tsp cumin powder
800g tinned tomatoes
400 ml coconut milk
1 vegetable stock cube
100 gr marrowfats
100 g frozen peas Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
3 spring onions, in thin rings
2 eggs, beaten (optional)

Preparation Kitchen utensils Soup pan, frying pan/frying pan, hand blender
1. Drizzle the soup pan with a little sunflower oil and throw in your chopped onions, fry your onions until glazy. Now add your chopped garlic and fry for 1 minute. Then add your sliced leeks and fry for 4 minutes on low heat until they are soft.
2. Add the smoked paprika, cumin powder, (Korean) chilli flakes, oregano and 2 tablespoons of miso and fry for half a minute. Next, add the canned tomatoes, along with your coconut milk and the stock cube. Shred the tomatoes with your spatula.
3. Let everything come to the boil. Then immediately turn down the heat so everything keeps simmering gently. Let stand for 3 minutes.
4. Remove your pan from the heat and puree with a hand blender. Want to add eggs? Then put a frying pan on the cooker with 1 tablespoon of oil and fry the eggs into a nice omelette. Omelette ready? Roll it up and cut nice strips. Save them for your garnish.
5. Add the capuchins and peas to your soup and leave to warm. Cut some spring onions into fine rings. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary. SOEP READY! Toss some in a bowl and top with your sliced spring onions and omelette strips.

Photos by Chris van Houts