Leek and Potato Soup
Ingredients:
25g unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 leeks, trimmed, washed and sliced
Leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried thyme
500ml vegetable stock
500ml water
200ml cream - optional - you could add more water or stock
2 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
small handful of fresh chives, finely chopped
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Method:
Melt the butter and sauté the leeks and onions until soft and onions are translucent.
Add the thyme, potatoes and stock and simmer until tender.
Purée with stick blender and check seasoning.
Add cream and heat through.
Serve with chives scattered on top.
25g unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 leeks, trimmed, washed and sliced
Leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried thyme
500ml vegetable stock
500ml water
200ml cream - optional - you could add more water or stock
2 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
small handful of fresh chives, finely chopped
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Method:
Melt the butter and sauté the leeks and onions until soft and onions are translucent.
Add the thyme, potatoes and stock and simmer until tender.
Purée with stick blender and check seasoning.
Add cream and heat through.
Serve with chives scattered on top.
Spicy Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients:
800g roasted butternut squash (Recipes/Side Dishes)
25g butter
2 onions, sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
750ml stock - vegetable or chicken
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Cooking Instructions:
Melt the butter in a large saucepan and sweat the onion and garlic gently until soft. Add stock and bring to a simmer. Mix in the squash and cook for 10 minutes. Season to taste and whizz in a blender or food processor until smooth. Serve with crusty bread and a dollop of Greek yoghurt.
First made: 29th September 2013
800g roasted butternut squash (Recipes/Side Dishes)
25g butter
2 onions, sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
750ml stock - vegetable or chicken
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Cooking Instructions:
Melt the butter in a large saucepan and sweat the onion and garlic gently until soft. Add stock and bring to a simmer. Mix in the squash and cook for 10 minutes. Season to taste and whizz in a blender or food processor until smooth. Serve with crusty bread and a dollop of Greek yoghurt.
First made: 29th September 2013
Mushroom Soup
Ingredients:
450g mushrooms, roughly chopped
500ml vegetable stock
grated zest and juice of 1 lime
handful fresh mint, finely chopped
60ml sherry
3tsps brown sugar
1 tbsp Worcester sauce
freshly ground nutmeg
freshly ground pepper
200ml cream
Cooking Instructions:
Put everything in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 20-30 minutes.
Whizz with a stick blender. Add the cream and gently heat it through without letting the soup boil. Check the seasoning.
Serve with home made crusty bread.
First made: June 2012
450g mushrooms, roughly chopped
500ml vegetable stock
grated zest and juice of 1 lime
handful fresh mint, finely chopped
60ml sherry
3tsps brown sugar
1 tbsp Worcester sauce
freshly ground nutmeg
freshly ground pepper
200ml cream
Cooking Instructions:
Put everything in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 20-30 minutes.
Whizz with a stick blender. Add the cream and gently heat it through without letting the soup boil. Check the seasoning.
Serve with home made crusty bread.
First made: June 2012
Minestrone Soup
Ingredients:
2 litres Stock for Minestrone Soup (at Recipes/Stocks, Sauces and Seasonings) or from a cube
1 onion, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and diced
3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 courgettes, chopped
1 can red kidney beans
50g soup pasta
salt, pepper
Fresh basil, chopped
Cooking instructions:
Saute the onion, garlic and pepper until softening. Add the carrots and cook for a few minutes. Add these vegetables to the stock and cook for about 30 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, courgettes, beans and pasta and cook for further 5 - 10 minutes or until pasta is cooked.
Season to taste and add fresh basil just before serving.
First made: 9th May 2012
2 litres Stock for Minestrone Soup (at Recipes/Stocks, Sauces and Seasonings) or from a cube
1 onion, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and diced
3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 courgettes, chopped
1 can red kidney beans
50g soup pasta
salt, pepper
Fresh basil, chopped
Cooking instructions:
Saute the onion, garlic and pepper until softening. Add the carrots and cook for a few minutes. Add these vegetables to the stock and cook for about 30 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, courgettes, beans and pasta and cook for further 5 - 10 minutes or until pasta is cooked.
Season to taste and add fresh basil just before serving.
First made: 9th May 2012
Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 onion, finely chopped
2 potato, peeled and diced
1/2 cooked chicken,chopped
4 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp tomato puree
500g frozen sweetcorn
2 litres chicken stock
handful of chopped fresh parsley
1/2tsp dried oregano
1/2tsp ground coriander
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley
Cooking instructions
Saute the onion in the oil till soft. Add the potato, 200g sweetcorn, tomato puree, spices and chicken stock. Season then bring to the boil. Simmer until the potato is breaking up. Whizz with a stick blender.
Add the cooked chicken, chopped tomato and remainder of the sweetcorn and heat through. Check seasoning, add parsley and serve with loads of crusty bread.
First made: 24th October 2012
1 tbsp olive oil
2 onion, finely chopped
2 potato, peeled and diced
1/2 cooked chicken,chopped
4 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp tomato puree
500g frozen sweetcorn
2 litres chicken stock
handful of chopped fresh parsley
1/2tsp dried oregano
1/2tsp ground coriander
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley
Cooking instructions
Saute the onion in the oil till soft. Add the potato, 200g sweetcorn, tomato puree, spices and chicken stock. Season then bring to the boil. Simmer until the potato is breaking up. Whizz with a stick blender.
Add the cooked chicken, chopped tomato and remainder of the sweetcorn and heat through. Check seasoning, add parsley and serve with loads of crusty bread.
First made: 24th October 2012
Cauliflower Cheese Soup
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 leek, chopped
butter
olive oil
1 small cauliflower, broken in florets
750ml vegetable stock (a cube is fine)
500ml milk
salt, pepper and a good grating of fresh nutmeg
120g grated hard cheese (cheddar if you can get it, or equivalent)
Cooking instructions:
Sweat the leek and onion in the butter and olive oil until soft.
Add the cauliflower, stock and milk.
Season, bring to the boil then simmer until the cauliflower is soft (if you like, you can take out some of the florets while they are still al dente and reserve them for later)
Blend with two thirds of the cheese.
Return to the pot and add reserved florets and the rest of the cheese. Simmer to melt the cheese.
Serve with croutons or fresh crusty bread.
I first found this recipe last year on The Independent's website when I was faced with a glut of cauliflower but have since been tweaked a bit.
1 onion, chopped
1 leek, chopped
butter
olive oil
1 small cauliflower, broken in florets
750ml vegetable stock (a cube is fine)
500ml milk
salt, pepper and a good grating of fresh nutmeg
120g grated hard cheese (cheddar if you can get it, or equivalent)
Cooking instructions:
Sweat the leek and onion in the butter and olive oil until soft.
Add the cauliflower, stock and milk.
Season, bring to the boil then simmer until the cauliflower is soft (if you like, you can take out some of the florets while they are still al dente and reserve them for later)
Blend with two thirds of the cheese.
Return to the pot and add reserved florets and the rest of the cheese. Simmer to melt the cheese.
Serve with croutons or fresh crusty bread.
I first found this recipe last year on The Independent's website when I was faced with a glut of cauliflower but have since been tweaked a bit.
Carrot and Ginger Soup
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
500g carrots, peeled and chopped
1 small potato
750ml chicken stock (or veg stock)
juice and zest of 1 orange
large knob of ginger, grated
Cooking instructions:
Saute the onion in a little oil until soft.
Add stock, vegetables, zest and ginger.
Bring to the boil and simmer until the carrots are very soft.
Whizz in a blender then return to the heat and add the orange juice. Bring back to the boil then simmer for a few minutes.
Season with salt and pepper and maybe a wee grating of nutmeg.
First made: 6th February 2011
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
500g carrots, peeled and chopped
1 small potato
750ml chicken stock (or veg stock)
juice and zest of 1 orange
large knob of ginger, grated
Cooking instructions:
Saute the onion in a little oil until soft.
Add stock, vegetables, zest and ginger.
Bring to the boil and simmer until the carrots are very soft.
Whizz in a blender then return to the heat and add the orange juice. Bring back to the boil then simmer for a few minutes.
Season with salt and pepper and maybe a wee grating of nutmeg.
First made: 6th February 2011
Italian Chicken Broth
Ingredients:
Olive oil
I onion, chopped
1 tin chopped tomatoes with garlic
I tin canellini beans, red kidney beans or brown lentils - I had to use the lentils because the beans I thought were there weren't!
75 g soup pasta
140g cooked chicken, diced
150g frozen brocolli, thawed and chopped a little
800ml ham stock (or chicken stock, or a mixture of both)
2tsps pesto
salt & pepper
Worcester sauce to taste
Cooking instructions:
Sauté the onion in the olive oil until soft.
Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to the boil and simmer until the pasta is cooked.
Serve with fresh, crusty bread.
First made: 27th January 2013
Olive oil
I onion, chopped
1 tin chopped tomatoes with garlic
I tin canellini beans, red kidney beans or brown lentils - I had to use the lentils because the beans I thought were there weren't!
75 g soup pasta
140g cooked chicken, diced
150g frozen brocolli, thawed and chopped a little
800ml ham stock (or chicken stock, or a mixture of both)
2tsps pesto
salt & pepper
Worcester sauce to taste
Cooking instructions:
Sauté the onion in the olive oil until soft.
Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to the boil and simmer until the pasta is cooked.
Serve with fresh, crusty bread.
First made: 27th January 2013
Pea and Ham Soup
Ingredients:
2 litres ham stock
2 leeks, cleaned and sliced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
500g frozen peas
150g cooked ham, diced
1 glass port
Freshly ground black pepper
Cooking instructions:
Heat some bacon fat or butter and sweat the leeks until soft. Add the carrots and garlic, turn the heat up a bit and brown lightly.
Reserve 50g of the ham and add the rest to the pot with some pepper, the port and ham stock.
Bring to the boil then simmer until the carrots are tender.
Blitz with a hand blender and check the seasoning.
Add the remaining ham and peas and heat through. Serve with fresh crusty bread and perhaps a squeeze of lemon.
First made: 29th December 2010
2 litres ham stock
2 leeks, cleaned and sliced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
500g frozen peas
150g cooked ham, diced
1 glass port
Freshly ground black pepper
Cooking instructions:
Heat some bacon fat or butter and sweat the leeks until soft. Add the carrots and garlic, turn the heat up a bit and brown lightly.
Reserve 50g of the ham and add the rest to the pot with some pepper, the port and ham stock.
Bring to the boil then simmer until the carrots are tender.
Blitz with a hand blender and check the seasoning.
Add the remaining ham and peas and heat through. Serve with fresh crusty bread and perhaps a squeeze of lemon.
First made: 29th December 2010