Recipes

Beetroot & apple soup

Beetroot & apple soup

Couverts6
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

To finish

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion and fry gently for 5 minutes until softened. Add the beetroot and apple, pour in the stock, season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally until the beetroot is tender.
  • Allow the soup to cool slightly, then purée in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pour into a large jug, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, then chill in the refrigerator for 3–4 hours or overnight.
  • Pour the soup into bowls to serve and top with a spoonful of soured cream, sprinkle with the diced apple and pomegranate seeds, then drizzle with a little maple syrup. Serve extra maple syrup in a small jug to add as required and accompany with sliced rye bread, if liked.

Notes & Wine Advice

For beetroot & orange soup, fry the onion in oil as above, add the beetroot (omit the apple) and simmer with the stock and a little salt and pepper for 45minutes. Purée the soup as above and mix with the grated rind and juice of 2 large oranges. Chill and serve with a swirl of cream, a drizzle of honey and some orange-rind curls made with a zester.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Fruit / Soup / Vegetables

Cheesy cauliflower & cider soup

Cheesy cauliflower & cider soup

Couverts6
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat the butter in a saucepan, add the onion and fry gently for 5 minutes until just beginning to turn golden around the edges. Stir in the potato and cook briefly, then mix in the cauliflower florets, stock, cider and mustard. Season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
  • Mash the soup roughly to thicken it slightly, then stir in the cheese and heat, stirring until melted. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, then ladle into bowls. Garnish with chopped chives and serve with croûtons (see page 15) or Welsh rarebit toasts.

Notes & Wine Advice

For Welsh rarebit toasts, to serve as an accompaniment, mix 125 g (4 oz) grated mature Cheddar with 1 egg yolk, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard and a little cayenne pepper. Toast 4 slices of bread lightly on both sides. Spread the cheese mixture over the top of each then cook under a hot grill until the cheese is bubbling and golden. Cut into thin strips to serve.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Cheese / Soup / Vegetables

Hot & sour soup

Hot & sour soup

Couverts4
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Put the stock, lime leaves, fresh root ginger, chilli and lemon grass in a large saucepan. Cover and bring to the boil. Add the mushrooms and simmer for 2 minutes. Break the noodles into short lengths, drop into the soup and simmer for 3 minutes.
  • Add the baby spinach and prawns and simmer for 2 minutes until the prawns are heated through. Add the lemon juice. Remove and discard the lemon grass stalk and season the soup with black pepper before serving.

Notes & Wine Advice

For hot coconut soup, make up the soup as above, adding just 450 ml (¾ pint) stock and a 400 ml (14 fl oz) can coconut milk, plus 2 teaspoons ready-made Thai red curry paste. Continue as above and serve sprinkled with a little chopped coriander.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Soup

Mediterranean garlic soup

Mediterranean garlic soup

Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the garlic and chorizo and fry gently for 3–4 minutes. Add the wine, stock, tomato purée and sugar, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer then drop the eggs one at a time into the liquid, leaving space between them. Poach for 3–4 minutes until the whites are set and the yolks set to your liking.
  • Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, then ladle an egg into the base of each serving bowl, cover with the soup and sprinkle with a little chopped parsley. Serve with diced croûtons

Notes & Wine Advice

For garlic & potato soup, add 375 g (12 oz) diced potato when frying the onion and chorizo. Add the wine, stock, tomato purée, sugar and seasoning and simmer for 30 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with garlic croûtes topped with grated Gruyère cheese
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Soup
Cuisine; Mediterranean

Cream of sweetcorn soup

Cream of sweetcorn soup

Couverts4
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and potatoes and cook over a low heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, without browning.
  • Stir in the flour, then gradually add the milk, stirring constantly. Bring to the boil, add the bay leaf and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add half the sweetcorn, cover the pan and simmer for 15–20 minutes.
  • Remove and discard the bay leaf and set the soup aside to cool slightly. Purée the soup in a blender or food processor or rub it through a sieve until smooth. Return it to the pan, add the remaining sweetcorn and heat through.
  • Stir in the cream, sprinkle over the bacon and serve the soup immediately.

Notes & Wine Advice

For cream of sweet potato & sweetcorn soup, fry the onion in the butter as above, add 425 g (14 oz) diced sweet potato instead of the ordinary potatoes then continue as above. Serve the soup with a little diced and fried chorizo sausage instead of the bacon.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Soup

Prawn & noodle soup

Prawn & noodle soup

Couverts4
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Put the stock into a saucepan with the lime leaves and lemon grass, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Add the noodles to the stock and cook according to the packet instructions. After 2 minutes, add the peas, sweetcorn, prawns, spring onions and soy sauce and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove and discard the lemon grass. Serve the soup in warmed bowls.

Notes & Wine Advice

For chicken & noodle soup, put the stock, lime leaves and lemon grass into a saucepan then add 2 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts that have been diced, bring to the boil then simmer for 10 minutes. Continue as above.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Fish / Soup

Red chicken & coconut broth

Red chicken & coconut broth

Couverts4
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the chicken and curry paste and fry for 3–4 minutes until just beginning to colour. Stir in the galangal paste, lime leaves, coconut milk, fish sauce and muscovado sugar, then mix in the stock.
  • Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the chicken is cooked.
  • Create curls by cutting very thin strips from the two spring onions reserved for a garnish. Soak in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain.
  • Add the remaining spring onions, mangetout and bean sprouts and cook for 2 minutes. Ladle into bowls and tear the coriander leaves over the top. Scatter the spring onion curls over the soup.

Notes & Wine Advice

For red fish & coconut broth, heat the oil, add the curry paste and fry for 1 minute. Add the galangal paste, lime leaves, coconut milk, fish sauce and muscovado sugar. Pour in the stock then add a 250 g (8 oz) salmon fillet. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, lift out the fish and flake it into pieces, discarding the skin and bones. Return the salmon to the broth, add the vegetables and 125 g (4 oz) small prawns, defrosted and rinsed if frozen. Cook for 2 minutes then serve with the coriander leaves as above.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Chicken / Poultry / Soup

Pea, lettuce & lemon soup

Pea, lettuce & lemon soup

Couverts4
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Sesame croûtons

Instructions

  • Brush the bread cubes with the oil and put in a roasting tin. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and bake in a preheated oven, 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6, for 10–15 minutes, or until golden.
  • Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large saucepan and fry the onion for 5 minutes until softened. Add the peas, lettuce, stock, lemon rind and juice and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 10–15 minutes.
  • Allow the soup to cool slightly, then transfer to a blender or food processor and whiz until smooth. Return the soup to the pan, adjust the seasoning if necessary and heat through. Spoon into warmed serving bowls and sprinkle with the sesame croûtons.

Notes & Wine Advice

For pea, spinach & lemon soup, make up the soup as above adding 125 g (4 oz) young leaf spinach instead of the little gem lettuces. Simmer for 10–15 minutes then purée. Reheat and add a little grated nutmeg to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with 2 teaspoons natural yogurt per serving
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Soup

Courgette soup with gremolata

Courgette soup with gremolata

Couverts6
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat the butter in a saucepan, add the onion and fry gently for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the courgette, celery and garlic and fry briefly, then stir in the rice.
  • Pour in the stock and wine, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the rice is tender.
  • Take the pan off the heat and leave to cool slightly. Beat the eggs and Parmesan together in a bowl, then gradually mix in a ladleful of the hot stock. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan and stir well. Heat gently until the soup has thickened slightly but do not boil or the eggs will scramble.
  • Chop all the gremolata ingredients finely and mix together. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with the gremolata.

Notes & Wine Advice

For courgette, lemon & salmon soup, make up the soup as above, adding 375 g (12 oz) salmon steak for the last 10 minutes of the soup’s cooking time. Lift out and flake the fish into pieces discarding the skin and any bones. Beat 2 eggs with the juice of ½ lemon in a bowl, gradually mix in a ladleful of the hot soup then stir back into the saucepan. Heat gently until the soup is slightly thickened. Divide the salmon between serving bowls, ladle the soup on top and sprinkle with a little parsley.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Soup
Diets; Vegetarian

Stracciatella

Stracciatella

Couverts6
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Pour the stock into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2–3 minutes. Beat the eggs, Parmesan, breadcrumbs and nutmeg in a bowl and season generously. Gradually whisk 2 ladlefuls of hot stock into the eggs.
  • Reduce the heat under the saucepan then slowly stir the egg mixture into the stock until smooth, making sure that the temperature remains moderate, as the egg will curdle if the soup boils. Gently simmer for 2–3 minutes until piping hot.
  • Tear the basil leaves into pieces and add to the pan, then ladle the soup into bowls. Serve with extra Parmesan to grate over the soup to taste.

Notes & Wine Advice

For egg drop soup, heat 1.2 litres (2 pints) of chicken stock as above, then add ½ teaspoon of caster sugar and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Beat 2 eggs together in a small bowl. Stir the stock with a fork in a circular motion, then drizzle the beaten egg through the prongs of the fork held high over the soup so that it sets in droplets in the swirling stock. Leave for a minute or two until the egg has set, then ladle into bowls. Garnish with sliced green spring-onion tops and a little chopped coriander or green chilli.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Soup