Pea and courgette soup with cheese straws. Try this simple, delicious and nutritious homemade vegetable soup for the chilliest autumn days.
INGREDIENTS (4 serves)
2 tbsp butter
1 onion, finely diced
3 medium courgettes
Finely grated zest and juice of ½ a lemon
300 g (10½oz) peas
1 .2 litres (2 pints) hot vegetable stock
A small handful of mint leaves
6 tbsp single cream
For the Cheddar straws
350 g (12 oz) pack ready-rolled puff pastry
6 tbsp finely grated Cheddar cheese
2 tsp smoked paprika
Pea and courgette soup with cheese straws
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Warm a large pan over a medium heat. Add the butter and onion and fry for 10 minutes. Grate the courgettes and place 4 tbsp in a bowl with the lemon zest and juice. Set aside. In a pan, stir-fry the peas and remaining courgettes for 2-3 minutes. Add stock and onion and bring to boil. Cook for 10-12 minutes and remove from heat. Shred the mint leaves and add to the pan with the cream. Blend until smooth and season. Return to the heat. Unroll the pastry, scatter over half the cheese and paprika, then fold in half. On a floured surface, roll to the thickness of a coin. Cut 1cm (½in) strips, then twist these 3-4 times. Lay on a baking sheet, scatter the remaining cheese and paprika over and bake for 12 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls with the courgettes. Serve with the cheese straws.
Try this simple, delicious and nutritious homemade vegetable soup for the chilliest autumn days.
Creamy leek and potato soup with crispy pancetta (4 serves).
INGREDIENTS
50 g (1¾ oz) butter
400 g (14 oz) Désirée potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm (½in) dice
1 onion, cut into 1cm (½in) dice
300 g (10½oz) leeks, very thinly sliced
1.2 litres (2 pints) vegetable stock
150 ml (5 fl oz) double cream
125 ml (4 fl oz) milk
For the topping
The green part of 1 medium leek
2 tbsp butter
2 thin slices of pancetta
Creamy leek and potato soup with crispy pancetta
METHOD
Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. Add the potatoes, onion and leeks and stir them in the butter until coated. Season, then cover the pan and cook over a gentle heat for 8-10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Pour in the stock and, leaving the pan uncovered, bring to the boil and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Purée in a blender until smooth, then season well. Pour the soup into a
clean pan and stir in the cream and milk. For the topping, finely shred the green part of the leek and melt the butter in a pan. When the butter is hot, gently cook the leek in it for a few minutes until softened. Place the pancetta under a medium grill and cook until crisp. Transfer onto kitchen paper. Reheat the soup to a gentle simmer (add some extra stock if it’s too thick), then pour into warmed bowls. To serve, top with a little pile of the green leek and broken pieces of pancetta.
Try this simple, delicious and nutritious homemade vegetable soup for the chilliest autumn days.
INGREDIENTS
1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cut into large pieces
5 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried chili flakes
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
25 g (1 oz) butter
2 onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp grated ginger
1-2 tsp medium curry powder
600 ml (20 fl oz) boiling hot vegetable stock
For the Pecorino crisps
100 g (3½ oz) grated Pecorino cheese
Spiced pumpkin soup with Pecorino Crisps
METHOD
Preheat oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Put the pumpkin on a roasting tray, drizzle with oil, season and sprinkle with chili. Roast for 40-45 minutes. Toast the cumin and coriander in a dry saucepan, then grind. Add the butter to the saucepan and cook the onion, garlic and ginger for 5 minutes on a medium heat. Add the ground spices and curry powder and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the pumpkin and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and purée. For the crisps, spoon heaped tablespoons of cheese onto a parchment-lined baking sheet 3 cm (1¼ in) apart and pat down. Bake for 5 minutes, remove and allow to cool. Serve the soup in warmed bowls with the crisps.
