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A bowl of soup is perhaps the most nourishing meal you can have. I remember coming in from school as a child, when Mum would always have some homemade soup and brown bread ready for us, especially in the winter. It would keep us all going until our evening meal.

All these years later, soup is one of my favourite lunchtime snacks. A bowl of delicious soup will give you plenty of energy for the day. We always have homemade soup in the fridge at home and my children love it. Just like my mother used to do, now I find myself serving it up to them when they get home from school. Soup can also be a welcome gift to take over to a friend’s house.

In this chapter I have tried to give you recipes for a variety of styles – some are creamy soups and others are chunky broths. The most important thing to remember about soup is not to overcook it. You must use the freshest of vegetables and just cook them lightly with a little seasoning for a delicious, flavoursome meal.

ROASTED VEGETABLE SOUP

This is a warming, nourishing soup that is perfect for a cold winter’s day. The mild spices give it a really unusual flavour.

SERVES 6

1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

300g/11oz butternut squash or turnip or broccoli or pumpkin or a mix, peeled, deseeded and chopped

2 celery sticks, chopped

1 medium leek, trimmed and chopped

½ medium onion, peeled and chopped

2.5cm/1in piece fresh root ginger (gingerroot), peeled and chopped

3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

50g/2oz/½ stick butter

2 large fresh thyme sprigs

1.25 litres/2 pints/5 cups chicken or vegetable stock (see Chapter 5)

150ml/5fl oz/²/₃ cup pouring cream

A pinch of ground cinnamon, plus extra to garnish (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Crème fraîche or pouring cream, to garnish

1 Place the sweet potato, carrots, butternut squash, celery, leek, onion, ginger and garlic in a large bowl.

2 Heat a large saucepan with the butter, toss in all the vegetables together with the thyme sprigs and cook gently over a low heat and without colouring for 8–10 minutes or until the smaller vegetables are beginning to soften.

3 Next add about two-thirds of the stock and bring the mixture to a slow boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for a further 15–20 minutes or until all of the vegetables have softened down completely.

4 Remove the pan from the heat and, using a hand-held electric blender, blitz the soup until it is nice and smooth. Mix in the cream and ground cinnamon at this stage then return to the heat and bring back to a very gentle boil. If you would like a thinner soup, now would be the best time to add some additional stock to thin it down. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

5 Transfer the soup to serving bowls or cups and garnish with a little crème fraîche or pouring cream infused with some additional ground cinnamon. Serve as required or allow the soup to cool then transfer to suitable containers and freeze for up to 2 months.

CAULIFLOWER AND BLUE CHEESE SOUP

This is a classic combination of flavours. It is quite a filling soup and a little goes a long way. Try adding some curry powder during cooking for a mild spiced alternative.

SERVES 6–8

50g/2oz/½ stick butter

1 large onion, peeled and chopped into large chunks

1 large leek, trimmed and chopped into large chunks

3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2 bay leaves

1 large potato, peeled and chopped into large chunks

1 large head cauliflower, chopped into large chunks

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.25 litres/2 pints/5 cups well-flavoured chicken or vegetable stock(see Chapter 5), warmed

300ml/10fl oz/1¼ cups pouring cream

150g/5oz blue cheese, plus extra to garnish

1 Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the onion, leeks and garlic and sweat over a low heat for about 6–8 minutes until the vegetables have softened. Add the bay leaves and chopped potato and cauliflower and sweat them for another moment or two. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

2 Next pour in the warmed stock and the cream and bring to the boil. Continue to boil for about 2–3 minutes then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and simmer for a further 10–15 minutes until the vegetables have softened. Remove and discard the bay leaves.

3 Remove the pan from the heat and stir in half the blue cheese. Using a hand-held electric blender, blitz the soup, adding additional stock if you desire. Some people prefer a thicker or thinner soup. Taste and adjust the seasoning then reheat it gently.

4 Serve the soup garnished with the rest of the crumbled blue cheese on top.

ROASTED RED PEPPER AND TOMATO SOUP

The colour of this soup is so inviting and it is a great way to use up the glut of early autumn tomatoes.

SERVES 6–8

3 medium red (bell) peppers

2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1kg/2lb 4oz ripe plum tomatoes, halved

700ml/1¼ pints/3 cups chicken or vegetable stock (see Chapter 5) or water

A pinch of brown sugar (optional)

100ml/3½fl oz/scant ½ cup pouring cream

TO GARNISH

Crème fraîche

Snipped fresh chives

1 Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F), Gas mark 5.

2 Arrange the peppers on a baking tray and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Season with a little salt and pepper and roast in the oven for about 25 minutes until they are very soft and the skin is blistered. Put the peppers into a large bowl and cover tightly with clingfilm (plastic wrap), which will allow the skins to peel away easily. Leave until cool enough to handle, then peel away the skins, deseed and chop the roasted flesh roughly.

3 Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium–high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for a few minutes until golden. Add the tomatoes and continue to sauté for a further 5 minutes or so, until well heated through and just beginning to break down. Add the chopped peppers at this stage. Stir in the stock or water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes or until all the vegetables have softened completely.

4 Remove the pan from the heat and, using a hand-held electric blender, blitz to a smooth purée. Season to taste and add the sugar if you think the soup needs it. Sometimes the pepper can cause the soup to be a little bitter.

5 To serve, add the cream to the soup then return the pan to the heat and bring to the boil. Season to taste and ladle into warmed serving bowls. Garnish each bowl with a small dollop of crème fraîche and a sprinkling of chives.

SPICED PUMPKIN SOUP

Pumpkin tends to be quite bland, so it often needs the addition of some spices to liven it up a little. This recipe will let you make use of all the flesh that gets scooped out when you’re making Halloween decorations!

SERVES 6–8

50g/2oz/½ stick butter

2 carrots, peeled and chopped into large chunks

1 large potato or sweet potato, peeled and chopped into large chunks

1 leek, trimmed and chopped into large chunks

2 celery sticks, chopped into large chunks

900g/2lb pumpkin flesh, chopped into large chunks

½ medium onion, peeled and chopped into large chunks

3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp curry paste or a pinch of crushed dried chilli flakes or 1 fresh chilli, finely chopped

75ml/3fl oz/¹/₃ cup pouring cream

1.25 litres/2 pints/5 cups chicken or vegetable stock (see Chapter 5)

TO GARNISH

About 1 tbsp crème fraîche

About ½ tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted

1 Slowly melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the vegetables and garlic and mix thoroughly, then pan-roast over a medium heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent them sticking to the pan.

2 Season lightly at this stage then add the curry paste or chilli and allow to infuse with the vegetables.

3 Next add the cream and two-thirds of the stock. It is best to add just this amount of stock now, as it allows you to adjust or correct the consistency more accurately before serving. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to a constant simmer and simmer for 15–20 minutes or until all of the vegetables have softened.

4 Remove the pan from the heat and, using a hand-held electric blender, blitz the soup until smooth, adjusting the consistency with the remaining stock as required. Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly. For those that are more daring, you may wish to add extra chilli flakes.

5 Divide the soup either among little mini pumpkins, out of which you have scooped all the flesh, or teacups and saucers. Garnish with a little crème fraîche and toasted pumpkin seeds and serve.

TIP

This is a basic soup recipe, which you can vary depending on what you like. Try substituting the pumpkin for carrot and ginger, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, or parsnips.

CREAMY MUSHROOM AND THYME SOUP

Mushroom soup is a classic, but this version is particularly fabulous as the thyme adds a real edge. It’s a recipe that can be made ahead of time and then just reheated as required. I normally use two-thirds button (white) mushrooms in this soup and one-third wild mushrooms, as the wild mushrooms are much more expensive.

SERVES 6–8

900g/2lb selection of mushrooms (mixture of button/white and wild), sliced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

4–5 fresh thyme sprigs

50g/2oz/½ stick butter

1 leek, trimmed and roughly chopped

2 celery sticks, roughly chopped

1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped

50g/2oz/¹/₃ cup plain (all-purpose) flour

1.25 litres/2 pints/5 cups boiling chicken or vegetable stock (see Chapter 5)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

300ml/10fl oz/1¼ cups pouring cream

2 tsp truffle oil (optional; it has a very intense flavour)

Crème fraîche, to garnish

1 Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F), Gas mark 3.

2 Place the mushrooms in a roasting tray with the garlic and thyme sprigs. Roast in the oven for 15–20 minutes or until just becoming tender but shrivelled up a little. This helps to develop and intensify their flavour. Keep a small amount of these roasted mushrooms aside to garnish the soup just before serving.

3 Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the remaining vegetables and sauté gently for 4–5 minutes. Add the roasted mushrooms and sauté for a further 2–3 minutes. Add the flour and stir until the vegetables are coated and any liquid in the pan has dried up. This will act as a thickening agent.

4 Carefully pour in the boiling stock and bring to the boil. Reduce to a low simmer and simmer until the vegetables are all tender.

5 Remove the pan from the heat and season to taste. Add the cream and truffle oil, if using, then using a hand-held electric blender, blitz until smooth. Alternatively, use a food processor.

6 Serve the soup immediately or leave to reheat gently later. To garnish, add a spoonful of crème fraîche on the top and a little of the reserved roasted mushroom selection.

FRENCH ONION SOUP

This classic soup is very simple to make and, if you get it right, your family and friends will love it. It’s just as good reheated the following day. The soup is traditionally made with beef stock but it can be made with vegetable stock if you are vegetarian.

SERVES 6

50g/2oz/½ stick butter

4 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2–3 fresh thyme sprigs

2 tsp brown sugar

50g/2oz/¹/₃ cup plain (all-purpose) flour

½ glass red wine

1 litre/1¾ pints/4 cups good-quality hot beef stock (see Chapter 5)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

CROUTONS

1 French stick

50g/2oz/½ cup freshly grated Parmesan or Gruyère cheese

1 Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Carefully add the onions, garlic, thyme sprigs and sugar and sweat over a medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the onions have partially softened.

2 Next add the flour all in one go and stir until the onions are coated and any liquid in the pan has dried up. Pour in the red wine, which will immediately begin to thicken as it reacts with the flour, then gradually add the hot stock, stirring continuously. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the onions are soft and the soup is well flavoured.

3 Meanwhile, preheat the grill or if using the oven preheat to 190°C (375°F) Gas mark 5.

4 Cut the French stick into slices about 1cm/½in thick and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Grill or bake in the oven until the cheese is melted and the bread is crispy.

5 Serve the croûtons on top of the fragrant soup and sprinkle with a few thyme leaves.

VICHYSSOISE

This is a leek and potato soup that is enriched with cream, chilled and puréed, and sprinkled with chives. It’s a marriage of flavours made in heaven. It is important to include the sieving (straining); in fact, it may be necessary to do it twice to achieve the perfect smoothness.

SERVES 6–8

50g/2oz/½ stick unsalted butter

350g/12oz small leeks, trimmed and finely chopped

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

225g/8oz potatoes, peeled and diced

1 celery stick, diced

1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

Salt and freshly ground pepper

900ml/1½ pints/3½ cups chicken or vegetable stock (see Chapter 5)

150ml/5fl oz/²/₃ cup milk

150ml/5fl oz/²/₃ cup double (heavy) cream

Snipped fresh chives, to garnish

1 Melt the butter in a large heavy-based saucepan. As soon as it foams, stir in the leeks, onion, potatoes and celery until well coated. Add the garlic and season generously, then place a parchment paper circle directly on top of the vegetables to keep in the steam. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and sweat over a low heat for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft and just beginning to colour.

2 Remove the lid and paper from the pan and pour in the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the potatoes are completely tender. Transfer to a food processor and blitz in batches until smooth. Or use a hand-held electric blender.

3 Pass the soup through a fine sieve (strainer) set over a bowl (you may need to do this twice) and then pour into a clean pan. Season to taste then stir in the milk and most of the cream, reserving some for the garnish.

4 Reheat the soup gently, then ladle into a large bowl, cover with clingfilm (plastic wrap) and chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight, which is best.

5 To serve, ladle the vichyssoise into serving bowls and swirl in the reserved cream. Garnish with the chives and serve ice cold.

VARIATIONS

♦ Of course, this soup can also be served hot, garnished with crumbled Roquefort cheese for a special treat.

♦ For a richer version, replace the milk with cream or experiment with the proportion of leek to onion and potato, by adding some celeriac (celery root). I have even made it using cauliflower instead.

CURRIED PARSNIP AND APPLE SOUP

This soup is one of my personal favourites. It has a smooth texture in the mouth but gives a sharp kick to the back of your throat. You can leave the parsnips a little chunky, as they do tend to cook down and disintegrate more easily than the other ingredients. If you or any of your guests are vegetarian, use vegetable stock and make sure the Thai green curry paste doesn’t contain shrimp paste.

SERVES 6–8

25g/1oz/¼ stick butter

1 leek, trimmed and chopped roughly into chunks

2 celery sticks, chopped roughly into chunks

½ medium onion, peeled and chopped roughly into chunks

2 potatoes, peeled and chopped roughly into chunks

350g/12oz parsnips, peeled and chopped roughly into chunks

1 large cooking apple, peeled, cored and diced

2 level tsp Thai green curry paste

1.25 litres/2 pints/5 cups chicken or vegetable stock (see Chapter 5)

75ml/3fl oz/¹/₃ cup pouring cream

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the leek, celery, onion, potatoes, parsnips and apple and sauté for a few minutes until they are golden brown and beginning to soften.

2 Next add the Thai curry paste and stir into the vegetables then add a mixture of stock and cream. Add just enough to cover the vegetables – you can thin the soup further later with the additional stock if you like. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until all of the vegetables have softened completely.

3 Remove the pan from the heat and, using a hand-held electric blender, blitz the soup until smooth. Alternatively, use a food processor. Adjust the consistency with the addition of some more stock, if you like, then season to taste. Return the pan to the heat and reheat gently.

4 Serve immediately.

PEA AND MINT SOUP

A small portion of this soup is plenty, so it is delicious just as a taster at the start of a dinner party. Sometimes I add smoked bacon lardons or crisp Parma ham (prosciutto) to give the dish an extra element. The cheesy toasts can be prepared well in advance if needed.

SERVES 6

25g/1oz/¼ stick butter or sunflower oil, for cooking

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1 medium potato, peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

450g/1lb/3 cups frozen peas

Salt and cracked black pepper

700ml/1¼ pints/3 cups chicken or vegetable stock (see Chapter 5)

125ml/4fl oz/½ cup pouring cream

3 tbsp chopped fresh mint

CHEESY TOASTS

1 ciabatta bread loaf or 1 medium bread roll

50g/2oz/¼ cup garlic butter

75g/3oz/¾ cup freshly grated cheese of choice

1 Melt the butter or heat a drizzle of oil in a large saucepan, add the onion, potato and garlic and sauté for a few minutes until lightly browned. Add the frozen peas and stir for a moment or two until they begin to defrost (they will begin to sizzle the moment they hit the pan). Add a pinch of salt and a grinding of black pepper at this stage.

2 Next pour in the stock and the cream and bring the mixture to a rapid boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 12–15 minutes or until the peas have softened yet still retained their green colour.

3 Add the mint 1–2 minutes before you are ready to blitz the soup. Transfer the soup to a food processor and blitz in batches until smooth. Return the soup to a clean saucepan, taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly and reheat gently.

4 To make the cheesy toasts, preheat the grill or if using the oven preheat to 190°C (375°F) Gas mark 5.

5 Thinly slice the bread and butter lightly with the garlic butter then place on a baking tray and grill or bake in the oven for 4–5 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle lightly with the grated cheese and return to the oven or place under the grill for a further moment until the cheese has melted. Store until required.

6 Serve the soup with the cheesy toasts.

CHICKEN AND CORN CHOWDER

Soup is always a great recipe for home entertaining, as it can be made in advance and just reheated as required. For dinner parties I like to serve just a small amount of this soup in little china cups, which makes it look more attractive and turns a basic bowl of soup into something a little bit special.

SERVES 8

2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped

3 celery sticks, sliced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 leek, trimmed and sliced

1 medium onion, peeled and diced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

50g/2oz/½ stick butter

3 large fresh thyme sprigs, plus extra to garnish

50g/2oz/¹/₃ cup plain (all-purpose) flour

About 900ml/1½ pints/3½ cups chicken stock (see Chapter 5)

400g/14oz cooked chicken

200g/7oz/¾ cup tinned (canned) sweetcorn (corn)

250ml/9fl oz/1 cup pouring cream

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Place the potatoes, celery, carrots, leek, onion and garlic in a large bowl.

2 Heat a large saucepan with the butter, toss in all the vegetables together with the thyme sprigs and cook gently over a low heat and without colouring for 8–10 minutes or until the smaller vegetables are beginning to soften. Sprinkle in the flour and stir until any liquid in the pan has dried up.

3 Next add the stock (about three-quarters of the stock would be enough at this time) and bring the mixture to a slow boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for a further 15–20 minutes or until all of the vegetables including the potatoes have softened down completely.

4 Shred the cooked chicken (I find that chicken legs left over after Sunday lunch are ideal for this). Remove the pan from the heat and add the shredded chicken to the soup together with the sweetcorn. Mix in the cream at this stage.

5 Return the pan to the heat and bring back to a very gentle boil. If you would like a thinner soup, now would be the best time to add any additional stock or cream to thin it down. Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly.

6 Divide the soup among serving bowls or cups, garnish with a sprig of thyme if you like and serve.

TIP

I like to serve this soup as a nice chunky chowder-style soup, but alternatively, you can blitz it down to make a puréed soup.

OXTAIL SOUP

Oxtail soup has been around for ever. It is a gravy-like soup, which became popular in the UK in the eighteenth century and is now enjoying a renaissance.

SERVES 6–8

25g/1oz/¼ stick butter

150g/5oz turnip, diced

2 large carrots, peeled and diced

1 large onion, peeled and diced

2 celery sticks, diced

2 fresh thyme sprigs

50g/2oz/¹/₃ cup plain (all-purpose) flour

1 tsp tomato purée (tomato paste)

900g/2lb oxtail, jointed

1.25 litres/2 pints/5 cups beef stock (see Chapter 5)

1 glass red wine

Chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Crusty bread, to serve

1 Heat a large saucepan with the butter, add the diced vegetables together with the thyme sprigs and sauté for a few minutes until lightly browned.

2 Next add the flour and tomato purée and stir until all the vegetables are coated. Place the oxtail on top of the vegetables then pour in the stock and red wine and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to very low and skim the scum off the surface with a slotted spoon. Continue to cook the soup over a very low heat for about 3 hours, adding a little additional stock if necessary.

3 Remove the oxtail from the soup and allow to cool, then shred all the meat from the tail.

4 Using a hand-held electric blender, blitz the vegetables and liquid into a thick soup, again adding some additional stock if you would like a soup of a different consistency. Alternatively, use a food processor. Add the shredded oxtail to the soup and gently reheat. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately with crusty bread.

CRAB BISQUE

Crab is such a delightful starter (appetizer) ingredient. After extracting all the delicious crabmeat for other dishes (such as the Asian Crab Cakes in Chapter 2), I love to use the shells to make this wonderful bisque.

SERVES 6–8

15g/½ oz/¹/₈ stick tbsp butter

1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped

2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

1 celery stick, roughly chopped

4 fresh thyme sprigs

2 bay leaves

3 fresh tarragon sprigs

4 crab shells, broken into pieces

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp tomato purée (tomato paste)

1 small glass white wine

25ml/1fl oz/¹/₈ cup brandy

1.25 litres/2 pints/5 cups hot fish stock (see Chapter 5)

3 tbsp double (heavy) cream

Juice of ½ lemon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Melt the butter in a large frying pan until foaming, add the onion, carrots, celery and herbs and stir well. Fry for 2–3 minutes or until the vegetables have softened. Add the crab shell pieces, cayenne pepper and tomato purée and cook for a further 1–2 minutes.

2 Pour in the white wine and brandy and remove the pan from the heat. Set the mixture alight with a match, taking care to keep the flames away from your face, hands and other objects in the vicinity, and ensuring your extractor fan is turned off. Let the flames flare up then die down, and return the pan to the heat. Add the hot stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

3 Remove the pan from the heat and remove and discard the crab shell pieces. Allow to cool slightly then transfer the mixture to a food processor and blitz to a purée.

4 Press the puréed mixture through a fine sieve (strainer) set over a clean pan. Add the cream and lemon juice to the pan, season to taste with salt and pepper and reheat gently before serving.