Читать книгу Rose Elliot’s New Complete Vegetarian - Rose Elliot - Страница 67

This is my family’s favourite soup and the one I get the most requests to make.

SERVES 4-6

900g (2lb) potatoes, peeled

3 tbsp olive oil

salt

2 litres (3 pints) light vegetable stock or water

vegetable bouillon powder or a stock cube

1 packet of fresh watercress

freshly ground black pepper

Slice the potatoes as thinly as you can; this is to help them soften quickly in the oil.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the potato slices with a sprinkling of salt, which also helps the softening process by drawing the water out of the potatoes. Cook very gently, covered, for 5–15 minutes, stirring often. The longer you can let them ‘sweat’ like this, the better the soup. They can get flecked with some gold, but don’t let them brown because that will spoil the flavour. Add 1–2 tablespoons of water if they start to stick.

Add three-quarters of the stock or water and the bouillon powder or stock cube. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 5–15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. The timing will depend on how long you sweated the potato for if you got it very tender, this stage will take hardly any time.

Reserve some small sprigs of watercress for garnishing (one for each bowl), and add the rest to the soup. Blend thoroughly to a smooth, bright green cream. Adjust the consistency with the remaining water to get it to the consistency you like.

Season with salt and pepper (you may not need much salt, if any). Reheat and serve with watercress leaves and a grinding of black pepper on each bowlful.