Ingredients

Basic Recipe

•  1 tablespoon butter

• 1 Tablespoon oil

• 1 Potato peeled and sliced * see note

• 4 or 5 regular Carrots * see note

• 3 Celery sticks * see note

• 2 small to medium onions sliced

• 2 large garlic cloves chopped or crushed

• 2 pints Chicken or Veg Stock (2 knorr stock pots)

• 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala

• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric

• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin

• 1 Kashmiri or Long Dried Red Chilli ** See note

• Sea Salt and Black Pepper

• White Pepper

• *Note - You need about 800 g veg as well as the onions - Use at least one potato but you can adjust the veg advised above. For example if you don’t have celery sub in more carrot or potato or if you don’t have carrot you can use squash.

• **Note - If you don’t have a long dried red chilli then you can add a 1/4 teaspoon of chilli flakes or a crushed bird eye.

Method

This is basically just vegetable soup but I fancied a bit of excitement and thought I’d use some spices to liven it up!

Chop your onions and while you are slicing the rest of your veg sweat the onions over a low heat on your hob in a saucepan big enough to take all the veg and 2 pints of stock. Keep the lid on between stirring the onions to make sure they don’t burn.

Add the garlic after a few minutes and continue to sweat the onions over the low heat .

After about 8 minutes add the rest of your veg. Continue to sweat your veg on a low heat and do this until it smells appetising! This is the key. The potato should no longer smell raw and it should all be starting to smell like something you’d like to eat! This few minutes extra work makes all the difference. Remember to sprinkle a bit of salt on the veg too at this stage rather than later.

Grind in some black pepper, Add your Spices and if you are using the Long dried chilli cut it up and put it all in - including the seeds.

Add your 2 stock pots -it can be chicken or veg stock - and 2 pints of hot water from the kettle and bring the soup to the boil and then simmer with the lid on on a low heat for 25 minutes.

I always add a sprinkle of white pepper at this stage - its the magic ingredient in soup!

Blend the soup in a mixer or with a hand blender.

Ingredients

Basic Recipe

•  450-500g Parsnips sliced roughly

•  1 Medium/2 Small Potatoes

• 1 Onion - halved and sliced

• 1 large Cooking Apple Peeled, cored, sliced

• 2 ClovesGarlic - crushed or roughly chopped

• 1 rounded Teaspoon Medium Curry Powder*

•  Large knob of Butter/ Tablespoon - 2 tablespoons of oil if you don’t have butter

•  Teaspoon oil  to stop the butter burning..

•  2 Veg/Chicken Stock Pot jelly cubes to make 2 pints stock

• Salt and White* and Black Pepper.

Method

This is Easy but with its layers of spice and sweetness it tastes like it was harder work!

Chop your onions and while you are slicing the rest of your veg sweat the onions over a low heat on your hob in a saucepan big enough to take all the veg and 2 pints of stock.

To sweat the onions you must make sure the lid is on and if you don’t have a lid then use grease proof paper or tin foil on top of the onions to keep the moisture in. Keep the heat low to make sure they don’t burn.

Add the garlic after a few minutes and let it cook over the low heat remembering to stir so it doesn burn.

Add the rest of your veg and apple and curry powder and sweat it. While you will have noticed the onions cooking by the fact that they went translucent and changed texture you won’t particularly notice the rest of the veg changing but if you leave it in the pot on low for at least 5 mins, giving it the odd stir, it will make all the difference.

Add a couple of twists or a big pinch of sea salt and shake in some white pepper and a few twists of black pepper.

Add your 2 stock pots -it can be chicken or veg stock - and 2 pints of hot water from the kettle and bring the soup to the boil and then simmer with the lid on on a low heat for 25 minutes.

Blend the soup in a mixer or with a hand blender.

When seasoning soup at the table - In my opinion … you need white and black pepper.

Ingredients

Basic Recipe

•  1 tablespoon butter

• 1 Tablespoon oil

• 800 g (peeled) potatoes sliced

• 2 small to medium onions sliced

• 2 large garlic cloves chopped or crushed

• 2 pints Chicken or Veg Stock (2 knorr stock pots)

• 40 mls Cream Sherry

• 60 -70 g Blue Cheese 

• Bay Leaf

• 1/2 teaspoon Thyme

• Sea Salt and Black Pepper

• White Pepper

Method

Soften the butter with the oil and add your sliced onions to a large saucepan. Sweat them over a low heat for about 8 minutes with a bit of salt*.

While they cook roughly chop or crush your garlic and add to the pan - stirring regularly so nothing burns. When sweating veg - you cook them low and slow and with the lid on although you need to stir to make sure nothing burns.

Once the onions have softened and changed colour a bit you can add your sliced potatoes. Add a bit of salt* and again use a lowish heat stirring regularly.

Give it about 5 minutes so that the potatoes start to smell like you’d want to eat them! This is the key … if they don’t smell nice or just smell like raw potato before you add your stock … then the soup wont be as delicious. 

Add 40 mls of cream sherry (which I keep by my cooker at all times – best ingredient ever).

And a good few twists of black pepper. 

Now add your 2 pints of stock, ½ teaspoon dried thyme and a bay leaf.

Simmer for about 25 minutes and then add 60 to 70g of crumbled blue cheese, remove the bay leaf and blend. 

Once blended I like to stir through a few shakes of white pepper which is just a magic ingredient in soups. 

Ingredients

Basic Recipe

•  450-500g Carrots sliced roughly

•  1 Medium/2 Small Potatoes

• 1 Onion - halved and sliced

•  Large knob of Butter/ Tablespoon - 2 tablespoons of oil if you don’t have butter

•  Teaspoon oil  to stop the butter burning..

•  2 Veg Stock Pot jelly cubes to make 2 pints stock

• Salt and White and Black Pepper.

• Croutons/Parsley/Corriander leaves Optional for topping

Optional.

• 2 Teaspoons Cumin Powder

• 1 Teaspoon Curry Powder

This is my favourite seasoning in this soup.

******************

• Juice of an Orange (plus rind -optional)

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Magic Serving Ingredient

• Crispy Fried Onions (You get them in a Tub at the Supermarket!)

Method

This is Easy!

Carrot Soup is one of your most basic soups and you’d kind of think … what’s not to love? But actually basic carrot soup can be a bit bland - its certainly not as delicious as you think its going to be - but never fear because its easy to remedy this with some simple storecupboard ingredients.

For this soup I use butter to sweat the veg - its definitely the best and lets face it - there is no cream going into this soup so a few quality calories are well worth it.

Chop your onions and while you are slicing the rest of your veg sweat the onions over a low heat on your hob in a saucepan big enough to take all the veg and 2 pints of stock.

To sweat the onions you must make sure the lid is on and if you don’t have a lid then use grease proof paper or tin foil on top of the onions to keep the moisture in. Keep the heat low to make sure they don’t burn.

Chop the rest of your veg and add to the soup and sweat it. While you will have noticed the onions cooking by the fact that they went translucent and changed texture you won’t or shouldn’t notice the rest of the veg changing but if you leave it in the pot on low for at least 5 mins on low giving it the odd stir it will make all the difference.

If using the Cumin and Curry Powder I add it with the carrots.

I don’t recommend using the cumin without the curry powder - you can but the curry powder really makes it. And don’t substitute a 3rd Cumin for the curry powder if using only Cumin. Just stick with 2 teaspoons. Instead of the curry powder you could add a little bit of ginger (less than a thumb) in with the onions when sweating them).

Add a couple of twists or a big pinch of sea salt and shake in some white pepper and a few twists of black pepper.

Add your 2 stock pots and 2 pints of hot water from the kettle and bring the soup to the boil and then simmer with the lid on on a low heat for 25 minutes.

Blend the soup in a mixer or with a hand blender.

If using orange juice you can add it in now - add gradually and taste to test.

When seasoning soup at the table - In my opinion … you need white and black pepper.

Ingredients

Basic Recipe - 6 servings

•  1 onion -Halved and sliced

• 1 tablespoon butter & 1 tablespoon oil

• 3 Red Peppers

• 3 cloves garlic

• 30 mls Cream Sherry

• 2 Knorr Stock Pots Chicken or veg in 750mls of water *

• 1 bay lef

• ¼ teaspoon Tabasco

• 1 teaspoon/rounded teaspoon paprika

• 2 Tins of Tomatoes

• Black and White Pepper

• Salt

Optional.

• 1 Tablespoon Parmesan

Note*

This is less water than usual

Method

This sounds like a long list of ingredients – but everything here should be in your kitchen anyway – except perhaps the peppers. You could probably sub in something for the 3rd red pepper if you don’t have it -  a yellow or orange pepper or a courgette or a large carrot or a small spud.

This is easy – The method only looks long because I’m explaining well enough for first time cooks!

Tomato and Red Pepper soup usually requires roasting the peppers and the tomatoes but I simply don’t have the time so I’ve try to make up for it with a few store cupboard ingredients like the sherry – just sweat the ingredients low and slow to bring out the flavours and you will have a delicious soup.

Gently Sweat your onion in a saucepan on a low heat – sweating is not the same as frying. You are cooking the onions with a lid on a low heat. You can add your garlic within a minute or two as the heat should be low enough that nothing is burning.  Make sure your onions have a least turned translucent and soft before doing anything else.

Add your peppers, bay leaf and a pinch of salt – always add your salt in with your veg as it helps them cook. (something sciencey and to do with cell breakdown – you know yourself – a tip is a tip – we don’t have to understand it!)

Add your paprika, tabasco and a few twists of black pepper now too and continue to sweat everything giving it the odd stir. You may need to increase the heat slightly due to the extra volume. Keep on sweating the veg until you feel the peppers have visibly softened and you can actually smell them cooking.

Add your 2 tins of tomatoes and 2 or 3 teaspoons of sugar. Turn the heat up slightly and give this a bit of extra time to cook before throwing your stock in. Tomatoes can be bitter and this is a fairly quick cook so it’s worth giving them a bit of time – you want them to actually be cooking – not just heating.

 Then add your stock, water and sherry. I always make sure the water is hot from the kettle. 

I usually let soup cook with the lid on but for this soup I keep the heat high enough for a “good simmer” and leave the lid slightly open. 

Cook for about 25 – 30 mins. And add a good few shakes of white pepper.

Remove your bay leaf and if you are using your parmesan you can add it now. (if its your first time – wait and taste it  - you can add the parmesan later)

Blend your soup and taste – it should be delicious! However if you make it in advance it will only benefit from the extra cooking during reheating as the tomatoes are better the longer they are cooked.