Chickpea Broccoli Rabe Hearty Soup.

Chickpea Broccoli Rabe Hearty Soup Recipe | The Local Rose:
Ingredients:
3 tsp olive oil
2 slices pancetta, chopped fine (omit for vegetarian version)
1 large or 2 small carrots peeled and diced
2 celery stalks diced
1 onion diced
4 oregano sprigs
A pinch of dried chile flakes (optional)
salt
4 garlic cloves chopped
2 cups cooked chickpeas
2 cups chickpea cooking liquid
2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable)
1 bunch broccoli rabe
Olive oil
Heat heavy soup pot add: 2 tsp oil, pancetta.
Cook for 3 minutes add, carrots, celery, onion, oregano, chile.
Cook stirring now and then, until soft and slightly brown about 12 minutes.
Turn heat down if too brown.
When vegetables are cooked add: salt, garlic, chickpeas, chickpea liquid, stock.
Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer.
Cook for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile trim and rinse the broccoli rabe and discard stems.
Chop coarsely and add to the soup.
Cook for 10 minutes.
If not tender cook longer.
Taste for salt.
Garnish with oils oil.
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Spicy Thai Chicken Broth.

Spicy Thai Chicken Broth – Amelia Freer:

1ltr chicken stock
2 stalks of lemon grass
4 kafir lime leaves
15g ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 birds eye chili, sliced
1-2 tbsp fish sauce
Juice of 1 or 2 limes
2 poached chicken breasts, shredded or diced
2 heads of bok choy, leaves separated
1 red pepper, sliced
1 carrot, finely sliced
2 spring onions, sliced
small bunch of coriander or Thai basil leaves, roughly chopped

Step-By-Step
Lightly smash the lemon grass with a rolling pin so it is broken but still whole.
In a pan heat, lemongrass, stock, lime leaves, chilli and ginger, bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove the lime leaves, ginger and lemon grass and add the fish sauce, carrot and pepper, simmer for 5 minutes then add the chicken, bok-choy and spring onions, simmer for 3 minutes.
Check for flavour balance as you may need to add a little more fish sauce or lime.
Serve with a generous topping of fresh herbs.
If you like your Thai food spicy, serve with extra chopped chilli.
'via Blog this'

Cauliflower Soup.

1 large onion, finely chopped
2 sticks of celery, finely chopped
1 medium potato, chopped up into small pieces
1 medium head of cauliflower, broken into florets or make rice
Stock, 1 litre
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Parmesan rind (vital for flavor)

Instructions
Sweat the onions, celery and potatoes until they are all soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the stock and cauliflower and boil for about 10-15 minutes.
Remove the Parmesan rind.
Puree with a soup blender, leaving a few pieces of soft cauliflower to give it a nice texture
Serve hot with a bit of grated cheese and a few croutons if desired.
OR garnish with:
panko breadcrumbs+fresh chives or wild or bear's garlic - is in season now !

PS Add the turmeric for beautiful golden broth.

Stem soup.

Eating It All: From Stalk to Leaves.
By Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
Hugh joined The River Café in London, where he worked as a sous chef.
He established the original River Cottage Headquarters near Bridport in Dorset in 2004, moving it to Park Farm on the Devon and Dorset border.
By limiting his food intake on fast days to a 250-calorie breakfast and a 350-calorie supper, he lost 3.6kg/8lb in just six days of fasting.


Ingredients
20g butter, or 20ml rapeseed or sunflower oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic clove, finely chopped
500-600g broccoli stems, cauliflower stems and outer leaves and/or cabbage stalks and outer leaves, roughly chopped (I running the broccoli stalks through the shredding blade of a food processor with small carrot)
1.0 litres chicken or vegetable stock or water
50g crème fraîche, plus extra to serve (optional)
Extra virgin rapeseed or olive oil, to finish
1 large potato, peeled if desired and cut into 3-cm pieces.
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Seasoning to enhance the flavour (optional):
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp parsley
1 tsp sage
1/4 tsp ginger

Method
Melt the butter or heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium-low heat, then add the onion, bay leaf and a pinch of salt.
Sauté until the onion is softened, but don’t let it take on any colour.
This should take about 10 minutes.
Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute.
Add the stems…the broccoli - sauté until the broccoli is softened.
Add the potato, stock and salt.
Bring to a boil over high heat and then lower to a simmer.
Cook partially covered until potatoes and broccoli stalks are tender, about 20 minutes.
Puree soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender.
Taste for seasoning.

- How to Cook with Broccoli Stalks - Broccoli Stem and Radish Slaw:

- Eating It All: From Stalk to Leaves | Kitchn:

- Tara Duggan on Root-to-Stalk Cooking:
Her recipes use every possible part of the vegetable, from corn husks to broccoli leaves to apple peels - minimizing kitchen waste.
Chard stalks: grilled, dressed, and served as a side dish.
Most underutilized vegetable part: Broccoli stems!

- Why You Shouldn't Throw Away Cauliflower Leaves | Kitchn:
Cauliflower: Do not throw away the leaves. Save them.
Throw them in a bowl or plastic bag with some oil and spices. I can’t say enough about dill and garlic powder.
Place the oiled leaves in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in a 200C/400°F oven until they darken and get crispy, about 15 minutes.

Kartoffelsuppe (German potato soup).

By REN BEHAN.
Pulses, lentils, rice or potatoes can be added to make a thicker, more substantial meal; stretching out some very simple ingredients even further, but still keeping things gluten free.
Start with a base of onions, carrots and celery and sweat them in a large pan with a tiny drizzle of oil until golden and soft.
You can then chop and add almost any vegetables of your choice.
Cover them with a good-quality stock and simmer until the vegetables are tender.
Cook in oven on low-heat for 2 to 4 hours.
Across Central and Eastern Europe, root vegetable soups really come into their own during the colder months, with a few humble vegetables coming together to make a quick “one-pot” meal.
Potatoes are one of the most versatile and brilliant ingredients in soup.
I’ve shared my recipe below for one of our favourites; a German potato soup known as kartoffelsuppe.
This comforting soup is a magnificent example of how some very basic, budget-friendly ingredients can be elevated into an incredibly cosy, fireside supper.

Serves 8
Ingredients
Olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and cubed
1 large leek, washed, and chopped
3 medium size potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/4 a head of sweetheart cabbage, sliced
1 tablespoon marjoram
Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 litre/4 cups vegetable stock
A small piece of German sausage, to garnish (optional)
Fresh parsley
Method
Put the onion, celery, leek and carrots into a large saucepan, add a splash of olive oil and cook on a low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until they have softened.

For the slow cooker/crock pot version, transfer the vegetables into your slow cooker, add in the potatoes and cabbage, sprinkle with marjoram and add a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
Pour over the stock cover with the lid and cook for 6-8 hours on a low heat setting or 4-5 hours on a higher heat setting.

If you are cooking the soup on the stovetop, add the potatoes and cabbage to the partly cooked vegetables, sprinkle with marjoram and add a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
Pour over the stock. To boil.
Place the pot in the oven T 200C for 15 min.
Lower the heat to 110C and simmer for 2 to 4 hours, covered.

Check that the potatoes are soft.
At this stage, you can either serve the soup as it is, or else gently mash some of the vegetables and add them back on, or puree the soup with a stick blender.

To garnish, finely slice the German sausage and fry it gently in a small frying pan.
Serve the soup with the sausage and a sprinkle of fresh flat leaf parsley and dill.

Italian Bread and Cabbage Soup. By Jamie Oliver.

From JAMIE AT HOME by Jamie Oliver.

1L good-quality chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 Savoy cabbage, stalks removed, outer leaves separated, washed and roughly chopped
1 big handfuls cavolo nero and/or kale, stalks removed, leaves washed and roughly chopped
About 4 slices stale country-style or sourdough bread
1 clove garlic, unpeeled, cut in 1/2
Olive oil
4 slices pancetta or bacon
1 can anchovy fillets in oil, about 20-25 anchovy fillets
1 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked
60g fontina cheese, grated
60g freshly grated Parmesan, plus a little for serving
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Knobs butter
Small bunch fresh sage, leaves picked

Method:
Preheat oven to 175C.
Place stock in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Add cabbage and kale and cook until softened.
Transfer cabbage to a large bowl and set stock aside.
Toast 4 slices bread and rub one side of each slice with garlic and set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add pancetta and anchovy fillets; cook until pancetta is golden brown and sizzling.
Add rosemary and cooked cabbage mixture; toss to coat.
Transfer to a large bowl.
Place 2 slices of toast in an even layer in Dutch oven.
Top with one-third of the cabbage mixture.
Top with one-quarter of fontina and Parmesan cheese.
Repeat process two times, until all the toasted bread and cabbage mixture is used.
Top with remaining 2 slices untoasted bread, pushing down with your hands.
Gently pour stock into Dutch-oven until it just comes to the top layer of bread.
Top with remaining cheese. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
Transfer Dutch oven to oven and bake until top is golden and crisp.
Just before serving, heat butter in a small skillet over medium heat.
Add sage leaves and cook until crisp and butter is golden. Serve soup immediately drizzled with sage butter and topped with sage leaves and Parmesan, if desired.

- Jamie Oliver's Italian bread and cabbage soup | The Gourmet Forager:

- Italian Bread and Cabbage Soup with Sage Butter Recipe | Jamie Oliver | Food Network:

- Jamie Oliver:
'via Blog this'

Solyanka. Soup.

There are three basic types of solyanka:
- with the main ingredient being either meat,
- fish,
- or mushrooms.
All of them contain pickled cucumbers with brine, and often cabbage, salted mushrooms, smetana (sour cream), and dill.
The soup is prepared by cooking the cucumbers with brine before adding the other ingredients to the broth.
For meat solyanka, ingredients like beef, ham, sausages, chicken breast together with cucumber pickles, tomatoes, onions, olives, capers, allspice, parsley, and dill are all cut fine and mixed in a pot.
The broth is added, and heated for a short time on the stove, without boiling.
Fish solyanka is prepared similarly, but soup vegetables are cooked in the broth.
The meat is replaced with fish such as sturgeon, salmon, and freshwater crayfish.
Finally, some lemon juice is added to the soup.
For mushroom solyanka, cut cabbage is heated in butter together with vinegar, tomatoes, cucumber pickles, and a little brine.
Separately, mushrooms and onions are heated, and grated lemon zest is added.
Cabbage and mushrooms are added in layers, breadcrumbs and butter are added, and the soup is briefly baked.

Ingredients:
500 g. bones
200 g. meat
100 g. cooked ham (or veal with skin)
70 g. sausage
120 g. cooked kidney
70 g. chicken

200 g. onions
100 g. pickles
180 g. capers
80 g. olives
80 g. tomato paste
50 g. butter
Black pepper kernels
Bay leaf
100 g. sour cream
Parsley and dill

Preparation:
Make broth by boiling the meat and bones.
Remove the meat and bones and place to one side.
String-cut the onions and fry them in butter (without letting them brown).
Add them to the broth along with the tomato paste.
Remove the skin from the pickles, slice into cubes, and add to the broth. Cook 4-5 minutes.
Add the pepper kernels and bay leaf.
Next, add all the various boiled meats, finely sliced into pieces about 2-3 mm thick and 2-2.5 cm long, along with the capers, and a few pitted olives.
When serving, add olives, sour cream, and a slice of peeled lemon.
You may also cook solyanka with chicken broth and smoked meats instead.
But remember: the greater the variety of meat, the tastier your solyanka will be!

Bean and Beet Soup with Farro.

Farro e fagioli (with beets).

Makes 2 to 3 servings
1 cup dried white beans (such as Cannellini)
1 cup dried chickpeas
2 T olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1/4 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 leek, diced
1 beet, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
4 cups vegetable stock, warmed
2 sprigs rosemary
1 sprig thyme
1 stem Italian parsley
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
5 or 6 kale leaves, stems removed and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup dried farro
1 sprig sage
1 T olive oil
3 canned plum tomatoes, chopped
1 cup vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
Creme fraiche to garnish

Place the dried beans in a bowl and cover with water.
Cover and let soak 1 to 2 days, and then drain.

On the day you are making the soup, place the farro in a bowl and cover with boiling water.
Let sit until needed, at least 3 hours, and then drain just before using.

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat, and add the onion and celery and cook for about 2 minutes until soft.
Add the garlic, leek, beet, carrot and garlic.
Cook for 2 minutes.
Add the red pepper flakes and beans, then pour in the stock.
Add the herbs (tie them with butcher twine to make them easier to remove later).
Bring to a simmer, and cook until the beans are very soft, between 1 and 2 hours.

When the beans just start to soften, place the farro, sage, olive oil and tomatoes in another pot over medium heat, and cover with the vegetable stock.
Bring to a low boil, and then simmer for about 20 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the farro is soft.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Once the beans are very tender, season to taste.
If you want a bit of a thicker broth, spoon out about 3/4 cup of the vegetables with some broth, puree it, and then add it back to the soup pot.
Add the kale and cook for just a minute or two until it brightens.

To serve, ladle the soup into each bowl, add a heaping spoon of farro, and add a dollop of creme fraiche.

Celeriac soup.

Celeriac soup | River Cottage:
The lovely taste!

Ingredients
50g Butter
1 Celeriac, peeled and cubed
1 Potato, peeled and cubed
1 Leek, trimmed, washed and roughly sliced
1 Onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 Garlic clove, sliced
1 litre Stock, chicken, vegetable
Parsley & walnut pesto to serve

Melt the butter in a large, heavy-based pot over a medium-low heat.
Add the celeriac, leek, potato, garlic and onion, season generously, and gently sweat the vegetables until they're all starting to soften (this will take about 10 minutes).
Add the stock, bring the soup up to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the celeriac is completely tender.
Liquidise until smooth, return to the pan and reheat over a medium flame.
Just before serving, check the soup for seasoning and serve with a drizzle of pesto.
'via Blog this'

Minestrone.

Adapted from recipe by Elizabeth David published in the Guardian.
Serves 6-8

50g of dried Aduki beans,
1 carrots,
1 small potatoes,
1/2 small turnip,
1 onions,
a piece of celery,
2 tomatoes or concentrated tomato purée,
1/4 a small cabbage,
2 rashers of bacon,
garlic,
herbs and seasoning,
olive oil,
1/2 a small glassful of red wine,
25g of any of the pasta made in small shapes

Put the Aduki beans to soak overnight.
Next day prepare all the vegetables, and melt the sliced onions in the oil,
adding 2 cloves of garlic,
the bacon cut into pieces,
and plenty of herbs: marjoram, thyme, basil, or whatever may be available;
add the chopped tomatoes, or a tablespoonful of concentrated tomato purée;
pour in the red wine,
let it bubble a minute or two, then add the drained Aduki beans;
cover them with 1L of hot water and let them boil steadily for two hours.
Now put in the carrots and about 15 minutes later the turnip and potatoes.
Ten minutes before serving, add the celery, the cabbage cut into strips, and the pasta.
See that the soup is properly seasoned, stir in 2 tablespoonfuls of grated parmesan, and serve more parmesan separately.

According to the season almost any vegetable can be added to a minestrone: peas, beans, spinach, leeks, small marrows; rice can be substituted for the pasta.

Yellow Split Pea soup.

Yellow Split Pea soup Recipe on Food52:
This is a simple soup.
It does take some time to cook and will require regular stirring but there is very little preparation and few ingredients.
Its a comforting, cheap meal that freezes well.
I'll come back to this recipe!

200g dried yellow split peas
140g carrots, chopped
1 onion
2 tablespoons vegtable oil
1 liter vegetable stock
2-3 bay leaves
Salt and pepper

Soak the dried yellow split peas overnight in cold water.
Drain and rinse the split peas.
Heat the oil.
Gently fry the carrot and onion together in a large sauce/stock pan.
This is not to brown but just to add flavor.
When the onions start to become translucent add the drained split peas and the vegetable stock and bay leaves.
Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 10 minutes then simmer until the split peas are cooked through.
Now I find that the times differ - I'm not sure why.
Sometimes it takes 45 minutes for the split peas to soften, other times more than an hour.
Use your judgement here but you may need to top up the stock so the soup doesn't boil dry and stir regularly!
Fish out the bay leaves.
Puree the soup with a blender or stick blender.
If too thick you may need to add a little more stock.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
'via Blog this'

Potato, leek and ham hock soup.

Serves 4
50g butter
1tbsp olive oil
2 banana shallots, peeled and finely chopped
2 leeks, sliced
1 stick of celery, finely chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 large or 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
A large sprig of thyme
1 bay leaf
180g pack shredded ham hock (Waitrose)
750ml-1ltr chicken stock
A handful of parsley and/or tarragon
Bread to serve

Melt the butter and oil and sauté the shallots, leeks and celery for 8-10 minutes until soft.
Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes.
Add the potatoes, thyme and bay leaf and cook for 1-2 minutes with the buttery vegetables.
Stir in the ham hock, pour over the chicken stock and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through.
Season and sprinkle over the herbs and serve with the bread.
Scrumptious!

Moroccan harira soup.

Moroccan Chickpea & Lentil Soup.

Serves 4–6
Ingredients
1-2 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped into 1cm pieces
2 fresh red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
Spices:
1 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
A good pinch of saffron fronds (optional)
3 bay leaves

450g lamb, cut into 1cm pieces (optional)
3 tbsp tomato purée
1.2 litres chicken or vegetable stock
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
150g brown lentil
two handfuls of chopped coriander

Instructions:
Heat oil in large pot over medium heat.
Add onion, celery, carrot, red chillies, garlic cloves.
Saute 5 minutes or until onion is soft.

Stir in all Spices and bay leaves - saute 5 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes and tomato purée - saute 5 minutes more.

Stir in meat and stock bring to a boil and reduce heat to low and simmer 1.5 hour.

Stir chickpeas, lentils and simmer 30 min more or until lentils are tender, stirring occassionally.
Add salt and pepper to taste if you prefer it spicier.
Stir in the chopped coriander and serve in bowls.
This soup tastes even better the next day as the flavors have had time to deepen.

Caldo Verde, Green Kale Soup with Chorizo & Potato.

From Rick Stein’s long Weekends.
This recipe is inspired by a traditional Portuguese dish but with extra heat courtesy of chilli flakes and an abundance of chorizo, perfect for a winter warming meal!

1 onion, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
100g chorizo or chouriço (sausage), cut into chunks
3 tbsp olive oil
400g potatoes, preferably floury, peeled and cut into 4 chunks each.
1 litres water or Vegetable stock
100g spring greens or kale, finely shredded
1 tsp salt
6 turns black peppermill
Large pinch chilli flakes

Fry the onion, garlic and chorizo or chouriço in the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat until the onions and garlic are soft and translucent, 5 to 8 minutes.
Add the potatoes and the stock and let this boil until the potatoes are cooked, about 20 minutes.
Pulverize the potatoes in the broth with a potato masher.
Add the kale, bring back to the boil and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until the kale is cooked but still a vibrant green.
Season with salt and pepper and serve in warmed bowls with chilli flakes sprinkled on top.
Enjoy!

Nigel Slater's lentil soup with ricotta.

Nigel Slater's lentil soup with ricotta | Life and style | The Guardian:

Verdict on the new lentil soup recipe I tried:
- not appetizing in appearance but gustable soup.
The recipe

Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup.

Verdict: delicious!

Ingredients:
SERVINGS 4-6
1 butternut squash
1 large sweet potato
3 medium carrots or 2 large carrots
1 large red onion
2 celery ribs
1 red pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 vegetable stock cube
salt and pepper
1 large fresh parsley sprig

Directions:
Peel the squash, sweet potato, carrots, and onion.
Dice the above ingredients and the red pepper and parsley.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and soften all the above ingredients for a few minutes.
Make up a pint of stock with the stock cube and pour this over the softened vegetables.
Add the salt and pepper to taste, add more water if required.
Put a lid on the pan and simmer until the carrots, sweet potato and squash are all completely cooked.
Take the pan off the heat and leave to cool a bit, then liquidise the whole lot until smooth.
Serve with nice fresh crusty bread.

Homemade minestrone.

Tested and proved! Verdict: delicious!
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, peeled, sliced
150g streaky bacon, diced
4 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped.
2 carrots, peeled, diced
2 potatoes, peeled, diced
1 litre beef stock
30g tomato purée
400g canned haricot beans, drained
1 bay leaf
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
handful chopped fresh parsley
400g tomatoes, chopped
100g spaghetti, broken into 2cm/1in pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the croûtons
1 crusty white bread loaf, cut into thick slices
1 tbsp olive oil
200g mozzarella, torn

Method
Haricot beans.
You need to start this recipe by soaking the beans.
You can do this by covering the beans with twice their volume of cold water, then soaking them overnight.
Alternatively, on the same day, boil them for 10 minutes then leave them to soak for a minimum of 2 hours.
Or you can buy canned haricot beans.
Canned beans just need to be drained and rinsed - then they're ready to use.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion, bacon, celery, garlic and carrots for 2-3 minutes, or until softened.
Stir in the potatoes and fry for a further 2-3 minutes.
Pour in the stock and bring the mixture to the boil.
Stir in the tomato purée and simmer for 45 minutes.
Add the haricot beans, herbs, chopped tomatoes and spaghetti and continue to cook until the pasta is tender.
Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

For the croûtons, drizzle the bread with the olive oil.
Heat a griddle pan until hot and fry the bread on one side for 2-3 minutes, or until golden-brown.
Meanwhile, preheat the grill to high.
Remove the bread from the pan and top the uncooked side with the mozzarella.
Place under the grill for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and golden-brown.
To serve, ladle the soup into 4 soup bowls and top with a croûton.

Recipe from "Something for the Weekend recipes" by BBC food.

Soup.

I have not tasted yet!
- Sambar - aromatic vegetable and lentil soup - Saga:
A typical Indian version of garam masala contains:

Black and white peppercorns
Cloves
Cinnamon or cassia bark
Mace (Nutmeg)
Black and green cardamom pods
Bay leaf
Cumin

- Kalyn's Kitchen®: Low-Carb Goulash Soup with Red Peppers and Cabbage:

- Lentil and Bulgur Soup - Give Recipe:

- Silky Edamame Soup | Love and Olive Oil:

Cauliflower, almond and turmeric soup.

I have not tasted yet!
- The 10 best soup recipes | Life and style | The Guardian: "
This is Leon's winter version of the great Spanish cold summer soup of almonds and garlic called ajo blanco.
The creaminess of the almonds is backed by that of the cauliflower when it has been softened and pureed.
This should have the consistency of satin.
Serves 4-5
1 large cauliflower (about 1.5kg)
50g butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp ground (or whole) fenugreek
½ tsp ground ginger
70g ground almonds
1 litre vegetable stock
600ml full-fat milk

To garnish
A small handful of whole almonds, skin on, slightly crushed
Lemon wedges
Salt and black pepper

1 Cut the cauliflower florets off the central trunk and very roughly chop them.
Quarter the trunk and slice that too.
2 Melt the butter in a pan, add the onion, garlic, turmeric, fenugreek, ground ginger and sliced cauliflower stalk, and cook until the onion begins to soften.
3 Stir in the ground almonds, making sure everything is well coated, then pour the stock on top.
4 Simmer for about 10 minutes, then add the cauliflower florets – the cauliflower may not all be covered at first but as it begins to cook, stir occasionally and it will all get there.
Simmer for a further 20-25 minutes, until all the cauliflower bits are very tender but not mushy – check that the stalks are soft, too.
5 Stir in the milk and blitz until completely smooth.
Top it off with some crushed whole (or flaked) almonds, and serve with a wedge of lemon on the side for a bit of last-minute freshness.

Monty Don in his kitchen.

Turning the tables: Monty Don in his kitchen | Life and style | The Guardian:
I have not tasted yet!
"Chilled cucumber soup
This recipe was modified as a result of lunch with Nigel.
1 1/2 cucumbers
1 pint lowfat yogurt
1/2 pint light chicken stock
juice from 1/2 a lemon
good handful of chopped spearmint
salt and freshly ground pepper
ice cubes

Roughly chop the cucumbers, leaving the skin on, and liquidise in a blender.
Add the yogurt, chicken stock and lemon juice and whizz together.
Put into a big bowl, stir in the chopped mint and season.
Refrigerate for an hour before serving with an ice cube in each bowl.