Consomme

ingredients:

2 large carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
1.25 litres/ 2 1/4pt beef stock
225g/8oz extra lean beef mince
2 tomatoes, chopped
shells of 2 eggs, crushed
1 tablespoon sherry
salt and freshly ground
black pepper
1 turnip, chopped
1 bouquet garni
2 egg whites

How to cook?

• Put the banal and beef chip in a abundant saucepan. Add the tomatoes, carrots, onion, celery, turnip, boutonniere garni, egg whites, egg shells and affluence of seasoning.
• Bring about to the baking point, whisking all the time with a collapsed whisk.
• Cover and simmer for 1 hour, demography affliction not to acquiesce the band of barm on top of the soup to break.
• Carefully cascade the soup through a scalded accomplished bolt such as muslin, befitting the barm back. Repeat if all-important until the aqueous is clear. Add the sherry and reheat. Serve hot.

Watercress soup

ingredients:

1 tablespoon plain flour
1.2 litres/2 pt vegetable stock
1 onion, chopped
15g/ 1/2oz butter
2 eggs, hard-boiled and finely chopped
salt and freshly ground
black pepper
350g/12oz watercress, roughly chopped
1?4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
50ml/2fl oz single cream

How to cook?

• Sweat the onion in the adulate for 2 minutes, add the watercress and cook, active with a board spoon, for a added 2 minutes. Stir in the flour. Remove from the calefaction and gradually alloy in the stock.
• Acknowledgment to the heat, and accompany to the boil, stirring. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Reduce the calefaction and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Alloy or action to a puree, and acknowledgment to a apple-pie pan. Stir in the chrism and reheat gently. Sprinkle the chopped eggs on top and serve.

Vichyssoise

ingredients:

1 bay leaf
1 egg yolk
150ml/5fl oz single cream
salt and freshly ground
500g/1 lb 2oz potatoes, chopped)
900ml/1 1/2pt vegetable stock
2 teaspoons lemon juice
black pepper
50g/2oz butter
3 large leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
pinch of ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

How to cook?

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan, and sweat the leeks and onion, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, stock, lemon juice, nutmeg, coriander and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
2. Cool the soup a little, remove the bay leaf and purée the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pour into a clean pan.
3. Blend the egg yolk into the cream, add a little of the soup to the mixture, then whisk it all back into the soup and reheat gently. Cool and chill before serving.

Vegetable soup

ingredients:

1 small yellow squash, chopped,
200g/7oz fresh broccoli, broken into florets
1 tablespoon olive oil
175g/6oz carrots, chopped
175g/6oz celery, chopped
200ml/7fl oz tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 chicken stock cubes, crumbled
200g/7oz fresh cauliflower, chopped
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small courgette, chopped
100g/4oz mushrooms, sliced
400g/14oz canned chopped tomatoes

How to cook?

1. Lightly saute the garlic and onions in the oil. Add the carrots and celery, and sweat for 3–5 minutes.
2. Add the courgette and squash. Cook for a further 3–5 minutes, then add the remaining ingredients and 1.8 litres/3pt water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Vegetable minestrone

ingredients:

pinch of saffron strands
1 onion, chopped
1 leek, sliced
1 celery stick, sliced
2 carrots, diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
600ml/1pt chicken stock
850g/1 3/4 lb canned chopped tomatoes
50g/2 oz frozen peas
50g/2 oz soup pasta
1 teaspoon caster sugar
salt and freshly ground
black pepper

How to cook?

• Soak the saffron strands in 1 tablespoon boiling water. Leave to stand for 10 minutes.
• Put the onion, leek, celery, carrots and garlic in a large pan. Add the stock, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, the saffron and its soaking liquid and the peas. Bring back to the boil and add the pasta. Simmer for 10 minutes until the pasta is al dente.
• Sprinkle in the sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Stir through and serve hot.

Tomato soup

ingredients:

2 rashers rindless streaky chicken, chopped
700g/1 1/2 lb tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon soft brown sugar
900ml/1 1/2pt vegetable stock
1 large onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon double cream
salt and freshly ground
black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, to serve
1 tablespoon chopped fresh
flat-leaf parsley
25g/1oz butter

How to cook?

1. Heat the butter in a heavy pan. Sweat the onion for a few minutes until soft. Add the garlic and chicken. Fry for 2 minutes without browning the chicken. Add the tomatoes and fry for a further 2 minutes. Add the other ingredients except the cream and chives. Cook, covered, for 25 minutes.
2. Blend or process the soup into a puree, and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Add a dollop of cream and the chives to each bowl to serve.

Scotch broth

ingredients:

1 bouquet garni
1 large carrot, chopped
black pepper
1 turnip, chopped
3 leeks, chopped
900g/2 lb neck of lamb, cubed
1 large onion, chopped
50g/2 oz pearl barley
1/2 small white cabbage, shredded
salt and freshly ground

How to cook?

• Put the lamb and 1.8 litres / 3 pt water in a large heavy saucepan, and bring to the boil. Skim off any scum from the surface, then stir in the onion, pearl barley and bouquet garni. Bring the soup back to the boil, part-cover the pan and simmer gently for 1 hour.
• Add the remaining vegetables, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil again, part-cover and simmer for 35 minutes.
• Use kitchen paper to skim surplus fat from the top of the soup. Discard the bouquet garni and serve hot.

Next Page »