Johannesburg -
As the weather - thankfully - cools down slightly, a light, warm soup will go down a treat with your family.
I find that at this time of the year, with autumn on the horizon, using some of the best summer ingredients which are not available in the dead of winter gives us the opportunity to make some delicious soups that aren't too heavy and filling.
Served with some fresh crusty bread, they make a meal on their own.
Tomatoes are particularly good at the moment, and slow roasting them for a soup results in a intense tomato flavour.
The cauliflower soup is ideal for anyone following a banting diet - it may not be so light but it's creamy and delicious.
The kale and broccoli soup is packed with nutrients and fibre, but it's not to everyone's taste. I found the soup quite bitty and had to pass it through a sieve to achieve a smooth texture. The texture of kale is something I'm still trying to acquire a taste for.
To puree soup, a hand-held stick blender is invaluable - or you can use a food processor or liquidiser.
When seasoning your soup, always take into consideration that the stock you use may be quite salty, so taste the soup carefully before adding salt.
Courgette, potato & cheese soup
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
500g potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
2 litres of vegetable stock
1kg courgettes, sliced
1 bunch of spring onions, chopped
500ml grated cheddar cheese
2ml nutmeg
salt and pepper
Method
Put the potatoes and vegetable stock in a pot and bring to a boil. Cover and cook until just tender, about 15 minutes.
Add the courgettes and spring onions and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat, add the cheese and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Blend with a stick blender or in a food processor until smooth. Add more water until you get the consistency you like.
Serve scattered with extra grated cheese and sliced spring onions.
Creamy kale and apple soup
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and grated
4 green apples, cored, peeled and chopped
300g broccoli, cut in florets
200g (1 bunch) kale, roughly chopped
1.5 litres of vegetable stock
250g creme fraiche
2 discs of feta, crumbled
salt and pepper
125ml walnuts, toasted and chopped
Method
Put the onion, carrots, apples, broccoli, kale and vegetable stock in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender.
Remove from the heat and blend until smooth.
At this point, if you prefer a smoother soup without the fibre and texture of the kale, pass it through a sieve. Return to the heat and stir in the creme fraiche and feta.
Season with salt and pepper. Heat through for 2 minutes.
Sprinkle bowlsful with the chopped walnuts.
Roasted tomato soup
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
1.5kg Rosa tomatoes, halved
60ml olive oil
salt and pepper
15ml castor sugar
2 red onions, peeled and chopped
10ml chopped garlic
1 litre of chicken stock
a handful of fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper
Cream (optional)
Method
Preheat the oven to 180degC.
Place the cut tomatoes on a baking tray. Drizzle with half the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle over the castor sugar.
Roast for 20-30 minutes, until soft and slightly caramelised.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a pot and gently fry the onions and garlic for 10 minutes.
Remove the tomatoes from the oven and add to the onions in the pot.
Stir to combine, then add the stock and half the basil. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
Blend until smooth.
Stir in the rest of the basil and serve. For a creamy soup, add 60ml of fresh cream.
Pea soup
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
30ml olive oil
40g butter
3 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
5ml chopped garlic
1 large or 3 small leeks, sliced
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 litre of vegetable stock
250g fresh peas
250g frozen peas
salt and ground white pepper
Method
Heat the oil and butter in a pot.
Add the shallots, garlic, leeks and potatoes and fry on medium for 5 minutes.
Add the stock and simmer for 10 minutes until the potatoes are just tender.
Add the fresh peas and cook for a 10 minutes, until tender.
Add the frozen peas and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Blend until smooth and serve.
Cream of cauliflower & fennel soup
Serves 6-8
30g butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 leek, finely sliced
3 celery sticks, finely sliced
2 fennel bulbs, sliced
2 cauliflowers, cut in florets
1 litre of vegetable stock
500ml milk
250ml sour cream
100g blue cheese
salt and pepper
crispy bacon bits, for serving
Method
Heat the butter in a large pot and fry the onions, leek, celery, fennel and cauliflower over a medium heat for 10 minutes.
Add the vegetable stock and milk. Bring to a simmer, then gently cook for 15-20 minutes until the cauliflower is tender.
Blend until smooth.
Stir in the sour cream and as much blue cheese as you like. Stir until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve topped with extra blue cheese and crispy bacon bits.
The Angela Day cookery column is published in The Star, the Cape Argus, the Daily News and the Pretoria News.