FRENCH ONION SOUP
Serves 6-8
30g butter
4 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
5ml coarse salt
2ml pepper
3 springs of thyme, leaves only
1 bay leaf
15ml brown sugar
1.5 litres of beef stock
1 small baguette, sliced
125ml grated Ementhale or Gruyere cheese
Heat the butter in a pot on medium high heat, add the onions and fry for 5 minutes.
Stir in the salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaf. Reduce the heat, cover the pot with a lid and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, about 20 minutes.
Remove the lid, increase the heat and add the sugar and beef stock. Bring to the boil and cook for 10-15 minutes. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
Meanwhile, place the baguette slices on an oven tray and bake in a preheated oven at 220°C until crisp and lightly browned.
Place a small amount of cheese on each and grill until melted and bubbly. Serve one crouton per bowl of soup.
SMOKY CHICKPEA AND VEGETABLE SOUP
Serves 6-8
30ml olive oil
125g streaky bacon, roughly chopped
1 onion, chopped
5ml chopped garlic
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 sticks of celery, chopped
3 courgettes, chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1.5 litres of vegetables stock
400g tin of chickpea, drained and rinsed
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
salt and pepper
200g baby spinach
125ml grated Parmesan
Heat half the oil in a saucepan, add the bacon and cook for a few minutes, until starting to brown.
Add the remaining oil and fry the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, courgettes and potatoes for 10 minutes.
Add the stock, chickpeas and tomatoes, salt and pepper.
Bring the soup to the boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30-40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add the spinach and cook for a further 5 minutes, until wilted.
Add Parmesan and serve.
CREAMY MUSHROOM SOUP
Serves 4-6
15ml olive oil
30g butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 sticks of celery, finely sliced
5ml chopped garlic
a few sprigs of parsley, leaves picked and chopped, stalks finely chopped
500g button mushrooms
1.5 litres of vegetable stock
salt and pepper
150g Shimeji mushrooms, trimmed
30g butter
50ml cream
Heat oil and butter in a saucepan, add the onion, celery, garlic, parsley stalks and button mushrooms. Fry for a few minutes.
Cover with a lid and sweat for 10-15 minutes, until softened.
Pour the stock into the saucepan and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Fry the Shimeji mushrooms in butter until golden and set aside.
Blend the soup until smooth, add the cream, bring just back to the boil, then turn off the heat.
Add the chopped parsley leaves and serve garnished with the Shimeji mushrooms.
ROASTED CARROT SOUP WITH CORIANDER PESTO
Serves 6-8
8-10 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
60ml olive oil
salt and pepper
10ml ground cumin
5ml chilli flakes
1 onion, finely chopped
5ml chopped garlic
1 potato, peeled and cubed
2 litres of vegetable stock
125ml orange juice
Coriander pesto
300ml fresh coriander
60ml cashew nuts
100ml grated Parmesan
a pinch of salt and pepper
80ml olive oil
Preheat oven to 180°C. Place carrots on an oven tray. Drizzle with half the oil. Add salt, pepper, cumin and chilli flakes.
Cover with tinfoil and roast for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and roast for a further 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large pot. Fry the onion, garlic and potato for 5 minutes.
Add the roasted carrots and stock and simmer, covered, for 30-40 minutes, until the carrots and potatoes are tender.
Puree with a hand blender until smooth.
Add the orange juice and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Serve with coriander pesto.
PESTO: Place the coriander and the cashews into a blender and blend until smooth.
Add the rest of the ingredients and blend to form a thickish paste.
CHICKEN RAVIOLI SOUP
Serves 4-6
500g chicken breast fillets
2 litres of chicken stock
30g butter
1 onion, chopped
5ml chopped garlic
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
salt and pepper
5ml ground nutmeg
1 bay leaf
250g spinach and ricotta ravioli
60ml finely chopped parsley
Poach the chicken fillets in the chicken stock over a low heat for 10 minutes. Remove and shred chicken. Reserve the stock.
Heat the butter in a saucepan and fry the onion, garlic and carrots for a few minutes.
Cover and reduce heat to low and cook for 8-10 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and bay leaf and stir to combine. Add the stock used to poach the chicken and bring to the boil.
Add the chicken. Reduce heat and add the ravioli.
Simmer until al dente. Add the parsley and serve.
* Any flavour ravioli or tortellini can be used.
The Star