Angela Day
As autumn draws in, a comforting soup is just the thing. Five recipes to try...
PEAR AND BUTTERNUT SOUP
Serves 4-6
3 pears, peeled, quartered, cored
500g butternut, peeled,cut in chunks
2 medium tomatoes, cored, quartered
2 leeks, washed and sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled
30ml olive oil
salt and pepper
1 litre vegetable stock
100g blue cheese, crumbled
60ml chopped fresh chives
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Combine pears, butternut, tomatoes, leeks, garlic and oil in a large bowl.
Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
Spread evenly on a baking tray and roast for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender.
Remove and transfer to a pot with the stock.
Blend with a stick blender until smooth.
Add more stock if you want the soup to be thinner.
Add half the blue cheese and heat for 10 minutes.
Stir in the rest of the blue cheese and the chives, and serve.
QUINOA AND MUSHROOM SOUP
Serves 6-8
15g dried porcini mushrooms
250ml boiling water
30ml olive oil
500g mushrooms(use a selection of button and exotic), sliced
1 onion, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 large carrot, cut into julienne strips
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
1.5 litres of vegetable stock
180ml tomato passata or tomato puree
125ml quinoa
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
Put the dried porcini mushrooms in a bowl and pour over the boiling water. Set aside for 20 minutes to soften.
Drain and reserve the liquid. Chop the mushrooms finely. Set aside.
Heat the oil and gently fry the button and exotic mushrooms until nicely browned.
Add the onion, celery, carrot and pepper and fry for 5 minutes.
Stir in the stock, passata and quinoa and bring to a simmer.
Add the bay leaf, reserved mushroom water and chopped dried mushrooms and season well.
Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the quinoa is cooked.
Remove the bay leaf and serve.
MOROCCAN-STYLE LENTIL SOUP
Serves 6
30ml olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
3 carrots, peeled, chopped
5ml chopped garlic
5ml ground cumin
5ml ground coriander
5ml ground turmeric
3ml ground cinnamon
3ml pepper
375ml lentils
2 litres of vegetable stock
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
30ml tomato paste
300g cauliflower, cutin florets
100g baby spinach, chopped
125ml chopped fresh coriander
30ml fresh lemon juice
Heat the oil in a pot and fry the onion, carrots and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the spices and pepper and fry until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add the lentils and fry for a further 2 minutes.
Stir in the stock, chopped tomatoes and tomato paste.
Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until lentils are almost tender.
Add the cauliflower and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the spinach, coriander and lemon juice and heat through for 2 minutes, until spinach is wilted. Serve.
CHICKEN AND BARLEY SOUP
Serves 6
30ml olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
10ml chopped garlic
250ml chopped celery
3 carrots, diced
500g chicken thigh fillets, sliced
125ml pearl barley
2 litres of chicken or vegetable stock
salt and pepper
60ml parsley, chopped
Heat the oil and fry the onion, garlic, celery and carrots and fry for 5 minutes.
Add the chicken and fry for another 5 minutes.
Add the barley, stock and seasoning and simmer covered for 30-40 minutes until the barley is tender.
Stir in the parsley and serve.
CHICKPEA AND CHORIZO SOUP
Serves 6
250g Spanish-style sausage, sliced
15ml olive oil
3 large leeks, sliced, washed well
2 stalks of celery with leaves, chopped
5ml chopped garlic
5ml ground cumin
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1.5 litres of chicken stock
400g tin of chickpeas, drained, rinsed
2ml chilli flakes
5ml smoked paprika
200g baby spinach, chopped
salt and pepper
Cook the sausage in a large pot over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
Add the oil and fry the leeks, celery and garlic for another 5 minutes.
Add the cumin and fry for 1 minute.
Add the chopped tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.
Add stock, chickpeas, chilli flakes and paprika and bring to the boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes.
Add the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper and serve.
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