Cream of artichoke soup

ingredients:

750g / 1 lb 11oz Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and sliced
1 lemon, thickly sliced
50g / 2 oz butter
2 onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1.5 litres / 2 1/4pt vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed
lemon juice
150ml / 5fl oz single cream
salt and freshly ground
black pepper

How to cook?

• Put the artichokes in a bowl with the lemon slices, and cover with water.
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a low heat. Add the onions and garlic, and sweat gently for 3–4 minutes until soft.
• Drain the artichokes, discarding the lemon, and add to the pan. Mix well and sweat gently for 2–3 minutes without allowing to colour.
• Add the stock, bay leaves, nutmeg and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Bring slowly to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for about 30 minutes.
• Discard the bay leaves. Cool the soup slightly, then purée in a blender or food processor until smooth.
• Pour the soup into a clean pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, stir in the cream and cook gently, without boiling, for 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Prawn wonton soup

ingredients:

For the wontons
175g / 6 oz cooked prawns, peeled and deveined
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 spring onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander leaves
1 small egg, separated
12 wonton wrappers
For the soup
1 litre /1 3/4pt beef stock
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
2 small fresh red chillies, seeded and sliced
2 spring onions, sliced

How to cook?

• To make the wonton filling, finely chop the prawns. Transfer to a glass or ceramic bowl, and stir in the garlic, spring onion, soy sauce, fish sauce, coriander and egg yolk.
• Lay the wonton wrappers on a work surface in a single layer, and put about 1 tablespoon of the filling mixture in the centre of each. Brush the edges with egg white and fold each one into a triangle, pressing lightly to seal. Bring the two bottom corners of the triangle around to meet in the centre, securing with a little egg white to hold in place. Cover with a damp tea towel or cloth until needed.
• To make the soup, put the stock, fish sauce, soy sauce and rice wine in a large heavy saucepan, and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Add the chillies and spring onions. Drop the wontons into the pan and simmer for 4–5 minutes, until thoroughly heated. Serve immediately.

Rich kidney soup

ingredients:

25g / 1 oz low-fat spread
225g / 8 oz lamb’s kidneys, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
25g / 1 oz plain flour
750ml / 1 1/4 pt lamb stock
1 small bay leaf
2 tablespoons port
salt and freshly ground black pepper

How to cook?

• Melt the low-fat spread in a heavy saucepan over a gentle heat, and add the kidneys and onion. Gently saute for 1 minute, stirring, so that the kidneys do not toughen. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute.
• Remove from the heat and blend in the stock. Add the bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper.
• Return the pan to the heat and bring the soup to the boil, stirring, until thickened. Reduce the heat, part-cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
• Remove and discard the bay leaf. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor, and return to the clean pan. Stir in the port, heat through gently and serve.

Greek lemon soup

ingredients:

1 tablespoon cornflour
1 litre / 1 3/4 pt chicken stock
50g / 2 oz long-grain rice
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed
lemon juice
3 eggs

How to cook?

• Stir the cornflour into 225ml / 8 fl oz chicken stock of the until it has dissolved. Pour into a saucepan over a medium heat, and add the remaining stock.
• Bring to the boil. Add the rice, reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until tender. Remove from the heat.
• Beat the lemon juice and eggs together. Whisk half the stock, a little at a time, into the egg mixture. Pour the egg mixture into pan with the remaining stock, mixing well.
• Return to a low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the soup is just thickened. Serve immediately.

Oriental noodle soup

ingredients:

1.8 litres / 3 pt beef stock
1 teaspoon finely chopped
lemon grass
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
175 g / 6 oz vermicelli, broken
into small pieces

How to cook?

• Bring the stock to the boil with the lemon grass and soy sauce.
• Add the vermicelli and simmer for 6 minutes or until the noodles are just tender. Serve hot.

Green soup

ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
200g / 7 oz potato, cut into
2.5cm / 1 in cubes
700ml/ 1 1/4pt vegetable stock
1 small cucumber, cut into chunks
75g / 3 oz watercress
100g / 4 oz green beans, trimmed and halved
salt and freshly ground
black pepper

How to cook ?

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Sweat the onion and garlic for 3–4 minutes until softened. Add the potato and cook for a further 2–3 minutes.
• Stir in the stock, bring to the boil and leave to simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add the cucumber to the saucepan, and cook for a further 3 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
• Add the watercress and allow to wilt, then transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and purée until smooth.
• Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Cook the beans for 3–4 minutes until tender. Add the beans to the soup, season and warm through.

Curried carrot and apple soup

ingredients:

1 cooking apple, chopped
900ml/1 1/2pt chicken stock
1 tablespoon mild korma curry powder
500g/1 lb 2 oz carrots, chopped
salt and ground black pepper
2 teaspoons sunflower oil
1 large onion, chopped

How to cook ?

• Heat the oil in a saucepan over a low heat, and gently fry the curry powder for 2–3 minutes until fragrant.
• Add the carrots, onion and apple, stir well, then cover the pan. Cook over a very low heat for about 15 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time, until the vegetables are softened.
• Spoon the vegetable mixture into a blender or food processor, then add half the stock and blend until smooth.
• Return the mixture to the pan, and pour in the remaining stock. Bring the soup to the boil, and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

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