FOOD: Soup days are still with us

MORE and more fresh vegetables grown closer to home will begin to appear in the coming months, yet root vegetables may still rule the roost for some months. This presents a wonderful opportunity for food variations when making soups. Soups offer more than simple liquid sustenance, they allow you play with simple foods and textures, letting them interact to create something delicious. Anyone can make a soup. Have a go, and then experiment!
Because these February and March days can still be icy cold, here are two good examples of hearty winter soups with attractive, warming flavour combinations.

Roast pumpkin soup with melty cheese
Heart-warming flavours of roasted pumpkin umami with a delicious, cheesy finish. What more could you ask for on a cold day? This recipe will serve six hungry mouths.

What you need
One pumpkin (around 1.5kg)
1 large white onion, peeled and finely chopped
850ml veg stock
450ml milk
25 butter
1 tbspn groundnut (peanut) oil
110g white cheddar, emmental or edam chees, diced (5mm)
50g of whichever cheese you use, coarsely grated
Nutmeg, freshly grated
Salt and pepper
6 tsp crème fresh
Chopped parsley or chives for garnish

What you do
SPLIT your pumpkin in half lengthways. Scoop out the centre seeds using a spoon, then slice each half into four slices. Brush each slice with groundnut oil and roast on a baking sheet for around 25 minutes at 210°c, until the slices are very tender (a poke with a knife will tell you). Remove and let cool.
Over a medium-high heat, cook the onion in butter for about five minutes until they start to colour around the edges, then turn the heat down and cook very gently for another 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the milk and veg stock to the onions and allow the mixture come to simmer under a low heat. Scoop the pumpkin flesh from the skin and add it to the mixture, then add nutmeg, salt and pepper to season. Simmer for 15 mins.
Using a stick blender or food processor, whizz the mixture to a fine, silky puree. Taste and season.
To serve, reheat (do not boil!) and stir in the diced cheese. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls, add teaspoon of crème fresh to the top of each soup and finish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley or chives.

Chickpea, chilli and coriander soup
WE use chickpeas every week making our Cabots of Westport hummus, so there are always loads around… and we LOVE chilli! It’s a marriage made in heaven with the green coriander.

What you need
225g chickpeas, cooked
50g butter
6 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 red chillies, halved and finely chopped
1 level tsp each of coriander seeds, cumin seeds and ground turmeric
grated zest of 1 lemon,
lemon juice x 3 tbsp.
Crème fresh tub x 200g,
15g fresh coriander, separating stalks from leaves
Seasoning

What you do
ON a small pan, pre-heated, cook the cumin and coriander seeds dry for three minutes, then crush well. Add butter to your pan, add the crushed spices, garlic and chilli (holding back a little chilli for the final garnish). Cook over a low heat for five mins. Add the turmeric and stir well for another two minutes.
In a food processor, blitz the chickpeas with half a cup of water until fine and smooth. Add the lemon zest, coriander stalks and all spices from the pan, along with another half cup of water. Blitz well again.
Return the mixture to a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer while adding water to desired consistency. Taste, season, simmer for another 20 minutes.
Stir in half the crème fresh and the lemon juice, then serve out in warm bowls. Swirl in the remaining crème fresh. Sprinkle with chopped chilli and coriander leaves as a garnish. Serve with some delicious fresh bread.