BlackCat's Leek and Potato Soup

Ingredients

2 carrots - peeled and chopped
2 sticks of celery - washed and chopped
2 medium onions - peeled and chopped
400g potatoes - peeled and chopped
400g leeks ( I just used one leek) washed and chopped
2 cloves garlic (I didn't use this - didn't seem right to me)
Olive oil
Stock cubes - I used marigold bouillion
salt and pepper

Method

Heat oil in a large pan.
Add all veg except potato and cook gently for at least 10 mins.
Add potato and stock (enough to cover).
Allow to simmer until potato soft.

Serve as it is or blend to a smooth puree.

Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

butternut squash and sweet potato soup

serves 4

1 butternut squash,peel,deseed and diced

1 sweet potato,peel and dice

3 carrots,peel and slice

1 fennel bulb,trim and chop

1 onion(or 6 shallots) diced

1 garlic clove,chopped

1 veg stock cube

4tbsp chopped parsley(or 4tsp dried)

lob all but the parsley in a pan.add boiling water to cover and simmer for 20 mins or until veg are tender.add the parsley and blend til smooth,adding exta water or stock to desired consistency

Pistou Soup

SOUP

• 11 plum tomatoes
• 100g frozen broad beans
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped
• 1 leek trimmed and diced
• 2 carrots peeled and diced
• 2 courgettes topped tailed and diced
• 2 potatoes peeled and diced
• 1 x 250g can of haricot beans drained and rinsed
• 75g dried spaghetti

• 75g french beans topped and tailed and
• cut into 4 pieces
• 100g frozen peas
• salt and black pepper
• 1 handful of basil leaves to garnish

PISTOU

• 1 plum tomato reserved from the soup see Step 1
• 60g fresh basil leaves
• 4 cloves of garlic peeled
• 75g grated parmesan cheese
• 135ml olive oil

1. For the soup: score a cross in the bottom of each tomato, place in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 45 seconds, then drain and peel off the skin. Reserve 1 tomato for the pistou. Cut the remaining tomatoes into quarters, remove the seeds and chop the flesh. Blanch the broad beans for 2-3 minutes in boiling water, then refresh in cold water and peel off the skins.
2. Place a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat, add the olive oil and all the chopped and diced vegetables except the tomatoes and fry, without browning, for 4-5 minutes.
3. Add the haricot beans, fill with enough water to cover (about
   1.2 litres) and bring to the boil.
4. Meanwhile, wrap the spaghetti in a clean tea towel and crush it on the edge of a worktop, pressing it backwards and forwards to break it into small pieces, then add these to the soup.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes, bring back up to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the pasta is cooked, adding the french beans, broad beans and peas after 10-11 minutes. (It’s best to add these towards the end of cooking in order to preserve their fresh colour.)
6. While the soup is cooking, deseed and chop the reserved skinned plum tomato, place in a blender with the remaining pistou ingredients and purée to a paste.
7. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the pistou. Season well with salt and pepper, garnish with basil leaves and serve.

We tried it today and felt:

Dd would prefer it without the courgette and with the onion chopped really small.
The Pistou could do with less garlic - it is very garlicky.
As little tomato as possible is good.

Spiced Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

Olive oil
1 or 2 large onions - chopped
1 leek - washed and chopped
1 large or 2 small butternut squashes - peeled, scooped and diced.
Ground cumin
Chilli Powder
About 2 pints of good vegetable stock
Seasoning if needed

Method

Heat oil and gently cook the onion and leeks - slowly.  Add the squash and slowly soften it.  Add the spices to taste and allow to cook in.  Cover with vegetable stock and simmer for about half an hour.  Keep the stock topped up if necessary.  Season if necessary.  Blend throughly to serve.

Carrot and Coriander Soup

Ingredients

Olive oil
1 or 2 large onions - chopped
1 leek -  washed and chopped
1 lb carrots peeled and diced
1/2 packet of coriander - washed
About 2 pints good vegetable stock (Marigold)

Method

Heat the oil and slowly soften the leeks and onions.  Add the carrots and cook until soft.  Add the coriander and enough stock to cover.  Cook for about 20 mins to half an hour.  Top up with stock if necessary.  Blend thoroughly to serve.

Lentil Soup

Ingredients

Olive oil
1 or 2 onions (larger ones) chopped
1 leek - washed and chopped
2 or 3 carrots - peeled and diced
2 or 3 potatoes - peeled and diced
1/4 swede - peeled and diced
3/4 cup red lentils
2 pints good quality vegetable stock (I like Marigold)
Seasoning if needed

Method

Heat oil in a large pan.  Soften onions and leeks gently - take your time.  Then add the carrots, potatoes and swede and soften.  Add the lentils and stir thoroughly.  Add enough stock to just cover the vegetables.  Bring to the boil and simmer for at least 30 mins.  Keep an eye on the amount of stock and keep topping it up if necessary - don't add too much at once though. Season if necessary.

Serve as it is or blend it if preferred.