Our Favourite Soup Recipes

Image credit: jules:stonesoup, via Wikimedia

Ingredients500g split red lentils (washed) 1 tbsp coriander seeds

200g swiss chard 3 garlic cloves, crushed 2.5ltrs cold water

2 medium red onions 2 tsps ground cumin 2tbsps olive oil

50g coriander leaves Grated zest of ½ lemon Sourdough bread

50g unsalted butter Salt and black pepper 4 lemons, cut into wedges

MethodPlace the lentils in a large saucepan with 2.5 litres of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 35 minutes or until soft. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface during cooking.

Remove about half the lentils from the cooking liquid using a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl. Add a generous pinch of salt to the remaining lentils and water in the pan and liquidise using a blender or a food processor. Return the reserved lentils to the soup.

Peel the red onions, halve and thinly slice them. Place a frying pan over a medium heat, add the olive oil and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-6 minutes, until the onions soften and become translucent. Meanwhile, remove and discard the large stems from the Swiss chard. Wash and rinse the leaves thoroughly, then chop them roughly. Do the same with the coriander, leaving a few whole leaves for garnish later.

Mix the cooked onions, chard leaves and chopped coriander into the lentil soup and season with the cumin, cinnamon and some salt and pepper to taste. Reheat the soup and simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Crush the coriander seeds and garlic together in a pestle and mortar. Melt the butter gently in a small saucepan over a medium heat, add the garlic and coriander seeds and fry for 2 minutes, until the garlic starts to colour slightly. Stir this into the soup, remove the pot from the stove and cover with a lid. Leave the soup to infuse for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve garnished with lemon zest and coriander leaves and pass round some sourdough bread and lemon wedges to be squeezed into the soup.

Chard & Red lentil Soup Serves 6

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Ingredients1tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely sliced

1kg courgettes, chopped into 1cm pieces

2 garlic cloves, crushed

25g pack basil, stalks finely chopped and leaves torn

75g Italian ricotta, plus 2 tbsp extra to serve

500ml vegetable stock

Large handful mint leaves, roughly torn

4tbsp grated parmigiano reggiano

MethodHeat the oil in a large pan, fry the onion and courgettes over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes until softened and slightly browned. Add the garlic and bail stalks, season with salt, then cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add the ricotta, stock, most of the mint and the basil leaves and 250ml water. Bring to the coil and simmer for a couple of minutes until everything is tender. Blitz in a food processor or using a hand blender (carefully, as the hot liquid may splash) until smooth.

Return the soup to the pan, stir in the cheese and season. Ladle into bowls with the extra ricotta, torn mint and basil leaves scattered over. Serve with crusty bread, if liked.

Courgette, Parmesan, Serves 4Ricotta & Mint Soup

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Ingredients200g Castelluccio or Puy lentils

1 red onion, peeled 2 tbsp olive oil

1 leek, washed and trimmed 1tsp cumin seeds, roasted and ground

2 celery sticks 2 bay leaves

2 carrots, peeled Small bunch of lemon thyme (or regular thyme)

2 chopped red peppers Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped Curled parsley leaves, finely chopped

1 litre chicken stock Drizzle of lemon-infused oil (optional)

MethodDice the onion, leek, celery and carrots. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the diced vegetables and sweat gently for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chopped peppers, garlic, cumin seeds, bay leaves and thyme and continue to sweat for another 5 minutes. By now, the onion, leek and celery should be translucent.

Add the lentils, pour in the stock and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and cook uncovered for about 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Discard the herbs and taste for seasoning – it will most likely need a good pinch of salt and a generous grinding of pepper.

Ladle the soup into warm bowls and scatter over lots of chopped parsley. Finish with a drizzle of lemon-infused oil if you like.

Lentil, Red Pepper Serves 4& Cumin Soup

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Ingredients2kg Cavolo Nero, stalks removed, leaves coarsely chopped (or swiss chard or kale)

450g carrots, peeled and chopped

250g Borlotti (Rosecoco) or Cannelloni beans, cooked

2 whole heads celery, chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

4 medium red onions, peeled and chopped

1 large bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 x 800g tin peeled plum tomatoes, drained of their juices

2 loaves stale ciabatta bread, crusts removed, sliced or torn

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

MethodIn a large saucepan fry the parsley leaves, garlic celery, carrot and onion in the oil for about 30 minutes until the flavours combine. Add the tomatoes and continue to cook on a gentle heat for a further 30 minutes, then add the cavolo nero and half the cannellini beans with enough of their liquid to cover. Simmer for 30 minutes.

In a food processor, puree the remaining beans and return to the soup with just enough boiling water to make the soup liquid. Add the bread, a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. As exact amounts are not possible, you must balance the amount of liquid to bread so that the soup is very thick. O

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Ribollita Soup Serves 10

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Ingredients300g young, tender spinach leaves

2 banana shallots, peeled and finely sliced ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg or to taste

100ml crème fraiche 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped

1 litre chicken stock Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

25g unsalted butter Grated lemon zest, to sprinkle (optional)

MethodStart by washing the spinach really well changing the water several times. Spinach tends to hold dirt, so make sure you wash it until the water runs clear. Drain and shake the spinach until it’s reasonably dry.

Place a large pan (big enough to hold the spinach) over a medium-high heat. Add the spinach and cook until it just wilts (the water clinging to the leaves after washing generates enough steam for cooking). Drain in a colander and set aside.

Rinse and dry the saucepan. Add the butter and melt gently over a low heat until softly foaming, then add the shallots and sweat for 5 minutes, or until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two, then season generously with salt and pepper.

Add the spinach and stir once or twice to combine, then pour in the stock and turn up the heat. Bring to a simmer, then immediately remove from the heat. Puree the soup in a blender, in batches as necessary, until velvety smooth.

Return the soup to the saucepan and stir in the crème fraiche. Add the grated nutmeg, then check for seasoning – adding a little more nutmeg, pepper and/or salt to taste. Reheat gently - there’s nothing worse than soup that’s not hot enough. For a perfect finish, add a sprinkle of grated lemon zest before serving.

Spinach, Nutmeg & Serves 6Crème Fraiche Soup

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Ingredients2 large sweet potatoes

2 red onions, peeled and finely sliced

1.5litres chicken stock

150ml double cream

2tbsp unsalted butter

1 ½ tbsp grated fresh root ginger

1tbsp Tamari (or soy sauce) or more to taste

1tbsp maple syrup

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Juice of ½ lime, or to taste

MethodPeel and roughly chop the sweet potatoes. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onions, along with a pinch of salt, and sweat gently for 5 minutes or so until soft and translucent. Now add the ginger, stir, then add the sweet potatoes and stir once more.

Pour in the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Immediately reduce the heat to a simmer and cook gently for 25mins or until the sweet potatoes fall apart when prodded with a fork.

Remove from the heat and purée the soup in a blender or food processor. Strain the soup through a fine sieve back into the pan and gently reheat.

Stir in the cream, Tamari and maple syrup, then squeeze in the lime juice. Check for seasoning and flavour - the soup should taste deep, warm, sweet and slightly spicy. If the flavour seems slightly on the surface, just add a little more Tamari - it will have a wonderful grounding effect. Serve warm.

Sweet Potato & Ginger Soup Serves 6

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