Soup is a family staple, and I feel it’s always a good idea to explore new soup recipes to expand your repertoire. These are a couple of personal favourites that I hope bring you and your family some joy on these chilly nights: cauliflower soup and spiced pumpkin soup. These dishes are the perfect fit for a quiet night in if you are dining alone, with family or even with a small group of friends. Enjoy.
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Cauliflower soup
Ingredients
- 1 small cauliflower
- 1 small potato
- 600ml milk
- 30g butter
- 1 heaped tbsp flour
- Salt and pepper
- Optional: 100g of any cheese, stilton or cheddar
- Optional: ½ tsp English mustard
Methods
- To start, dice the potatoes and chop the cauliflower into florets. If you’d like a thicker soup, finely chop the stalks as well. Add to a pot of boiling water and cook for eight minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside.
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour, cooking for one minute. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly to keep the mixture smooth. Once all the milk is incorporated, season with salt and pepper. Let it simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes.
- Roughly puree the cooked cauliflower and potato with a bit of milk, or keep it as is for a chunkier texture. Add the mixture to the simmering white sauce.
- Stir in mustard if using, then adjust seasoning as needed. When serving, sprinkle with grated cheese or stir it into the soup. (If using blue cheese, taste first to avoid oversalting.)
Spiced Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
(Serves 4-6)
- 1 pumpkin, deseeded and diced
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 2 large potatoes, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, diced or crushed
- 400ml whipping cream
- 600ml vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 10g butter
- 1 tsp ground coriander, ground cumin, cayenne pepper and nutmeg
- Salt and pepper
Method
- In a heavy bottom pot, melt the oil and butter on a medium heat.
- Next, add the onions and cook until tender and translucent but not brown.
- Add the pumpkin and potatoes and sweat over a low heat for 10 minutes until tender, stirring continuously.
- Next, add the vegetable stock, spices, salt and pepper, to taste. Leave to simmer for 20 minutes.
- Allow the soup to cool and blend. Once smooth, add the soup back into a clean pot. Gently stir in the milk and cook for a further 10 minutes.
