Seasonal and local is so much the nicest way to plan cooking adventures....
Soup for the soul
We have put together a few tried and tested soup recipes that are perfect to fill our old-fashioned soup plates with (they hold just the right amount of pasta, soup, stew or whatever…).
Scroll down to read delicious soup recipes from The Raymond Blanc Cookery School, a family favourite from our Collectors Edit and more...
Maman Blanc’s vegetable and chervil soup
Introduction:
This soup recipe comes from The Raymond Blanc Cookery School. The Raymond Blanc Garden School and The Raymond Blanc Cookery School have workshops throughout the year at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons.
A small tribute to ‘Maman Blanc’, and should I say Papa Blanc, too, as most of the vegetables would come from his garden. The success of this soup depends upon the freshness and quality of the vegetables used. However, you can vary the vegetables and herbs according to the season. Chervil is one of my favorite herbs and is very popular in France but hardly known in the UK, which is a great shame. This soup would always be served in my home.
Serves (Yield): 4-6
Difficulty:●●○
Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time:15 mins
Special equipment: Blender, pressure cooker
Ingredients for the soup:
15g Butter, unsalted
125g 1/2 medium Onion, chopped 1cm
60g1/2 meduim Leek, chopped 1cm
175g 2 meduimPotato, washed, peeled and chopped 1cm
15g 1/2 Celery, peeled and chopped 1cm
150g 3 mediumCarrot, washed, cut lengthways and chopped 1cm
100g Celeriac, peeled and chopped 1cm (or celeriac tops)
1 Garlic, small clove, roughly chopped (*1)
80g1 medium Tomatoes, ripe, chopped 1cm
Chervil stalks, parsley stalks & celeriac tops wrapped in a muslin cloth as a bouquet garni (optional)
5g5 pinches Sea salt (*2)
½ g 1 pinch Freshly ground white pepper
400ml Water-boiling
To Finish:
15g1 tbsp Chervil, chopped finely
Making the soup:
In a medium saucepan on a medium heat sweat (3*) the onion for 3 minutes then add the garlic, and the remaining diced vegetables.. Season with salt and pepper and cook for a further four minutes, without colour. Add the boiling water. Gently simmer for a further 2 minutes.. Taste and correct seasoning if necessary. Add the halved cherry tomatoes and chervil and serve.
Chef’s Notes (*):
*1 Garlic – the British are now eating as much garlic as the French, which is great news! As garlic is a potent miracle food, protecting against heart disease, infections and hundreds of other ailments. It is the best natural prescription for good health management!
*2 Salt - Always use the best salt with the least refining. Never use salt with horrible anti caking additives.
*3 Sweetening – by applying heat to the vegetables you are converting the starches into sugars, greatly enhancing the flavour of the soup.
Variations:
This soup can be simplified by omitting some of the vegetables, or you could add any other summer vegetables such as French beans, Coco beans, spinach, Swiss chard etc. could be added or replace a vegetable in this soup.
Any pasta, any bean or pulse would also be a great addition to this soup, it could almost be turned in to a main course – and more garlic of course.
This soup is fantastic if it is finished at the last moment with a fresh pistou, here is my recipe for the pesto.
Ingredients for the pistou sauce:
30g1 handful Basil leaves and stalks, blanched for 10 seconds and refreshed (*1)
20g 4 clove Garlic, puréed (*2)
100m Olive oil, extra virgin (*3)
1 pinch Sea salt
2 pinches White pepper
Making the pistou sauce:
Purée all the ingredients in the liquidiser, taste and season with salt and pepper, reserve. Keep in the fridge until required.
Soup Plates
It only takes a few simple ingredients to make an easy heart-warming soup… all you need in addition is some crusty bread and an Emma Bridgewater Soup Plate.
Shop collectionTomato Soup
The Isle of Wight has more hours of sunshine than anywhere else in the UK...which helps them grow some of Britain's tastiest tomatoes. Do use Isle of Wight Tomatoes, if you don't grow your own.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
Garlic cloves, crushed
500g fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp caster sugar
Salt & pepper
Fresh basil, chopped (or 1 tsp dried basil)
500ml of vegetable stock
A splash of cream
Method:
Heat olive oil, add onion and sweat down, add a little crushed garlic and cook for 30 seconds longer until the garlic is fragrant. Next add the 500g of fresh tomatoes – along with the stock, a teaspoon of caster sugar, pepper and salt and a handful of basil.
Simmer for about 40 mins - longer if possible - then use hand blender to liquidise.
Finish by adding a splash of cream before dishing up!
Delectably smooth soup
Hot tomato
Carrot Soup
Sow small batches regularly from early spring onwards, for harvests almost all year round.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
450g carrots, peeled and chopped
1.2l vegetable or chicken stock
handful of fresh coriander
Method:
Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large pan, add in the chopped onion and heat for 5 minutes, until softened.
Mix in the peeled and chopped carrots and vegetable or chicken stock - bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover your pan and cook for 20 minutes until the carrots are tender.
Add into a food processor with a handful of coriander and blitz until smooth. Return to pan, season, if necessary, then reheat to serve.
Claire's Favourite Butternut Squash & Peanut Soup
Named 'butternut' due to its smooth-as-butter texture and nutty taste. Harvest yours in September, and bring it indoors to mature before the first frosts arrive.
This recipe has been donated by Collector Claire Goddard and is perfect for chilly Autumn days.
"I make this in my soup maker, and these are the ingredients I usually use. Normally I use a variety of red, yellow, and white vegetables, but the main one is always butternut squash." - @thriftwood114
Ingredients:
Half a butternut squash, unpeeled and chopped
1 large onion, diced
Half large red pepper
1 carton chilli and garlic passata
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin butter beans
2 veg stock cubes
Cold water
Large dollop of peanut butter
Method:
I put all ingredients (except peanut butter) into soup maker and cooked on smooth. At the end I added peanut butter and blended.
If you’re making using the traditional stovetop method just sauté onion, then add all other ingredients and bring to boil. Simmer for half an hour, cool, add peanut butter, blend then bring back to boil and serve with warm crusty bread.
You can read more from Claire Goddard's Collectors Edit here.
