Polish beetroot soup

You will either love this or hate it - mostly the latter I suspect, because in this country people have a surfeit of it doused in strong vinegar. But I love its earthy charm and distinctive flavour. It makes wonderful soup, and this one is Polish in origin and especially good. Although the soup is a dazzling colour, you won't want your hands to match it, so it's best to wear gloves while you're handling it

450g beetroot
15g butter
110g chopped onions
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 litre chicken or vegetable stock (or 850ml stock and 150ml creamy milk) Chive cream

Chive cream
4-6 tbsp sour cream or crème fraîche
1-2 tbsp finely chopped chives

Method

1. Wash the beetroot carefully under the cold tap. Don't scrub, simply rub off any earth with your fingers. Don't damage the skin or cut the ends or it will bleed its colour during cooking. Put the beetroot into a pan, cover with water, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for anything from 20 minutes to 2 hours depending on their size and age. The beetroot are cooked when the skins rub off easily. When cool enough to handle, rub off the skins and chop the beetroot.
2. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium-low heat. When it foams, add the onion. Season well, stir, then cover with a 'lid' made from baking parchment, putting the paper right on top of the onions. Cover the pan, turn the heat low and sweat over a gentle heat for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring the stock to the boil.
3. Add the beetroot to the onions with the stock. Season, then purée. Reheat, adding more stock or milk if you like, and adjust the seasoning.
4. Serve garnished with swirls of sour cream and chopped chives.

Watercress Soup

Now this may should weird but I find nothing more relaxing than coming back from work and making a nice delicious meal for myself. It may sound weird but that is my idea of perfect bliss. Last few days the weather has been horrible here in Glasgow - it has been raining constantly and the wind has broken my brand new umbrella :-). Last night I decided to make this delicious watercress soup and baked my home made carrot and chilli bread. I will post the carrot and chilli bread later in the mean time try this!!

1 Onion, peeled and roughly chopped
25g butter
250g potatoes, peeled and diced
600ml chicken stock
2 x 85g bags of watercress, roughly chopped
50ml cream
a little milk if needed
salt and black pepper

In a large pan, cook the onion in the butter until soft but not browned.

Add the potatoes and stock and cook until the potatoes are soft (approx 15-20 minutes). When potatoes are almost cooked, add the watercress (try to allow not longer than 5 minutes cooking time for the watercress). Liquidise, add the cream. Use a little extra milk if the soup seems too thick. Season with salt and black pepper and serve hot.

Honey Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Making the best use of Autumn Pumpkins here is one more of my many favourite recipes - perfect - enjoyed this last night curling up on the sofa watching Eastenders!!

• 1kg/21⁄2lb fresh pumpkin, peeled and diced
• 50ml/2fl oz runny honey
• 75ml/3fl oz olive oil
• 500g/11⁄4lb onions, peeled and diced
• 4 bay leaves
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme, stalks removed
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 450ml/16fl oz hot vegetable or chicken stock
• 1⁄2 ltr/18fl oz double cream
• Salt and freshly ground
• black pepper
• Crème fraîche to serve

Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas 4. Put the pumpkin in a roasting tin and coat with the honey. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the pumpkin has softened and caramelised.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the onions, bay leaves, fresh thyme and white wine vinegar and sweat gently for about 5-6 minutes, or until the onions have softened.

Add the roasted pumpkin to the onions, then add the vegetable or chicken stock and bring almost to boiling point. Simmer steadily for about 20 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves, then stir in the double cream and bring the soup to the boil.

Once the soup has boiled, remove it from the heat and whizz in a blender or food processor.

Pass through a sieve or strainer then check and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

To serve, reheat the pumpkin soup in a clean pan, then ladle into warm bowls and top with a dollop of crème fraîche. Serve either on its own or with fresh crusty French bread.

Minestrone in minutes

I came across this in a student cook book and it is one of the most easiest and quickest things to make. There is no excuse at all you have to try this. Made this on Thursday after a terrible day at work at enjoyed it on the sofa watching East Enders.

1 vegetable stock cube or real stock if you can be bothered
400 gms of tinned tomatoes
100 gms of thin spaghetti
350 gms of mixed frozen or fresh veg ables of your choice - I used a bag of frozen vegetables from Iceland!!
4 tbsp of green pesto

Bring the stock to boil with the tomatoes
Add the spagheeti and cook for 6 mins
Add the vegetables and simmer
Season it with some salt and pepper
Stir in the pesto

Serve with some grated cheese and fresh herbs along with crusty bread with lots of butter ( only if you cannot live without carbs like me ).

Yummy!!

Sweet potato and coconut soup

Saute one large onion with some Ginger and garlic, add 3 peeled and diced sweet poatoes cook got 10 mins add a can of coconut milk,a vegetable stock cube and let it simmer for 15 mins. Blend it with a hand blender add some rosemary and a good splash of lemon serve it hot with pitta bread. If you love yourself and want to be nice to yourself do add a dollop of creme fresh!!