If ever there were a dish that has been hard done by, it’s soup. I’m not sure when or why it was relegated to starter or light lunch status, but just because you need a spoon to eat it doesn’t mean soup can’t be a filling, substantial meal on its own.
There are two categories of soup: smooth and chunky — or more technically, broth-based and blended. Chunky soups bulked out with butter beans, greens, pasta or poached meat are some of my favourites. They border on stews and are healthy and filling. Take James Martin’s chorizo and bean recipe, or Yotam Ottolenghi’s prawn and coconut broth. The best don’t need bread to fill you up.
The inconvenient truth about soups is that often, the times when we crave them the most — when we’re ill or have been wiped out by a busy day — are the times we can least face making them. Which is why I am a huge fan of chunky Italian soups that require almost no chopping or time spent stirring at the hob, such as Bee Wilson’s mellow vegetable soup. These tend to involve putting everything in a casserole dish, simmering in stock until cooked, then blitzing. You really do not need a soup maker, just a stick blender, though a slow cooker such as a Crock-Pot is good for saving time and effort.
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The flavour combinations are endless — leek and potato; squash, sage and chestnut; pea and ham; broccoli and stilton; or minestrone, which is made with anything you have kicking about in the kitchen. My most comforting soup includes lashings of grated cheese (particularly gruyère), which melts into the hot liquid. The most luxurious in this category is French onion soup.
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If your soup isn’t as thick as you’d like, there are a few ways to add texture. Some recipes I’ve tried use flour, but I prefer to avoid this and instead stir in double cream or crème fraîche, or add chunks of bread or a few spoonfuls of lentils, then blitz.
Another reason to love soups is that they can be made in batches and frozen. Once cooled, simply spoon into a container and freeze. It’ll be fine for a few months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, reheat slowly in a saucepan the next day, and you’ll have satisfaction by the spoonful in no time.
1. James Martin’s chorizo and bean
Serves 4
Ingredients
200g dried white beans
100ml olive oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 onion, diced
Pinch of smoked paprika
100g chorizo picante, diced 400ml chicken stock
1 tsp sea salt
8 slices of Iberico ham, to serve
For the picada paste
2 slices of baguette, cubed
25ml olive oil
1 garlic clove
Pinch of salt
50g almonds, toasted
Few leaves of flat-leaf parsley
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Method
1 Soak the beans overnight in plenty of water, then drain. Pop into a pan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour until the beans are just soft. Drain and set aside.
2 Fry the bread in the oil until crisp. Pound the garlic and salt with a pestle and mortar, then add the almonds and pound together. Add the bread and parsley and pound to a thick paste.
3 Add 50ml oil to a deep pan and gently fry the garlic, onion, paprika and chorizo for 3-4 min until softened. Add the remaining oil, the beans and the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and gently simmer for 5 min. Season with the salt and gently mix in the picada.
4 To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top with slices of Iberico ham.
James Martin’s Spanish Adventure by James Martin (Quadrille, £27). To order a copy go to timesbookshop.co.uk. Free UK standard P&P on orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ members
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2. Ottolenghi’s prawn broth
Serves 4
Ingredients
750g large tiger prawns, shells and heads on
2½ tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp tomato paste
6 garlic cloves, peeled and bashed with the side of a knife
40g fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
50g lemongrass stalks (about 4), roughly sliced
8 large makrut lime leaves
3 whole red chillies, roughly sliced
1 tin of full-fat coconut milk (400g)
60ml double cream, plus 2 tbsp to serve
250g datterini or cherry tomatoes
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges
Salt
For the aromatics
105ml olive oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
2 red chillies, thinly sliced at a slight angle, seeds and all
30g fresh ginger, peeled and julienned
15g coconut flakes (coconut chips)
15g picked basil leaves
Method
1 Peel the prawns — remove the heads and shells and set these aside. Devein the prawns and refrigerate until needed.
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2 Heat the oil in a large sauté pan, for which you have a lid, over a medium-high heat. Add the tomato paste and prawn heads and shells and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 min or until deeply red. Add the garlic, ginger, lemongrass, lime leaves and chillies, and cook for 1 min more, until fragrant. Add the coconut milk, cream, 450ml water and 1 teaspoon of salt, bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down to medium-low, cover with the lid and leave to cook for 25 min. Strain through a sieve set over a large bowl, pressing down on the solids to extract as much flavour as possible (discard the solids, or save them for another use). Rinse out the sauté pan; you’ll use it again later.
3 Meanwhile, make the fried aromatics. Put the oil, garlic, chillies and ginger into a large frying pan over a medium heat. Cook for 8 min, stirring occasionally, then add the coconut flakes and a tiny pinch of salt, and cook for 4 min more, or until the garlic and coconut are golden and the chillies transparent. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the solids to a plate lined with kitchen paper. Add the basil leaves to the frying pan and cook for 2-3 min more, or until deeply green and translucent. Drain them in a sieve set over a bowl, reserving the aromatic oil. Transfer the basil to the plate of aromatics. Wipe out the frying pan: you’ll use it for the prawns.
4 Add a tablespoon of the aromatic oil to the sauté pan and place over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the tomatoes and cook for 6-7 min, or until charred and starting to burst. Add the strained broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 3 min, then keep on a low heat while you fry the prawns.
5 Heat the frying pan on a medium-high heat. Toss the prawns with ⅓ teaspoon of salt and 2½ tablespoons of the aromatic oil. Once the pan is very hot, fry the prawns for 60–90 seconds per side (flipping just to get them nice and coloured). If you’re overcrowding the pan, do this in two batches.
6 Divide the broth between four shallow bowls and top with the fried prawns. Squeeze a lime wedge over each of the bowls and drizzle each bowl with ½ tablespoon of the extra cream and a teaspoon of the aromatic oil. Top with the fried aromatics.
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Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Extra Good Things by Noor Murad and Yotam Ottolenghi (Ebury Press, £25). To order a copy go to timesbookshop.co.uk. Free UK standard P&P on orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ members
3. MOB’s curried cauliflower
Serves 6
Ingredients
2 large cauliflowers, broken into bitesized florets, stalks roughly chopped, leaves reserved
Olive oil
4 shallots, sliced into rounds
Vegetable oil
5 tbsp korma curry paste
400ml tin of coconut milk
3 tbsp lime pickle or mango chutney
Handful of coriander leaves
Salt and black pepper
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 220C fan/gas 9. Add the cauliflower florets and stalks to a couple of large baking trays, drizzle with olive oil and a good pinch of salt, then roast for 40 min.
2 Set a large saucepan (it needs to fit all the soup and cauliflower in it) over a medium heat. Add three quarters of the shallots and a splash of olive oil and cook for 15 min until softened and starting to caramelise.
3 Set a small pan over a low heat, add a generous amount of vegetable oil and add the remaining shallots, then allow to come up to heat gently. Once the oil is sizzling, cook for 5 min until the shallots are golden and crisp. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, then leave to cool on a plate lined with kitchen paper.
4 Add the curry paste to the large saucepan of shallots and cook for 3 min until the oil separates and it smells fragrant. Add the coconut milk, 2½ tablespoons of lime pickle and 1 litre of water, then simmer for 5 min.
5 Once the cauliflower is tender with lovely caramelised edges, add to the saucepan. Simmer for another 5 min, then use a stick blender to blitz in the pan until smooth. Season to taste.
6 Reduce the oven to 200C fan/gas 7. Add the cauliflower leaves to the large baking trays, drizzle with olive oil and salt and bake for 5-8 min until crisp. Meanwhile, mix the remaining lime pickle in a bowl with water to form a drizzle.
7 Spoon the soup into bowls. Top with the roasted cauliflower leaves, crispy shallots and coriander leaves, with a drizzle of the lime pickle mixture to serve. Finish with a grind of black pepper.
MOB 6 (Ebury Press, £22). To order a copy go to timesbookshop.co.uk. Free UK standard P&P on orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ members
4. Bee Wilson’s mellow vegetable
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
350g potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large or 2 small courgettes, trimmed and roughly chopped
1 leek, trimmed and roughly chopped
A few fat spring onions, trimmed and roughly chopped
200g spring greens or cavolo nero, roughly chopped
40g butter
1 tbsp lemon juice or rice vinegar
A big handful of green herbs such as parsley, coriander or sorrel
Milk or cream to thin
Method
1 Put all the vegetables into a large casserole dish. Add the butter, a teaspoon of salt and 800ml water. Put the pan over a high heat, bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer with the lid on for 45 min or until the vegetables are tender.
2 Add the lemon juice or vinegar and the handful of herbs, blitz with a handheld blender and check the seasoning. Don’t over-blitz or the potatoes will go gluey. Thin to your desired consistency with milk or cream.
3 Top with anything you like: sour cream, a pinch of chilli flakes, a handful of chopped herbs or grated cheese.
The Secret of Cooking by Bee Wilson (HarperCollins, £28). To order a copy go to timesbookshop.co.uk. Free UK standard P&P on orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ members
5. Julius Roberts’s beetroot
Serves 8
Ingredients
1.5kg beetroot
100ml cider vinegar
200ml crème fraîche or double cream
For the topping
Smoked eel and horseradish sauce, or goat’s cheese and dill, or natural yoghurt and toasted cumin seeds
Method
1 Give the beets a scrub to remove any grit. Don’t peel or trim the tops — you want them intact, to preserve the vivid colour. Place in a large pan and cover with water, then pour in the vinegar and a proper handful of salt. Bring to the boil, then set to a simmer with the lid on for about 1 hour, until completely tender.
2 Take the beets out and leave to cool, keeping the cooking liquor. When cool enough to handle, peel off the skins with a squeeze of your thumb. Wear washing-up gloves or your hands will be pink for days.
3 Chop the beets into quarters and place in a blender, then top up with a little of the cooking water and blitz into a thick, pourable soup. You may need to do this in two or three batches. Taste as you go — you don’t want to overdo
it with the vinegary water, although the vinegar is a key part of the seasoning and cuts through excessive earthiness.
4 Add the crème fraîche while blitzing to lighten and aerate the soup into a velvety texture. Make sure to taste and adjust the seasoning.
5 Warm back up in a pan, and finish with your chosen toppings — a few slices of smoked eel and a dollop of fiery horseradish, or crumbly goat’s cheese and dill, or natural yoghurt and toasted cumin seeds.
The Farm Table by Julius Roberts (Ebury Press, £27). To order a copy go to timesbookshop.co.uk. Free UK standard P&P on orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ members
6. Tomato and rice
Serves 4
Ingredients
200g short-grain white rice
6 large tomatoes
50ml olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 vegetable stock cube
500ml boiling water
1.5 litres cold water
25g fresh parsley, finely chopped
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp caster sugar
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus extra to taste
Method
1 Wash the rice in a sieve with cold water until the water runs clear. Leave to drain. Place the tomatoes in a deep heatproof bowl. Pour over boiling water to cover and leave for a minute or two. Remove the tomatoes from the bowl, peel off the skins and discard, then finely chop the flesh. Leave to one side.
2 Pour the oil into a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and soften for 10–12 min until lightly caramelised.
3 While the onion is cooking, dissolve the stock cube in the boiling water, then top up with the cold water.
4 Stir the parsley, paprika and tomatoes into the caramelised onions and let everything sizzle for a minute or two before adding the rice, giving the grains a good stir so that they get fully coated in the tomatoes and onion. Sprinkle in the sugar, then gently pour in the stock and season with the salt and pepper.
5 Simmer over a medium heat for about 10 min until the rice is cooked. Add the lemon juice a couple of minutes before you remove the pan from the heat, and serve with crusty bread, adding a little more lemon juice to taste.
Meliz’s Kitchen by Meliz Berg (Ebury Press, £25). To order a copy go to timesbookshop.co.uk. Free UK standard P&P on orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ members
7. Nathan Anthony’s French onion soup
Serves 6
Ingredients
10 onions, sliced
100g low-fat butter
1 tbsp Italian herb seasoning
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp brown sugar
200ml white wine
900ml vegetable or beef stock
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Baguette, sliced
120g gruyère cheese, grated
Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
1 Place the onions, butter, Italian seasoning, garlic, bay leaf, sugar and wine in the slow cooker, stir and season to taste. Cook on high for 10 hours. Add the stock and Worcestershire sauce and stir well.
2 Arrange the slices of bread on top of the soup and sprinkle with the cheese. Cook under a preheated grill for 8-10 min until golden brown. If your slow cooker pot is not ovenproof, transfer the soup to an ovenproof dish before topping with the bread and cheese.
Bored of Lunch: The Healthy Slow Cooker Book by Nathan Anthony (Ebury Press, £18.99). To order a copy go to timesbookshop.co.uk. Free UK standard P&P on orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ members
8. Madeleine Olivia’s spinach and butter bean soup
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 leek, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, grated
Handful of thyme, leaves picked
2 × 400g tins of butter beans, drained and rinsed
250g young spinach
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1.2 litres vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
Warm crusty bread
Pinch of chilli (hot pepper) flakes or splash of Tabasco sauce
Method
1 Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the chopped onion, leek and celery and cook over a medium heat for 5-10 min until softened. Add the garlic and thyme leaves and cook for another minute.
2 Add the butter beans to the pan along with the spinach, yeast, lemon juice and zest and stock, then season to taste. Bring to the boil, then remove the pan from the heat.
3 Serve sprinkled with red chilli flakes or Tabasco sauce and enjoy with warm crusty bread.
Make it Vegan by Madeleine Olivia is published on December 28 (Hardie Grant, £25). To order a copy go to timesbookshop.co.uk. Free UK standard P&P on orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ members
9. Claire Thomson’s chicken and rice soup
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil, plus more to serve
1 onion, finely diced
1 green pepper, finely diced
4 garlic cloves — 3 thinly sliced, 1 very finely chopped
500g boneless, skinless chicken (thigh is best), diced
½ tsp salt, plus more to season
200g tomato, grated, or use chopped canned
1 tbsp tomato puree (paste)
Good pinch of saffron, soaked in 2 tbsp warm water
100g paella rice, or another short grain rice
1.5 litres chicken stock
2 tbsp ground almonds
½ small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
Method
1 Heat the olive oil in a large pot over a moderate heat. Add the onion and green pepper and cook for about 8 min, until softened, then add the sliced garlic and the chicken with ½ teaspoon of salt and cook for 10 min, stirring often, until the chicken is beginning to colour all over and the vegetables are soft and just slightly sticking to the base of the pan (scrape often).
2 Add the tomato, tomato puree and saffron with its soaking liquid and cook for 5 min, until rich and thick.
3 Add the rice and stock, and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to moderate and simmer for about 20 min, until the rice is tender (give the contents of the pan a good stir every now and then, so the rice doesn’t catch or clump together — you want it to thicken the stock just slightly as it cooks).
4 Stir through the almonds, parsley and chopped garlic, then check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.
5 Remove from the heat and serve each bowl drizzled with a little extra olive oil.
One Pan Chicken by Claire Thomson is published on November 2 (Quadrille, £20). To order a copy go to timesbookshop.co.uk. Free UK standard P&P on orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ members
