Here’s my variation on that eastern European stalwart, borscht. Traditionally it would contain slow-cooked chuck steak, but it is just as delicious without.
Elsewhere there are two twists on Italian dishes, stracciatella and ribollita, plus good old British cauliflower cheese – in a bowl.
Beetroot and sour cream (above)
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 large knob of butter
300g raw beetroot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 large potato, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.2 litres beef or vegetable stock
1 pinch of sugar
Juice of half a lemon
Sour cream and snipped chives, to garnish
Method
1. Melt the butter in a large pan, then add the vegetables and garlic. Season and cook over a low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly until the onion is softened.
2. Add the stock and pinch of sugar and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender.
3. Add the lemon juice and, using a hand blender, blitz until smooth. Serve garnished with a swirl of sour cream and the snipped chives.
Leek and cauliflower
This has all the elements of cauliflower cheese, which is one of the great winter comfort dishes.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 large knob of butter
2 leeks, finely sliced
2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
A few sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
Sea salt
1 cauliflower, trimmed
1 litre hot vegetable or chicken stock
4 rashers of smoked bacon, diced
2 tsp mustard
1 large handful of grated cheddar
Thyme, to serve (optional)
Method
1. Melt the butter in a large pan and add the leeks, garlic and thyme (leaving some to garnish). Season with salt, cover with a lid and set over a low heat. Cook for about five minutes, stirring regularly.
2. Roughly chop the cauliflower and add to the pan. Stir well, then add the stock. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 5-10 minutes until tender. In the meantime, fry the bacon in a pan until crispy.
3. Blitz the cauliflower with a stick blender and stir in the mustard and cheese until the cheese melts. Serve with bacon and a few thyme leaves.
Chorizo, borlotti beans and chard
This is like a simplified ribollita, the Tuscan peasant dish, to which I’ve added chorizo. Kale would be a good substitute for the chard.
Serves 4
Ingredients
A splash of olive oil
1 red onion, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tins borlotti or butter beans
150g chorizo, diced
400ml vegetable stock
1 lemon
1 bunch rainbow chard, stems stripped off and chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Heat the oil in a pan and cook the onion until soft (about 10 minutes). Add the garlic and smoked paprika. Cook for one more minute, stirring.
2. Add the beans and their water, the chorizo and the stock. Squeeze over the lemon juice and simmer for about 10 minutes, adding the chard stems towards the end.
3. When the soup has thickened (you can crush a few of the beans with a wooden spoon), add the chard leaves, stir in and remove from the heat. Once the chard has wilted, season well and serve.
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Chicken, parmesan and egg
Known as stracciatella in Italy, this is the ultimate pick-me-up and ready in minutes. Spinach would be good here in place of the parsley if you wanted to up the vegetable content.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 litre chicken stock (ideally fresh or homemade, but a cube will do)
2 skinless raw chicken breasts, cut into 1cm slices
4 eggs
1 large handful of parmesan, grated
1 handful of chopped parsley, to garnish
Freshly ground black pepper
A squeeze of lemon juice
Method
1. Bring the stock to a boil, then add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Beat the eggs with the parmesan and parsley and season with black pepper. Pour into the chicken broth and immediately remove from the heat.
3. Stir so the egg forms pasta-like strands, then season with lemon juice. Serve with crusty bread.
