Soup 321

don't turn puree apples,

I really only have 2 soup recipes. This is my carrot and corriander (after John Tovey, simplified by me)

2 onions 2 oz buter 2 tbs corriander seeds 2lb carrots, chopped 2 litres stock (yes, I know it's metric but the 2 looks good)

Fry the onions and corriander in the butter until onions are golden. Add the carrots, stir and cook covered on very low heat for 45 mins, checking liquid levels and that it's not burning. Add a bit of the stock liquid if required during this phase. Then whizz the mixture with the stock (it will be a few loads in the food processor) and force it through a sieve. Check the seasoning and serve.

Minestrone (after Nigella Lawson, vastly simplified by me) All quanbreasties are VERY approximate

4 oz canellini beans soaked overnight 2 onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic 2 oz butter 2 sticks celery, chopped 1 pepper (whatever colour you like) 8oz carrots, sliced 2 tbs fresh herbs (whatever you like, oragano and thyme would be a good start) 4 oz pasta - use a small shape like those mini shells or macaroni 2 oz mushrooms 4 pints stock

Cook the beans for 45 mins or until soft but not crumbly. Meanwhile... Cook the onions in the butter. While cooking add garlic then celery, pepper, carrots and herbs. Cook slowly for about half an hour all together, making sure each ingredient is warmed through and thouroughly combined before adding the next. Then add the stock, bring to the boil and add beans, pasta and mushrooms. Nigella adds some parmesan rind but to tell you the truth I can't ever taste it in the soup. When the pasta is cooked the soup is ready. Add some seasoning and a dollop of olive oil for taste. It tastes better on day 2, but the pasta will have expanded big time and the liquid will have thickened.

All my soup recipes are really versions of these, depending on whether I what texture I'm after.

There's also my world famous 1 tomato soup on www.highscotland.co.uk-hightea

-- Adrian

1 It re-appeared on a US website once.