Soup Medley.

I'm sorry. It's not my day off again. However, I have made two particularly interesting soups today which endeared me to bring them to you, and so will pass on the recipes to you, following my short diatribe.

The thing I love about soups is the variety and creativity you can add to a soup. In supposition no two soups are the same. the interpretation of a recipe from chef to chef can vary greatly, dependent on the focus for the soup, the amount of flavour extraction and development, and the balance of flavours within a soup. Combined wit the preference of texture and sweetness, a soup can be a masterpiece in one respect, and a disaster in another. To quote Einstein, one would suppose "It's all relative".

That said, balance can be an important thing. Too much of any one thing, no matter what it's prominence might be, can be a little disappointing. Following a discussion I had with one of the other chefs today, we agreed that nothing should be masked in good cooking. Instead, a palate should be able to discern one flavour from the next, and wherever possible, be able to pick out the ingredients within any dish, one by one. If any flavour disappears in the cooking of a dish, it is likely that the ingredient in question has been overcooked, or overpowered by another.

Here are two little delights I put on today whilst implementing the soups for the days service. Each of them providing a balance and prominence of flavour entirely of their own. Feel free to reinterpret the recipes expressed here, if necessary - but remember! Balance is particularly important.

Soup 1 - Roast Nut, Parsnip, & Spiced Apple Soup.



With a late winter / early spring focus, this soup will warm the coldest of winter days, and bring a little spark of sunshine to April showers.

This soup turned out particularly thick and "homely", which was fortunate. I wanted a soup that had a good robust texture, as it will add to the homely warming flavour which its combination suggests.

(Serves 4)

You will need:

2 Large Bramley Apples
50g Cashew Nuts
25g Pistachio Nuts
25g Peanuts
2 Large Parsnips
Ground nutmeg
2 Cloves Garlic (Crushed)
1 Litre Vegetable Stock
25g brown sugar
Pinch Cracked Black Pepper
25g Herbs D'Provence
3 Tbsp Clear Honey
125g Butter / Baking Spread / Margarine

Equipment:

Knife you are comfortable chopping vegetables with
Rolling pin
Teatowel
Chopping Board
Large Saucepan.
3 Oven Trays.
Hand blender.

First things first. Core the apples, and dice into approx 1cm cubes. Top and tail the parsnips, and chop into 1cm dice also. Do not bother peeling them, just wash them in advance. The peel will add to the rustic texture of the soup.

On separate trays, put the chopped parsnips and the apples into a hot oven (200 degrees C), adding approximately 1/4 of the butter between them. Roast the apples until they begin to go soft. At this stage add 1/2 of the brown sugar, and when the sugar turns to a syrup, remove from the oven and allow to cool. When the parsnips have softened and begin to brown, add the other half of the sugar, and repeat process for the parsnips. The apples should only take half of the time that the parsnips do, as a rule of thumb.

In the large saucepan heat up the vegetable stock, until boiling. Turn the heat down until barely a simmer.

For the nuts, combine nuts in a teatowel and fold so that they cannot escape. Crush the nuts in the towel with the rolling pin, and then combine in an oven tray. Add a further 1/4 of the butter, the garlic and the herbs d'Provence to the mixture and roast in a hot oven (middle shelf) for approx 10 mins. Remove and allow to cool.

Add the roasted nuts, parnsips and apples to the simmering vegetable stock. Allow to simmer for a further 10 - 15 mins, until the ingredients begin to disintegrate in the stock. At this stage the parnsips, apples and nuts should be very soft. Add The nutmeg and the black pepper to the soup, and simmer for a further 1 minute.

Using the hand blender, blitz the mixture until you have a smooth texture. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more vegetable stock to the soup until desired texture has been achieved. Serve!

Garnish with a drizzle of honey upon serving.

Soup 2 - "Cheeky" Broccolli & Stilton Soup.



This soup uses the fundamental ingredients of broccolli & stilton, whilst providing extra texture and flavours from other ingredients such as courgettes, to create a silky textured soup, with a warming and homely feel.

You will need:

1 Head of broccolli
50g Stilton
2 Courgettes (Zuccini)
50ml Cream
1 Shot Brandy (25ml)
1 litre vegetable stock
25g mixed herbs.
Pinch Cracked Black Pepper

Equipment:

Knife & Chopping Board
Large Saucepan
Hand Blender.

Bring the vegetable stock to the boil in the large saucepan. Chop the courgettes into a 1cm dice. Add the broccolli (broken into florets), the black pepper, the mixed herbs, and the courgettes to the stock and leave to simmer until the broccolli has cooked to a really soft texture. At this point the courgettes will have almost turned to mash.

Break into small pieces then add the stilton to the soup. Allow to simmer for a further 5 minutes, then remove from the heat. Add the cream and the brandy to the soup and use the hand blender to blitz the soup into a silky texture.

Serve immediately.