salt, pepper and a little sugar. Bring to the boil again and simmer gently for 3–4 minutes.
Serve the borsch as it is or blend it a little. If you like, top with soured cream or yoghurt and a scattering of chopped dill or chives.
Creamy butter bean soup with croûtons
This soup has a smooth, creamy texture that is complemented perfectly by its crunchy topping of golden-brown croûtons.
SERVES 4
125g (4oz) dried butter beans, soaked
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 potato, peeled and diced
2 carrots, diced
2 sticks of celery, chopped
1.2ml (2 pints) water or unsalted stock
1 bouquet garni – a couple of sprigs of parsley, a sprig of thyme and a bay leaf tied together
150ml (5fl oz) single cream (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated nutmeg
a few croûtons or cubes of crispy wholemeal toast, to serve
Drain and rinse the beans.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the vegetables and sauté for 7–8 minutes without browning, then add the butter beans, water or stock and the bouquet garni. Simmer gently, half covered, for about 1½ hours or until the butter beans are tender.
Remove the herbs and blend the soup (with the cream, if using). Season well with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.
Reheat gently – don’t let the soup boil – and scatter over the crunchy golden croûtons or crisp wholemeal toast cubes at the last moment.
Butter bean and tomato soup v
I love to use dried butter beans for this, though I’ve given the option of canned, as dried beans are such a joy. You can buy them for practically nothing, keep them in the cupboard until you need them, then work some kitchen alchemy just by gently soaking and boiling, to produce a meal that’s deeply satisfying and full of natural goodness. If you are cooking your own beans, use the cooking water for this soup, with some vegetable bouillon powder for extra flavour.
SERVES 4
2 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
225g (8oz) dried butter beans, soaked, cooked until tender and drained, or 2 x 400g can butter beans, drained and rinsed
850ml (15 pints) water or unsalted vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
sugar (optional)
chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
Heat the olive oil in a large pan, add the onions and fry over a gentle heat for about 10 minutes, until softened, but not browned.
Add the cooked butter beans, water or stock, bay leaf and tomatoes. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 10–15 minutes.
Taste and season with salt, pepper and a little sugar if you think it needs it.
Blend a bit with a hand blender or leave the soup as it is. Serve sprinkled with the parsley.
Roasted butternut squash soup with chilli oil v
This is so easy to make – it’s pretty much a case of ‘roast and whiz‘. The butternut squash is cooked in the oven while you leisurely fry an onion and some garlic, then all you have to do is purée it with some vegetable stock, and there’s your beautiful golden soup.
SERVES 4-6
1 butternut squash
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1 onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, crushed
about 1.5 litres (2½ pints) vegetable stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4–6 tsp chilli oil, to serve
Set the oven to 190°C (375°F), gas mark 5.
Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise. You might find it easier to cut it in half widthways, then cut each of these pieces in half. It doesn’t really matter how you do it, and there’s no need to remove the seeds at this point.
Put the pieces of squash in a roasting tin, brush the cut surfaces with oil and bake for about I hour, or until the squash is soft.
While the squash is roasting, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a gentle heat, add the onion, cover and cook gently for about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Scoop out the flesh of the butternut squash, discarding the seeds. Pull off and discard the skin – it will come away easily. Purée the flesh and their juices, along with the onion and garlic.
Put the purée into a pan and stir in enough vegetable stock to make a consistency that’s pleasing to you. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Gently heat through, then serve with a swirl of chilli oil on top of each bowl.
VARIATION
Roasted butternut squash with goat’s cheese toasts
Make the soup as described. While it’s heating through, make the goat’s cheese toasts. Allow half a large slice of bread per serving. Toast the bread then top the toast with mashed soft-rind goat’s cheese and brown under a hot grill. Cut each piece into small squares and put these on top of the soup just before serving.
Carrot and thyme soup v
This is a light and refreshing soup that’s almost fat-free. It’s thin and smooth, so you can sip it from a large mug as you warm your hands and eat a sandwich. If you think you might prefer it a bit thicker, start with less water; you can always add more. I like this soup so much that I often make double this amount! You really do need high-quality bouillon powder for this, both for the flavour and the extra body that it gives.
