sugar and freshly ground black pepper
a squeeze of lemon juice
Fry the onions and celery together in the oil without browning for 5–10 minutes.
Add the garlic, tomatoes and water or stock, and simmer for a good 30 minutes or until the celery is meltingly tender.
Taste and season with salt, pepper, sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice to taste.
Chilled cherry soup
No one finds it odd to start a meal with melon and a fruit soup is simply taking this a stage further! This black cherry soup looks so delicious with its topping of soured cream or yoghurt that I don’t think you’ll have much trouble persuading people to try it. Plump, perfectly ripe, deep-red fresh cherries are best eaten exactly as they are, without any adornment, so for this soup I use frozen, stoned black cherries.
SERVES 6
450g (1lb) frozen, stoned black cherries
850ml (1½ pints) water
2 tbsp arrowroot
caster sugar, to taste
150ml (5fl oz) dry red wine
a little lemon juice (optional)
150ml (5fl oz) carton of soured cream, to garnish
Put the cherries into a saucepan with the water, bring to the boil and simmer gently until tender. This only takes a few minutes.
Mix the arrowroot with a little cold water to make a smooth paste, then stir a ladleful of the hot cherry liquid into the arrowroot mixture, mix and add it to the saucepan. Simmer for 2–3 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Remove from the heat and leave to cool, then add 40–50g of sugar to make it slightly sweet but refreshing. Chill in the fridge.
Before serving, taste and add a little more sugar if necessary or a drop or two of lemon juice to sharpen the flavour slightly. Top each bowlful with a spoonful of soured cream.
Spanish chickpea soup with garlic and mint v
1 recommend using dried rather than canned chickpeas for this Spanish soup because the flavour depends on the quality of the few ingredients: chickpeas, fresh herbs, garlic and olive oil. The oil is used both in the soup and to fry the crispy croûtons.
SERVES 4
225g (8oz) dried chickpeas (high-quality, Spanish variety if possible)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
a handful of fresh mint, stalks removed
a small handful of parsley, stalks removed
6 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large slices of bread, cut into cubes
Soak the chickpeas overnight in plenty of water, then drain, place in a large saucepan, cover generously with fresh water and simmer for about 1½ hours or until really tender. The time can vary, so go on cooking them until you can crush one easily between your fingers.
Drain the chickpeas and reserve the cooking liquid. Blend or process the chickpeas with 850ml (1½ pints) of their liquid (made up with extra water if necessary), the garlic, mint, parsley and half the olive oil until very smooth.
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and reheat gently. While this is happening, fry the bread cubes in the remaining olive oil until golden brown.
Serve the croûtons in a bowl for people to add immediately before eating.
Chilled creamy cucumber soup
In contrast to the next recipe, this is a cooked cucumber soup. It’s light, delicate and very refreshing.
SERVES 4
1 large cucumber, peeled and diced
1 small onion or shallot, chopped
850ml (1½ pints) vegetable stock
2-3 sprigs of fresh mint
2 tsp arrowroot or cornflour
4 tbsp double cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
sprigs of fresh mint, to garnish
Put the cucumber and chopped onion or shallot into a large saucepan with the stock and sprigs of mint. Bring to the boil and cover, simmering for 10–15 minutes.
Purée the soup thoroughly and return to the pan. Blend the arrowroot or cornflour with the cream and stir into the soup.
Bring to the boil, stirring all the time, and cook for a few seconds until thickened slightly. (If you’re using arrowroot, don’t overcook it, because that will prevent the soup from thickening.) Season to taste.
Chill thoroughly, then serve in chilled bowls with a sprig of mint on top of each.
Bulgarian chilled cucumber soup with walnuts
Yoghurt, cucumber, walnuts and dill may sound like rather a strange mixture but it works, I promise you. The choice of yoghurt is up to you; thick strained Greek yoghurt gives the richest result but you could use whole milk or low-fat yoghurt if you want a lighter soup.
SERVES 4
1 large cucumber, peeled and cut into rough chunks
1 garlic clove, crushed
425ml (15fl oz) natural yoghurt
25g (1oz) shelled walnut pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill, to garnish
Blend the cucumber with the garlic, yoghurt, walnuts, about half a teaspoon of salt and a grinding of pepper, to a fairly smooth purée.
Taste and add some more salt and pepper if you think it needs it, then pour into a bowl and chill thoroughly.
Serve in chilled bowls sprinkled with the chopped dill.
Dal soup v
This light, refreshing soup is perfect for serving before a rice and curry
