Clodagh's souper autumnal soups!
Clodagh has the ideal way to warm up as the cold nights start to draw in... with a comforting bowl of soup! She’ll be revealing the formula for making great soup every time, as she shows us her carrot & ginger, curried parsnip and spinach & nutmeg soups!
Sunshine soup - Carrot and ginger
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 potato, peeled and roughly chopped
2 inches of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
3 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 litre of chicken or vegetable stock
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Almond parsley pesto
100g fresh flat leaf parsley
50g almonds, toasted
50g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
150ml extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Warm the olive oil in a saucepan over a low heat. Next stir in the onion, garlic, potato, ginger and carrots. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the carrots are tender.
2. Remove the lid and pour in the hot stock, stirring well, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for another 15 minutes.
3. Pour the soup into a food processor and blend to a smooth consistency.
4. For the pesto - Whizz together, so that the pesto is chunky and not too blended.
5. Serve the soup with the almond and parsley pesto on top.
Love autumn soup - Curried parsnip and apple
Serves 6
Ingredients
50g butter
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 potato, peeled and roughly chopped
3 large parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
1 tbsp medium curry powder
1 litre of hot stock (chicken or vegetable)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
100ml cream (optional)
Chopped roasted hazelnuts to serve
Method
1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Once the butter has melted, stir in the onion, garlic, potato, parsnips and apple. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the parsnips and apple are tender.
2. Remove the lid and stir in the curry powder, stirring constantly to coat all the ingredients evenly and making sure that no lumps form.
3. Pour in the hot stock, stirring well, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for another 10 minutes.
4. Pour the soup into a food processor and blend to a smooth consistency and lastly stir in the cream.
5. Pour back into the saucepan and gently warm through (the cream will have brought the temperature of the soup down.
6. Serve the soup with the toasted hazelnuts on top.
Make me strong! Spinach and nutmeg
Serves 4
Ingredients
50g butter
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 potato, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
l litre hot stock (chicken or vegetable)
450g spinach
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
100ml cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crispy halloumi croutons to serve
Method
1. Place a heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium heat and melt the butter. Add the onions, potatoes, garlic and stir well.
2. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 10 minutes. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and stir in the spinach, nutmeg and cream. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the potatoes are tender (about 10 minutes).
3. Transfer to a blender and whizz until the soup has a smooth consistency.
4. Serve the soup topped with the halloumi croutons.