Hearty Winter Soups

In general the soup can be on the table in forty minutes. I start by soaking the pulses and lentils the night before because I always use bry beans and pulses, unless I use chickpeas and they are in a jar.

Boil the pulses for twenty minutes to half an hour depending on the pulses, if you are using root vegetables such as swede or parsnip, add them half way through cooking . When hte root vegetables and pulses are cooked, I add the carrots and potato and cook for 10 minutes, I add a large can of tomato puree and fresh garlic.

Ten minutes before the end of cooking I add roughly chopped onion, and cook for five minutes. Then I add canned sweetcorn, frozen spinach, green beans and any other vegetables to hand, maybe kale or cabbage.

Non vegetarians can add bacon, sausages, corned beef, cooked chicken, pate or anything else they fancy.

Ingredients (serves 4)
1 tbs olive oil
2 (about 800g) lamb shanks
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbs ground cumin
2 tsp Moroccan seasoning
2 pinches of dried chilli flakes
4 (about 500g) large ripe tomatoes, chopped
1.75L (7 cups) water
400g can chickpeas, rinsed, drained
50g baby spinach leaves
1/3 cup chopped fresh coriander
Greek-style natural yoghurt, to serve

Method

Heat oil in a large-heavy based saucepan or flameproof casserole dish. Add the lamb and cook, turning often, for 8 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a plate.

Reduce heat to low. Cook onion, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, cumin, Moroccan seasoning and chilli, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add the lamb, tomato and water, and bring to the boil. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2-2 hours or until lamb is tender and starts to fall off the bone.

Remove the lamb from the pan and set aside to cool slightly. Remove and discard the bones. Coarsely chop the lamb. Skim the surface of the soup with a metal spoon to remove scum. Stir in the lamb, chickpeas and spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes or until spinach wilts. Stir in the coriander. Divide among serving bowls. Top with a dollop of yoghurt.

Ingredients
2 onions and carrots, chopped
4 sticks celery , chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons sugar
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoonstomato purée
2 bay leaves
few sprigs thyme
3 courgettes , chopped
400g can butter beans , drained
400g can chopped tomatoes
1.2l vegetable stock
100g Parmesan or vegetarian equivalent, grated
140g small pasta shapes
small bunch basil , shredded

Method
1.Gently cook the onion, carrots and celery in the oil in a large saucepan for 20 mins, until soft. Splash in water if they stick. Add the sugar, garlic, purée, herbs and courgettes and cook for 4-5 mins on a medium heat until they brown a little.
2.Pour in the beans, tomatoes and stock, then simmer for 20 mins. If you're freezing it, cool and do so now (freeze for up to three months). If not, add half the Parmesan and the pasta and simmer for 6-8 mins until pasta cooked. Sprinkle with basil and remaining Parmesan to serve. If frozen, defrost then re-heat before adding pasta and cheese and continuing as above.

Ingredients
2 tsp cumin seeds
large pinch chilli flakes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion , chopped
140g red split lentils
850ml vegetable stock or water
400g can tomatoes , whole or chopped
200g carton chickpeas or ½ a can, rinsed and drained (freeze leftovers)
small bunch coriander , roughly chopped (save a few leaves, to serve)
4 tbsp Greek yogurt , to serve

Method
Heat a large saucepan and dry-fry the cumin seeds and chilli flakes for 1 min, or until they start to jump around the pan and release their aromas. Add the oil and onion, and cook for 5 mins. Stir in the lentils, stock and tomatoes, then bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 mins until the lentils have softened.

Whizz the soup with a stick blender or in a food processor until it is a rough purée, pour back into the pan and add the chickpeas. Heat gently, season well and stir in the coriander. Finish with a dollop of yogurt and coriander leaves.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
1 stick of celery chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1.1 litres (2 pints) chicken stock
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
200g chopped spinach
100g canned chickpeas, cannellini beans or red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
50g uncooked small shell pasta
1 small courgette diced
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the onion, carrots and celery and saute until softened. This should take about 5 minutes. Add garlic and continue cooking for another minute. Stir in the chicken stock, tomatoes, spinach, beans and pasta. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add courgette. Cover and cook for 5 minutes more.

Remove from heat season with salt and pepper and stir in the basil. Serve immediately

Ingredients
50g butter
1kg brown onions , thinly sliced
2 tbsp thyme , picked leaves
3 tbsp dry sherry
beef stock fresh, cube or concentrate made up to 1.2 litres

CROUTONS
1 baguette , sliced
1 garlic clove , halved
extra-virgin olive oil
100g Gruyère , grated

Method
Heat the butter in a large pan and gently cook the onion and thyme until the onion is softened but not browned - about 20 minutes. Increase the heat slightly and cook for 15 minutes, until the onion becomes dark golden, sticky and caramelised, stirring now and again to stop it catching. Add the sherry and simmer for 2-3 minutes, then add the stock and bring to the boil. Season. Simmer for 10 minutes
.
Meanwhile, toast the bread, rub each slice with garlic, then drizzle with a little oil. Sprinkle with the cheese and grill until golden and bubbling. Serve the soup with the cheese croutons on top.

Ingredients

1kg/2lb 4oz dried green peas or split peas (or half and half)
1kg/2lb 4oz pork shank or leg (on the bone)
2 pigs' ears (optional)
200g/7oz smoked bacon, cut into cubes
2-3 leeks, sliced
7 carrots, sliced
1 celeriac, peeled and cut into cubes
1 head of celery, roughly chopped
3 bay leaves
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, tied with string
1 smoked sausage, sliced
1 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve

dark rye bread
cheese
thin slices of fried streaky bacon

Preparation method

Place the dried green peas and/or split peas in water and soak them as directed on the packet.Put the pork and the pigs' ears, if using, in a large pan with the smoked bacon, leeks, carrots, celeriac, celery, bay leaves, parsley and salt.Pour in water to come up to about 2cm/1in below the rim of the pan and gently bring to the boil. Simmer very gently for about two hours, adding more boiling water as necessary.

Add the soaked peas and the slices of sausage to the soup, bring everything to the boil again and leave to simmer for another 2-3 hours until the peas are soft. If you want a really thick soup, add only half of the peas to the pan and boil the rest separately until soft, then purée them in a food processor and stir this mixture into the soup.

Remove the pork, ears and parsley. Leave the pork and ears to cool, then remove the meat from the bones and put it back in the soup. Add the fresh chopped parsley and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve the soup with dark rye bread and cheese or very thin slices of fried streaky bacon.

Ingredients
For the stock:
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
1 Onion, cut into large chunks
2 Baby Carrots cut into 3cm pieces
1 stalk Celery, cut into 3cm pieces
1 Bay Leaf
1.7kg Whole Fresh Chicken
For the soup:
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
4 Baby Carrots cut into 3mm thick discs
2 stalks Celery cut into 3mm thick slices
1/2 Leek cut into 1/2cm pieces
200g Small Spiral Pasta
1/2 Cabbage, thinly sliced
1/4 cup Fresh Parsley Leaves, roughly chopped
Method
For the stock:
Heat the oil in a large deep saucepan over medium heat and sweat the onion, carrots, celery, and bay leaf for 5 minutes stirring often. Add the whole chicken to the pan and cover with about 4 litres of water at room temperature.Bring the liquid to a low simmer and cook gently for 25 minutes or until the chicken is just cooked through. Skim and discard any fat that rises to the top of the liquid.Remove the cooked chicken from the stock to a baking tray and let cool slightly at room temperature. Strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve and discard the solids.
Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones, pull apart into bite-size pieces and reserve, discarding the skin and bones.For the soup, return the same saucepan to a low-medium heat and add 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Add the carrots, celery and leek and sweat for 3 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a simmer, then pour in the pasta and cook for 5 minutes.

Return the chicken to the saucepan and add the cabbage. Continue cooking until the pasta is al dente and the cabbage has wilted for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into soup bowls and serve.

Ingredients
900ml chicken or vegetable stock (or Miso soup mix)
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, about 175g/6oz
1 tsp chopped fresh root ginger
1 garlic clove , finely chopped
50g rice or wheat noodles
2 tbsp sweetcorn , canned or frozen
2-3 mushrooms , thinly sliced
2 spring onions , shredded
2 tsp soy sauce , plus extra for serving
mint or basil leaves and a little shredded chilli (optional), to serve

Method
Pour the stock into a pan and add the chicken, ginger and garlic. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, partly cover and simmer for 20 mins, until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken to a board and shred into bite-size pieces using a couple of forks.
Return the chicken to the stock with the noodles, corn, mushrooms, half the spring onions and the soy sauce. Simmer for 3-4 mins until the noodles are tender. Ladle into two bowls and scatter over the remaining spring onions, herbs and chilli shreds if using. Serve with extra soy sauce for sprinkling.

Ingredients
100g dried chickpeas , soaked overnight and drained
100g Puy lentils
450g ready-diced lamb , cut into 1cm cubes
1 large Spanish onion , finely chopped
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp each ground ginger, saffron strands and paprika
50g butter
100g long grain rice
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
4 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
4 large ripe tomatoes , skinned, seeded and chopped
lemon quarters, to serve

Tip the chickpeas and lentils into a large saucepan or flameproof casserole. Add the lamb, onion, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, saffron strands and paprika, then pour in 1.5 litres/21%u20442 pints water. Season.
Bring to the boil, skimming all the froth from the surface as the water begins to bubble, then stir in half the butter. Turn down the heat and simmer the soup, covered, for 11%u20442 -2 hours until the chickpeas are tender, adding a little more water from time to time as necessary.
Towards the end of the cooking time, prepare the rice. Bring 850ml/ 11%u20442 pints water to the boil in a saucepan, shower in the rice, the rest of the butter and salt to taste. Cook until the rice is very tender. Drain, reserving 3tbsp of the liquid.
To finish, put the reserved rice liquid in a small saucepan. Stir in the coriander, parsley (hold a little back for a garnish if you like) and tomatoes, then simmer for 15 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add to the soup with the rice, and then taste for seasoning. Simmer for 5-10 minutes to thicken slightly. Serve hot, with a lemon quarter for each serving so guests can squeeze over lemon juice to taste.

Ingredients
For the herb filling:
1/3 cup parsley leaves freshly chopped
1/3 cup scallions, spring or green onions freshly chopped
1 tablespoon rosemary leaves or thyme, sage, basil, any your favorite herb, freshly chopped
2 teaspoons lemon zest freshly grated
2 teaspoons garlic minced, about 2 cloves, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the biscuit dough:
1 1/3 cup pastry flour, whole wheat
2/3 cup flour, all-purpose
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cream cheese (light) cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup buttermilk, low-fat or no-fat
Directions

Preheat oven to 400F.

Coat an 8*8 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

For the herb filling:

Mix all ingredients, and use a fork to toss well.

For the biscuit dough:

Combine whole wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl (If you can sift them, it will be even better.)

Put in cream cheese, and use your fingertips to mix well, will be a little crumby.

Then stir in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and buttermilk.

Combine mixture until dough forms together.

Take dough out onto onto a lightly floured surface, and knead the dough about 2 or 3 minutes, until not too sticky.

Then roll dough into 15*10 inches rectangle.

Brush it with some of left 1 tablespoon oil, leaving 1/2-inch dry edge of all sides.

Spread prepared herb mixture evenly over oiled space, and press mixture into dough.

Roll up dough lengthwise.

Pinch edges at ends together.

Then cut into 12 rounds, around 1 1/4 inches thick.

Set rounds cut side up on a greesed baking sheet or you can coat with cookingn sray.

Use the remaining oil to brush each top.

Bake 25 to 27 minutes, or until edge and top are golden brown.

Let them cool slightly, serve warm.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

1kg beef shin
1 small onion, unpeeled, cut in half
2 medium carrots, peeled, 1 quartered, 1 grated
3 medium beetroots, scrubbed well 6 tbsp tomato paste
4 medium cloves of garlic, smashed
225g red cabbage, shredded
2 medium tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
8 tsp sugar
450-500g firm potatoes, peeled, cut into 1cm cubes, and cooked in boiling salted water until tender
2 tbsp chopped dill for the garnish
½ boiled firm potato per person (optional)
sour cream
chopped dill

Cover the beef with 1½ litres of water in a large saucepan. Stir in the onion and quartered carrot and bring to the boil, skimming off any foam and fat that rises to the surface. Lower the heat and simmer the stock gently for 1½ hours.