A Little Book of Soups: 50 Favourite Recipes

By New Covent Garden Soup Company

Soup has to be one of the healthiest and most versatile of meals. Here at New Covent Garden Soup Company, we've been using great ingredients to make fresh, delicious soups since 1987. Our recipes have been honed and perfected over time and we're still making the soups you love today. Now, hundreds of recipes later, we've picked fifty of our all- time favourites from our books to share with you in this handy padded pocket-sized edition.

From Butternut Squash and Goat's Cheese to Pea and Bacon, and from Moroccan Lamb and Chickpea to Carrot and Coriander, this selection includes quick family favourites, dinner party delights and everything in-between. Whether you're looking for a quick and easy lunch or want try something a little more adventurous, it's all here in A Little Book of Soups.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Release date: Oct 22, 2015
• ISBN: 9780752265919

Book preview

Index

Introduction

Here at the New Covent Garden Soup Company, we’ve been making fresh, delicious soups since 1987. Now, hundreds of recipes later, we’ve picked 50 of our all-time favourites to share with you in this little book of soups.

Soup has to be one of the healthiest and most versatile of meals. From fresh Carrot & Coriander to hearty Puy Lentil & Smoky Bacon and exotic Thai Prawn & Noodle Broth, there are recipes here for everyone. Whether you’re hosting a dinner party or looking for a quick meal to put together for the family, you’ll find easy classics and more adventurous recipes to suit all occasions.

All our recipes are designed with the freshest produce in mind, because we believe that great ingredients speak for themselves.

Enjoy!

New Covent Garden Soup Company

Petits Pois & Watercress

Cooking time: 20 minutes Serves: 4

25g butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

350g fresh petits pois (or frozen peas)

50g watercress

750ml vegetable stock

1–2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, chopped

•   Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onion, then cook for 5 minutes until soft.

•   Add the peas, watercress and stock and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes until the peas are tender.

•   Blend until smooth.

•   Return to the pan, season to taste and reheat gently for 3 minutes.

•   Add the mint, then serve.

Lebanese Lentil & Chickpea

Cooking time: 40 minutes Serves: 4

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

pinch of ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon harissa paste

½ red pepper, deseeded and diced

1 teaspoon tomato purée

1 tomato, peeled and diced

70g cooked chickpeas

70g red lentils, rinsed

1 medium potato, diced

500ml vegetable stock

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves, chopped

•   Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the onion, then cook gently for 5–10 minutes until soft.

•   Add the garlic, cook for a few minutes, and then add the dry spices and harissa paste. Season to taste, then cook for 2–3 minutes.

•   Add the pepper, cook for a further 2–3 minutes, and then add the tomato purée, tomato, chickpeas, lentils, potato, stock and lemon juice.

•   Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the potato and lentils are soft, then serve garnished with the fresh coriander.

Pea & Bacon

Cooking time: 1 hour Serves: 4

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 rashers bacon, diced

knob of butter

1 leek, diced

1 small onion, diced

470ml vegetable stock

1 carrot, grated

1 stick celery, diced

115g yellow split peas, rinsed

grate of fresh nutmeg (or pinch of ground nutmeg)

100g peas (fresh or frozen)

•   Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the bacon, then fry until crispy. Set aside on kitchen paper.

•   Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the leek and onion,