A hearty soup at lunchtime will keep friends and family content all day.
Cold winter day, home on a Saturday, time to spare. It's a perfect opportunity to make a soup for lunch that will warm you to your toes. When I think hearty winter soup, it's hard to go past these core items: potatoes, smoked pork pieces, earthy seasonal vegetables, dried beans and pulses.
Both these soups are quick and easy to make. I found the Paul Bocuse recipe on a video in the library. It was fantastic, with Paul speaking French and standing in an amazing kitchen with blue and white chequered tiles.
As this recipe demonstrates, when the tempting flavours of slow-cooked leek are combined with the earthiness of good-quality potatoes, you don't need to add much more to your saucepan – just a bit of salt and some creme fraiche.
I use dukkah to finish this soup. When this Middle Eastern spice mix is sprinkled over hot soup, the spices come alive as they warm.
4 medium leeks
100g butter
6 large nicola potatoes, peeled and diced
in 3cm pieces
Sea salt
200g creme fraiche
Pistachio dukkah, to serve (see recipe below)
Method
Slice leeks in half, lengthways then finely slice. Wash well.
Melt butter in heavy-based saucepan. Add leek and sweat over low heat, covered. Stir leeks and when they are almost breaking down, add potatoes and cover with about 600 millilitres cold water, add sea salt and bring to a simmer.
When potatoes are cooked, use a whisk to break some up, leaving large and small pieces. Just before serving, stir in creme fraiche. You will probably need to add more salt to bring the flavours alive. Sprinkle with pistachio dukkah.
Pistachio Dukkah
40g sesame seeds
75g pistachio nuts (toasted and chopped)
3 tsp ground coriander
3 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sea salt
Combine ingredients and sprinkle over soup.
Serves 6
1 cup dried white beans
1 tbsp olive oil
1 leek, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 red chillies, thinly sliced, seeds removed
2 litres chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup small pasta
80g broccoli or broccolini, cut into
small florets
4 tbsp pecorino cheese
Sourdough bread to serve
Method
Soak beans in water overnight, then drain.
Heat olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat; add leek, garlic, chillies and saute for 10 minutes or until soft. Season to taste.
Add beans and stock, bring to the boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until beans are tender. Add pasta, cook 5minutes, then add broccoli and cook for a further 5 minutes or until pasta is al dente and broccoli is tender.
Check seasoning, spoon into bowls and sprinkle cheese over each serve.
Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil, then grill sourdough bread and rub with raw garlic; serve warm.
Serves 4
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