Prue’s Two Tone Soup

Prue’s Two Tone Soups

Below are two soups. To do the two-tone trick, you need to make both. Pour the soups into separate jugs. Then, one in each hand, pour them simultaneously into a soup bowl, one on one side, one on the other. Providing the soups are of the same consistency they will meet without flowing into each other. You can then take a cocktail stick and swirl it through both soups to make a great pattern.

Prue’s Pea and Watercress Soup

Prep Time – 5 minutes

Cook Time – 20 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 50g butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 1 floury potato, peeled and cubed
• 300g watercress, destalked, washed and roughly chopped (about 250g destalked weight)
• 250g frozen peas
• 500ml hot vegetable stock
• 500ml whole milk
• Salt and pepper to season

To garnish (optional)

• 2 tbsp roughly chopped dill
• 2 tbsp chopped mint
• About 150ml crème fraiche 

Method:

1. Melt the butter in a deep, heavy-based saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add a splash of water and gently fry the onion, garlic, celery and potato, stirring occasionally, until the potato is soft but not brown.

2. Add the watercress, peas and stock and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the milk. Puree the soup in a blender, adding more milk or stock if needed to achieve a pourable, not too thick, absolutely smooth soup. Return to the heat to warm through, without boiling. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Pour the soup into bowls, using the above bi-colour method, if desired. Otherwise, scatter over the herbs, if using, followed by a dollop of crème fraiche.

Prue’s Spiced roasted parsnip

 Prep Time – 20 minutes

Cook Time – 40 minutes

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 800g parsnips, scrubbed and cut into 3-4cm (1 ½ in) cubes
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 litre hot vegetable stock
• 500ml whole milk
• Salt and pepper to seasonTo garnish (optional)
• 100g whole cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped
• Olive oil for frying
• 2 tbsp truffle oil or to taste

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 200˚C/fan 180˚C/gas mark 6.
2. Arrange the parsnip in a roasting tin, drizzle with half of the olive oil and turn until coated. Roast for 30 minutes until just golden, tossing the parsnips halfway through.
3. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onions and fry until soft but not coloured, about 6-8 minutes. Stir through the spices and continue to fry for a further few minutes.
4. Add the roasted parsnips and the stock to the pan. Bring to the boil, cover, and then simmer for 10 minutes. Allow to cool and then use a blend or liquidiser to puree the soup to velvety smoothness. Return to the pan and stir in the milk. Gently heat through and season to taste.
5. Pour the soup into bowls, using the bi-colour method, if desired. If adding the garnish, fry the chestnuts in a little olive oil for a minute or two. Served the roasted parsnip soup in bowls, garnished with the hot chestnuts and truffle oil.

Notes

Don’t get carried away with the truffle oil. It can be overpowering in flavour.