LITMIR.BIZ

creamy curried parsnip soup

      A light curry flavour adds zing to parsnip soup whilst some soya milk gives a creamy texture – a very pleasant combination. Ordinary curry powder is fine for this recipe: use your favourite. I prefer a medium one.

      serves 4

      1 onion, finely chopped

      1 carrot, finely sliced

      450g/1lb parsnips, peeled and cut into 1cm/¹/₂ in dice

      1tbsp curry powder

      600ml/20fl oz/2¹/₂ cups vegetable stock or water

      300ml/10fl oz/1¹/₄ cups soya milk

      salt and freshly ground black pepper

      1–2tbsp chopped fresh chives, to serve

      Put the onion into a non-stick pan, cover and cook gently for about 7 minutes, until the onion is tender and lightly browned, stirring from time to time. Add the carrot and parsnip. Stir, then turn down the heat, cover and leave to cook gently for a further 5 minutes, until the vegetables are getting tender, stirring often to prevent sticking. Stir in the curry powder, cook for a few seconds until it smells aromatic and then add the stock or water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and leave to boil gently for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very tender.

      Pour the mixture into a food processor or blender with the soya milk, and whiz until smooth. Return to the saucepan and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Reheat gently before serving, but don’t let it boil or the soya milk will curdle. Serve each bowlful topped with chopped chives.

mexican black bean soup with tomato salsa

      This is a very hearty and filling soup which makes a satisfying meal, especially if you serve it with some wholewheat bread. You can buy the black beans at large supermarkets and health food stores.

      serves 4

      250g/9oz/1¹/₄ cups dried black beans

      1 onion, chopped

      1 large carrot, diced

      1 celery stalk, diced

      1 garlic clove, chopped

      2 sprigs of parsley

      1 bay leaf

      ¹/₂ tsp cumin seeds

      ¹/₂ tsp ground coriander

      1tsp dried oregano

      juice of ¹/₂ a lemon

      salt and freshly ground black pepper

       for the tomato salsa

      4 tomatoes, chopped

      4 spring (green) onions, thinly sliced

      small bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped

      juice of ¹/₂ a lemon

      Put the beans into a large pan with enough water to cover by about 5cm/2 in. Bring to the boil, boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and leave to stand for 1 hour.

      Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, parsley and bay leaf. Bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then reduce and simmer gently, covered, until the beans are very tender – 1–1¹/₂ hours. Add the cumin, ground coriander and oregano. Cook for a further 30 minutes. Remove and discard the parsley stems and bay leaf. Purée about half the beans in a food processor or blender. Put the purée back into the pan. If it is very thick, add a little water to get it to the consistency you like. Reheat gently, add the lemon juice and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

      Make the salsa by mixing together all the ingredients, season and put into a small bowl. Ladle the soup into bowls and let people spoon the salsa on top of the soup themselves.

butter bean and leek soup with thyme

      There’s something very satisfying about making this warming, comforting winter soup. If you want to speed the process up, use canned beans instead of dried.

      serves 4

      250g/9oz/1¹/₄ cups dried butter or lima beans or 2 x 425g/15oz cans

      2 leeks, sliced

      1 onion, sliced

      2 garlic cloves, sliced

      ¹/₂ tsp dried thyme

      ¹/₂ tsp curry powder

      salt and freshly ground black pepper

      juice of 1 lemon

      1–2tbsp chopped fresh parsley, to serve

      Put the beans into a large pan with enough water to cover them by about 5cm/2 in. Bring to the boil, boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and leave to stand for 1 hour.

      Add the leeks, onion, garlic, thyme and curry powder. Bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then reduce and simmer gently, covered, until the beans are very tender – 1–1¹/₂ hours. Purée the soup in a food processor or blender. Put the purée back in the pan. If it is very thick, add a little water to get it to the consistency you like. Reheat gently and add salt, freshly ground black pepper and enough of the lemon juice to bring out the flavour. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.