Onion avgolemono soup / Chinese cabbage soup

Onion avgolemono soup 

serves 6

ingredients

4 large onions, thinly sliced 50g/2oz low-fat spread or butter 450ml/3⁄4pt vegetable stock 450ml/3⁄4pt skimmed milk

2 egg yolks

1⁄2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 thick slices wholemeal bread, cubed

salt and freshly ground black pepper

•Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.

•Melt the low-fat spread or butter in a heavy saucepan, add the onions and cook gently, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, until soft. Add the stock, and season with a little salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes.

•Stir in the milk and heat through.

•Whisk the egg yolks with the lemon juice. Add 2 ladlefuls of the hot soup and whisk well. Stir the egg and lemon mixture into the soup, and heat through gently, still stirring, until slightly thickened. Do not allow the soup to boil or the egg will curdle.

•To make the croûtons, spread out the bread cubes on a baking tray, and bake in the oven for 10 minutes until a deep golden brown.

•Ladle the soup into warm individual bowls, and sprinkle with the croûtons just before serving.

Chinese cabbage soup

serves 4

ingredients 450g/1lb pak choi 600ml/1pt vegetable stock

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 tablespoon caster sugar

1 tablespoon dry sherry

1 fresh red chilli, seeded and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon cornflour

•Wash the pak choi thoroughly under cold running water, rinse and drain. Pat dry with kitchen paper. Trim the stems from the pak choi, and shred the leaves.

•Heat the stock in a large heavy saucepan. Add the pak choi and cook for 10–15 minutes.

•Mix together the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and sherry in a small bowl. Add this mixture to the stock, together with the chilli. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and cook for 2–3 minutes.

•Blend the cornflour with 2 tablespoons water to form a paste, and gradually stir into the soup. Cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Cook for a further 4–5 minutes, then ladle the soup into warm individual serving bowls and serve immediately.

Red onion & beetroot soup

serves 6

ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil 350g/12oz red onions, sliced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 275g/10oz cooked beetroot, cut

into matchsticks

1.2litres/2pt vegetable stock 50g/2oz soup pasta, cooked

until al dente

2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar salt and freshly ground

black pepper

•Heat the oil in a casserole dish over a low heat, and add the onion and garlic. Sweat gently for 20 minutes or until soft and tender.

•Add the beetroot, stock, pasta and vinegar, and heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot.

Smooth cheese soup

serves 4

ingredients

1 large potato, diced

• Put the vegetables in a saucepan

1 large carrot, diced

with the stock and herbs. Bring to

1 small onion, diced

the boil, reduce the heat, part-cover

1 celery stick, diced

and simmer gently for 15 minutes

600ml/1pt vegetable stock

until the vegetables are soft.

1⁄2 teaspoon dried mixed herbs

• Purée in a blender or food

100g/4oz low-fat Cheddar

processor, and return to the pan.

cheese, grated

Add the cheese and milk, and heat

150ml/5fl oz skimmed milk

gently until the cheese melts. Ladle

into bowls and serve hot.

Mushroom & corn soup

serves 4

ingredients

25g/1oz low-fat spread

• Heat the low-fat spread in a heavy

25g/1oz plain flour

saucepan. Add the mushrooms and

100g/4oz button mushrooms,

onion. Cook, stirring constantly with

sliced

a wooden spoon, for 3 minutes.

1 onion, finely chopped

Add the flour and cook, stirring, for

300ml/10fl oz vegetable stock

1 minute.

300ml/10fl oz skimmed milk

• Remove from the heat. Gradually

350g/12oz canned sweetcorn

blend in the stock, then the milk

kernels, drained

and sweetcorn. Return to the heat,

salt and freshly ground

bring to the boil, reduce the heat

black pepper

and simmer the soup gently for

4 teaspoons low-fat single

10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

cream, to garnish

Season with salt and pepper.

• Ladle into warm bowls and garnish

each serving with a swirl of cream.

Tomato & carrot soup

serves 4

ingredients

400g/14oz canned chopped

• Put all the ingredients except the

tomatoes

parsley in a heavy saucepan and

2 large carrots, grated

bring to the boil, stirring. Reduce

1 small onion, finely chopped

the heat, part-cover and simmer for

300ml/10fl oz vegetable stock

30 minutes.

(made with 1 stock cube)

• Discard the bay leaf, ladle the

1 teaspoon dried oregano

soup into bowls and serve hot,

pinch of grated nutmeg

garnished with the parsley.

pinch of salt

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon chopped fresh

flat-leaf parsley

Curried carrot & apple soup

serves 4

ingredients

2 teaspoons sunflower oil

1 tablespoon mild korma curry powder

500g/1lb 2oz carrots, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1 cooking apple, chopped 900ml/11⁄2pt chicken stock salt and ground black pepper

•Heat the oil in a saucepan over a low heat, and gently fry the curry powder for 2–3 minutes until fragrant.

•Add the carrots, onion and apple, stir well, then cover the pan. Cook over a very low heat for about 15 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time, until the vegetables are softened.

•Spoon the vegetable mixture into a blender or food processor, then add half the stock and blend until smooth.

•Return the mixture to the pan, and pour in the remaining stock. Bring the soup to the boil, and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Green soup

serves 4

ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small cucumber, cut into chunks

1 onion, chopped

75g/3oz watercress

1 garlic clove, chopped

100g/4oz green beans, trimmed

200g/7oz potato, cut into

and halved

2.5cm/1in cubes

salt and freshly ground

700ml/11⁄4pt vegetable stock

black pepper

•Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Sweat the onion and garlic for 3–4 minutes until softened. Add the potato and cook for a further 2–3 minutes.

•Stir in the stock, bring to the boil and leave to simmer for 5 minutes.

•Add the cucumber to the saucepan, and cook for a further 3 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

•Add the watercress and allow to wilt, then transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and purée until smooth.

•Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Cook the beans for 3–4 minutes until tender. Add the beans to the soup, season and warm through.