Soup season in full swing
Eat Plentiful #31
Rain rain rain and rain…torrential rain and some sunshine. This is what life is made of lately. On the positive side, that means lots of time indoors…cooking, my dream. Gone are the sunny days where there is almost not enough time to cook and I actually like it, for a bit. It’s not quite cold enough for those big hearty meals however soups are hitting the spot.
I know you can buy good quality soups these days in most supermarkets. In the UK you’re spoilt, in France less so and in the US I am not sure. But either way, making your own soups at home is so worth it. You know exactly what’s in there, you can decide what to put in it, it’s cheaper and anyway anything made at home tastes better than when store-bought.
Another thing I love about soups are their vibrant colours, they bring a bit of colour in our lives when we need it the most. And lastly, there’s nothing better than a soup for a good fridge clean up. Cook off anything looking a little sad, add some stock, bit of coconut milk or cream, some spices and you’ve got yourself something delicious.
If you’re feeling extra naughty, fix yourself up a cheese toastie to go with it. A spoon of soup followed by a bite of melted cheese. You might even dare to dunk your toastie in your soup (very French), either way, you will not disappointed.
Just a tip when you make your cheese toastie, find something to weigh it down whilst you cook it. In most cases I would say by the tool but in this case it seems like everyone has their own homemade chef’s press, in my case a flower pot and it works just fine.
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Watercress soup to impress
Serves 4
Cooking time 20 mins
Ingredients:
4 medium-size potatoes, peeled and cut in small chunks
1 onion finely sliced
2 cloves of garlic
olive oil
400 ml organic stock
3 bunches of watercress, washed and chopped roughly
Creme fraiche
Salmon eggs
Salt and pepper to season
Instructions:
In a large saucepan, heat a little olive oil, sauté the potatoes, onion and garlic until the onions are translucent. Season with salt.
Add the stock and simmer until the potatoes are soft.
Add the watercress and simmer for a further 3 to 4 minutes.
Using a hand blender, liquidise the soup until smooth. Season if needed.
Serve with a swirl of crème fraîche and some a spoon of salmon eggs.
This could work perfectly as a starter for a dinner party, tasty and classy.
For me what differentiates a good soup from a great one, are the toppings. Not only can they enhance the flavour, bring a different texture but they also bring that much needed sexiness that a bowl of soup by itself does not have.
Some of my favourites:
A spoonful of fresh pesto
A handful or roasted nuts
A handful of garlicky and herby croutons
Grated cheese
Bacon crumbs
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Restaurant of the week: Gunpowder Lisboa
There are not many restaurants which have several locations for which I would vouch for but Gunpowder is one of the exceptions. Harneet the founder is a true passionate and you can taste in in every single dish that is on their menu. Inventive Indian cuisine like you’ve never tasted it, they have 3 locations in London and one In Lisbon so you have no excuse not to go.
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See you next week peeps.
Lots of love x