Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook it for about 5 minutes, until it becomes soft. Put in the garlic and cook for one more minute. Tonight, it’s courgette and Brie, a recipe which I originally found in my Covent Garden soup book but as usual am too lazy busy to follow exactly so have adapted to my throw-it-all-in-the-pot style. Improv cooking at it’s best! The Parsnip, Apple & Elderflower was first to be tried. Weird. But nice. Very nice, in fact. It’s something that would be great at a picnic or BBQ. New Covent Garden Soup Co. have celebrated this year’s summer by bringing out a great new range of soups. But, even better than that, they invited me to come and try them. In general, the bigger the courgette (zucchine) the more bitterness it holds. So you better choose smaller ones.

Rinse the courgettes, remove the top and bottom, then chop roughly into rings. (If you’re not going to blend your soup then you might want to take a little more care over this bit, but as I blitz it all then I don’t worry too much about the size.) Add to the pan. I’m using my usual Portmeirion casserole but you can use any large pan. First of all I tried the Vintage Cheddar & Piccalilli flavour which is a British Ploughman’s in a bowl of soup featuring cheese, piccalilli, small chunks of vegetable and a hint of mustard. Small daughter absolutely loves this soup, it’s a close second to leek and potato for her. I have to say that I was a bit surprised that she took to it the way that she did when I first made it – I expected a bit more resistance to a soup other than leek and potato – but it’s a pleasant green colour, slightly creamy from the Brie and is actually just a very nice soup so there’s nothing for her not to like!Next up were the cold soups. I’m a ‘COLD SOUPS ARE WRONG’ kind of girl but I’m always up for a challenge, especially a soupy one and so I gave them a go. I should point out that the following two soups don’t have to be eaten cold, they can also be heated up. This yummy recipe for four people takes just 10 minutes to prepare and a further 20 minutes to cook. When speaking to Lucy about her recipe, she advised adding big floating cheese-topped croutons to the soup when serving. Ingredients Hayley’s heartwarming soup recipe will serve up to four people and takes around an hour to make. Hayley discovered this yummy recipe when she bought a Halloween pumpkin and wasn’t sure what to do with it. For an extra treat she advises topping with crumbled stilton and crispy bacon before serving. Ingredients Use a heavy pestle and mortar to crush the coriander seeds. You can also use ground coriander, but the whole seeds tend to have more flavor. Put into the pot. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil with the garlic and herbs. when it's hot, add the other vegetables. cook for a few minutes, stirring every now and then, until the vegetables start to soften. Put these vegetables on a baking sheet and roast them in the oven until they are soft. I spent about 40 minutes doing it.

Strictly speaking, Slater’s recipe is billed as a spiced carrot soup, and he adds cumin and chilli as well, while New Covent Garden suggests a sprinkling of nutmeg, which is a nice idea in a creamier soup, though I’m going to keep my version strictly coriander-focused. Slater finishes his soup with toasted cumin seeds, olive oil and microgreens, Tovey tops his with chopped parsley and serves croutons on the side, and Singh-Watson gives a whole list of garnish suggestions that, in addition to some of the above, includes toasted almonds, orange flower water, walnut, hazelnut and sesame oil and “one heaped teaspoon of ground mixed Moroccan spices, such as caraway and cumin with a little hot chilli”. If you’re short of time, or would just prefer to use that time otherwise (ie, eating the soup), you could easily just sprinkle chopped fresh coriander on top. My bright, green coriander puree is not just for show, however – dissolved in oil, the flavour of the herb is richer, and more intense, than my teenage self could ever dream of.Take out of the oven and put the tomatoes, lemon juice, tomato puree, and sugar in a blender. If you need to, add water to make it smooth enough to pour. The cheese adds a special touch to this soup, which makes it go from an everyday soup to a festive soup.Served with crispy, homemade croutons and a dash of sour cream, this light soup becomes a highlight. Tips for a good result Add enough of creamy brie cheese to your soup for a rich and delicious flavour. If you do not like the slightly bitter taste or the brie’s rind, remove it before adding to the soup.

Cut up the new coriander. Add the chopped stalks and half of the leaves to the pot. Simmer for another 10 minutes, or until the carrot and potato are soft. Then came the Beetroot & Horseradish soup. Hmm. An acquired taste I think. Both Helen and I said that it was ok but a bit odd. Fancy having a go yourself? Like the leek and potato soup I showed you a couple of weeks ago, there’s not a lot to it.

Other Recipes to Cook

Notes: Carbs in Ohakune Carrot & Coriander Soup, Ohakune Carrot & Coriander Soup (1 serving) contains 18g total carbs, 18g net carbs, 8g fat, 2.3g protein, and 147 calories. get the grill really, really hot. Cut the tomatoes in half and put the halves, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Broil until the tomatoes are soft and the edges are starting to turn brown. This took me about 30 minutes. When it was soft but still a little dark, I took it out and set the oven to gas mark 5. Add a few drops of creme fraiche, Greek yogurt, sour cream, or creme fraiche that has been thinned with a little milk. Start by roasting your courgettes whole in a hot oven until they are soft and slightly charred. This will add great flavour to your soup.