Leek and Chickpea Soup

Time for a warming, comforting soup. As you can see at Pebble Soup we like our soups thick. I make soups all the time but, I am still to master the "potato business". Let me explain, most soups contain potatoes and when food processed potatoes turn "gluey", I have tried all sorts of tricks but it's often a hit or miss affair.

So it's with a sigh of relief that I found a substitute: Chickpeas. It works a treat.

Leek and Chickpea Soup 

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 250g chickpeas (one can)
• 5 medium leeks finely sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• knob of butter (optional)
• 2 cloves garlic finely sliced
• salt ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 pints chicken or vegetable stock 850 ml
• Parmesan cheese grated
• a little parsley (optional)

Instructions

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil and butter, if you use it. Add the leeks and garlic with a pinch of salt and cook until tender.
2.  Add about two-thirds of the stock, the chickpeas and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Puree half the soup in food processor. To obtain a thick soup, use a slotted soup, give that a whizz with a little stock and then add the remaining stock. Season with salt, black pepper and add grated Parmesan cheese.

Pebble Soup has a whole collection of soup recipes, head to the recipes index for ideas such as Leek and Avocado, Harira, Coco and Chorizo and over 50 more. For quick access, I've picked a few which you can access by clicking on the pictures.

It's good to share so this week I linked my soup collection to Hijacked by Twins who is hosting #Cookblogshare

Courgette Soup with Basil and Parmesan -Italian Style-

It's the end of courgette season which is a bit of a relief as they, I am sure, reproduce when left to their own device in fridges and pantries.

If courgettes are abundant and used a lot in Great Britain, courgette flowers are more of a continental thing. Courgette flowers can often be found on the menus of French or Italian restaurants. Smaller flowers are given a tempura treatment (fried in a light batter); larger flowers are typically stuffed with tomatoes and herbs or goat's cheese. 

It won't be long before we get the flowers again, (May) so we'll come back to that then but in the meantime, I'd like to share a recipe which I found floating on the net. A Delicious Italian Soup, because you never get enough courgettes recipes ....even out of season.

Courgette Soup with Basil and Parmesan -Italian Style-

Ingredients Method
500g courgettes
15g butter
1 or 2 garlic clove
1 lemon
250ml of light stock chicken or vegetable
plenty of basil leaves about 20
4 tbsp grated parmesan

Method
1) Wash the courgettes and chop them into cubes.
2) In a saucepan, saute the courgettes cubes in olive oil on medium heat for about 2 minutes.
3) Add the minced garlic cloves and 15 of the basil leaves and continue cooking them for about 1-2 minutes.
4)Add the stock, bring to boil and cook for a further 5 minutes
5)Whizz the lot in a mixer, return to pan, add the parmesan, stir 
6)Serve with a few basil leaves to decorate

I love this recipe and want to share it as widely as possible therefore, I sent it to Meat Free Monday. 

Challenges are a great way to share recipes with others. If you are a blogger, you should take a look at Inheritance Recipes and join us from time to time, Margot and I would love to see your recipes.

Smoked Haddock Chowder

Have you entered the October Inheritance Recipes yet?

It's that time of the year again when we turn our thoughts to glorious soups. I would like to start the season with a fish soup. One which originated on the early transatlantic ships and is now a firm favourite on both side of the bid pond: Chowder.

Chowder is a milk/cream/roux based soup. The name is said to be derived from the French Chaudiere or chudiere which means cauldron.

I have a particular fondness for dishes which are named after the recipient they are cooked in: tagine, cataplana to name but a few. There is no reason for such a liking, it just evokes a down to earth type of approach which I find refreshing.

Fish soups don't have to be complicated, though they far too often are. So my tip here is : don't embark on making any fish soup which has a prep. time longer than 10 minutes.

Smoked haddock has a particular affinity with creamy sauces. It's rich in Iodine, vitamin B12 and naturally low in fat, though it follows that all smoked fish are higher in salt than their fresh counterparts.

My recipe is a mixture of two recipes published in the last three months, the latest Waitrose magazine and a book with a rather long subtitle which I was sent for review , I Love Soup: More Than 100 of the World's Most Delicious and Nutritious Recipes by Beverly LeBlanc.

Smoked Haddock Chowder

Ingredients

• 2 smoked haddock
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  
   fillets, about 100g/4oz each, skinned and cut into chunks
• 400ml whole milk
• 1 tbsp of cream or 20g unsalted butter
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  
• 500ml fish stock (use a fish bouillon cube) I used vegetable stock

  1 tbsp plain white flour

• 1 onion
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  
  , chopped finely
• 1 can of sweetcorn drain
• 1 can of butter beans drain
• 2 onions
• 1/2 lemon juice
• salt and pepper
• optional - bacon slices cooked and chopped - 1 tbsp cream
• Method

1. put the haddock in a small pan . Cover with milk, heat until boiling point and then off the heat. Set aside, milk in a pouring jug, fish in a plate.
2. in a large pan, heat the butter add the flour, mix quickly add the milk so that you obtain a very runny bechamel. Add the fish bouillon little at the time, stir continuously. Remove from the heat. Pulse in a blender until smooth
3. skin and flake the fish. Cook the onion in butter.
4. Return the milk mixture to the hob, add all the ingredients, lemon, fish, onion and its juices, butter beans, sweetcorn. add the bacon and cream if using
5. season, taste, serve

I'll be making this recipe again. In fact it's in pass to become a strong favourite which I will definitely pass on, so for that reason, I add it to the Inheritance Recipes hosted by Pebble Soup and Coffee and Vanilla and I add it to a challenge which has help us a lot along the way Cook Once Eat Twice

For more Fish or Soup recipes by Pebble Soup, click here

Pumpkin 'n Garlic Soup with Lemon Olive Oil Swirl

When I first started teaching a student told me a story which stuck with me for ever after. She and her brother had a French mum and an English Dad and for that reason they were bullied and told repeatedly that they stuck of garlic. Until the day, her brother decided to chew a whole lot of garlic cloves before going to school and breathed on all the bullies. No mention of garlic, was ever made again.

I never queried the moral of that story as I fixated on the fact that not all French like garlic. I for one don't mind it cooked but I'm not a great fan when it's raw.

If I had the choice of passing one of the many soups, from this blog, to the next generation, this recipe would certainly be in the top 10.  It's healthy, filling and right for the winter nights.

For these reasons, I link it to the #InheritanceRecipes themed Fresh Starts and hosted by Margot's Coffee 'n Vanilla

Pumpkin 'n Garlic Soup with Lemon Olive Oil Swirl

Ingredients

For 2

1 to 1.5 pounds (500 to 700gr) Pumpkin peeled and diced

6 to 7 garlic cloves (leave them whole or peel them your choice)

lemon virgin olive oil to serve

salt and pepper to taste

enough bouillon (I use Marigold) to cover 3/4 of the pumpkin

Method

Using a medium pan put all the ingredients bar the oil in the pan

Bring to boil, reduce the heat and cook for 25 minutes or until pumpkin is tender

Leave it to cool for 5 minutes before transferring the vegetables to a blender with the bouillon. How much will depend on how thick you like your soup

Serve with a drizzle of good Lemon Virgin Olive Oil. I've used Pomora

Creamy Shredded Parsnip Bake

When so many articles are written about heritage vegetables, so many gardeners trying out older varieties, it's slightly ironic to think that there is such  a vegetable which has been bubbling in our pots  since the middle ages without us paying very much attention to it. Poor old Parsnip.

When the potato first arrived on the old continent, it must have been such as thrill that understandably it eclipsed all others. The much loved daucus pastinaca, carrot for you and me played second fiddle to the potato. Others slowly sank in the background such as cardoons.

As for pastinaca parsnip, oh yes same family as the carrot, it continued to appear on the menu in the North of Europe but disappeared from the south. Few French people cook "parnais" and in Great Britain, parsnip is often baked or used in soups.

So surprise every one with this delicious recipe of

Shredded Creamy Parsnip Parsnip Bake

Ingredients

250g double cream

400g shredded parsnips

milk (optional)

dot of butter

enough grated cheddar to cover the dish

salt

pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 C Grease an oven dish

layer half the shredded parsnip add the cream, season

repeat the layering if it looks too dry add a little milk

sprinkle cheddar on the top

dot with butter.

This is one of my favourite recipe which was passed down to me by His mother so it's a pleasure to add it to this month #InheritanceRecipes :Eat Your Greens hosted here and shared with Coffee & Vanilla

Do join us and you could win two PYREX frying pans

Summer Soup: Coco Beans & Chorizo - Cold Soup-

First of all, I'd like to thank Pebble Soup readers for their patience. I disappeared without a word for a month but I promise if was for a good cause. I came back with loads of material and a few surprises in my bag and I look forward to reading your comments and reactions.

It all started in June when he solemnly declared that we needed a holiday NOW. So we hoped on a plane, direction Vienne. Not the Austrian capital, the Roman town, south of Lyon, on the way to the Riviera.

In spite of its regional importance, being the second largest county (department) town after Grenoble and all that, Vienne is off the tourists' radar. Its roman past left substantial remains still visible in the modern town, every year a jazz festival is held in the roman circus. From its association with the kingdom of Provence, there is a medieval castle but what draws me to the area is food and friends. Today, Vienne specialises in the food industry. Is it cause to effect? I know not, but there are numerous lovely restaurants in the area.

This time round, we were introduced to Le Brocard in Serpaize where Julien Taurant delights his clientele with subtle and tasty dishes. The place looks like a café but don't be fooled, the menu is on a par with the best in Lyon, capital of French gastronomy. All without the price tag  nor the pretentiousness attached to "haute cuisine."  

When we visited for lunch the menu was already wearing its summer clothes and I started with a cold soup. The dynamic chef would not reveal its secret so back home, I tried my hand at Coco Beans and Chorizo soup, the colour was different, the taste too but this is a keeper for the summer.

Coco Beans and Chorizo -Cold Soup-

Ingredients

• 2 tins of cannellini
• 2 pints of bouillon (I use my trusty marigold powder in hot water)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 large fresh rosemary sprig
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 a chorizo or 150g
• 5tsp thick cream (optional)
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme, divided
• Small cubes of white bread (optional)

Method

Place the drained cans in  the broth with salt and pepper and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer.

In the meantime, in a frying pan add 1 tb of olive oil. When the oil is hot add the onion, smashed garlic rosemary and bay leaf. When a lovely smell tickles your nostrils and the garlic has slightly coloured add the chorizo.

Drain beans, reserving cooking liquid. Puree the beans in a blender with some of the liquid, the proportion is entirely up to you and how you like the consistency of your soup.

Sieving gives a smoother finish. Return puree to pot. Stir thyme, chorizo, and cream. Can be made 1 day ahead.

Chill uncovered until cold. Cover and keep chilled.
Before serving fry the croutons if using, salt and pepper.

Asparagus Soup

I have written over 600 posts for Pebble Soup. With time, it would be pleasing to think that I know the recipe to write recipes.  That would imply that no blank screen is "scary" and by enlarge it is true.

Except when it comes to asparagus. Pretty much everything has been said about this spring vegetable. Comments have been passed on the increased UK production, now grown all the year round, soon we will not depend on Peruvian spears.

Even the Guardian devoted space to mercaptan, the sulphurous component which will make some people's pee smell, depending on the genes.

You see, there is little I could add to all this therefore I will let this much loved vegetable do the talking with a soup recipe. One word of warning though the amazing fresh spring green colour will depend very much on the asparagus cooking time, don't be tempted to overcook them and always salt the water before dropping the asparagus in.

Asparagus soup

Ingredients

400g of asparagus (cut off the woody bit a the end)

salt

600ml vegetable or chicken stock

pinch of salt

a squeeze of lemon
ground pepper
 

Method

To get the right consistency keep the proportions

 

Bring the stock ( personally, I favour chicken stock) to boil, add the salt, drop the asparagus in for 5 minutes

 

Liquidise transfer back to the saucepan add the lemon, the pepper, warm the soup for a little longer and serve.

Simple Cauliflower Soup

Vegetables have a fashion cycle like anything else and I recently noticed that cauliflower had gone out of fashion. Last year, this humble and plentiful veggie was having a revival for its association with pizza crust. Oh dear, you've missed the cauliflower crust pizza fade.

But back to reality. It's still very cold outside and heart-warming soups are here to stay for a little longer. At Pebble Soup, soupes épaisses are the only soups which will pass the test.

This recipe is rich and creamy without containing any cream. The thickness is provided by the whole of the cauliflower being used, cumin, coriander and cooked garlic cloves could be added for more flavours.

So bring the old cauli back into fashion with this solid, no nonsense recipe.

 

Simple Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients

1tsp oil

1 cauliflower

1 and a half pint of vegetable stock (pref organic)

salt

pepper

 

Method

chop the leaves and the stalks of a medium to large size cauliflower. leaving only the florets.

 

Pour stock in a large sauce pan, boil and simmer the leaves, the stalks for 15 minutes.

 

In a skillet or small frying pan, add the oil and fry the florets gently. When they are tender transfer to the simmering pot for another 15 to 20 minutes. season to taste.

 

At the end of the cooking a few table spoon of milk could be added but make sure, you don't boil the milk or it will separate.

 

Blitz in a blender, return to pan for a few minutes and serve with a choice of garnish.


Blog challenge: I like the idea of a vegetable palette following the seasons
so I enter this recipe in A2K vegetable challenge as white + winter

 

 

 

Summer Cooler : Lettuce, Pea and Caramelised Bacon Soup

It's back to soup. 

I picked this soup because it's fresh, make use of that lettuce which has been waiting all its live in the fridge and it's .........very green, cooking lettuce might sound a bit weird but once cooked the taste is not much different from raw: very mild flavour with a certain sweetness, here enhanced by the peas and the caramalised bacon.

Lettuce, Pea and Caramelised Bacon Soup

Ingredients

serves 2/3

1 Bacon rasher (chopped small) per person

2 teaspoons sugar

400g frozen peas

4 little gem or a large lettuce chopped roughly

600ml vegetable stock (chicken will do and that's roughly a pint and a bit)

butter

salt & pepper to taste

Method

In a small pan, heat butter and fry the bacon dices until quite crispy, add 2 teaspoons sugar and stir without stopping until all the sugar is melted

Remove the bacon and reserve. Replace by the lettuce, it will wilt fast, after a couple of minutes add the peas,  salt and pepper to taste, the stock and simmer for 10 minutes.

Pour in a liquidiser or use a hand mixer and process. At this stage you have two options : serve or sieve and discard the shelves of the peas. The latter is my favourite, it doesn't lose its consistency and it's smoother. Let the soup cool.

To serve: return the bacon to the soup and add whipped double cream if you wish

Here is another Lettuce soup recipe from back when Pebble Soup began: Sexy Lettuce and Ginger Soup

I love this so much that I am linking back one of my favourites food blog, guess which

Parmesan and Butternut Squash Soup

 I wish I had an anecdote related to buttersquash so that the post would scintillate. Or story sprinkled with Parmesan. Even a joke about soups would be better than nothing.

  

Parmesan and Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

150 g parmesan (parmigiano-reggiano) with rind

25 g butter

1 large onion finely chopped

1 medium butternut squash peeled, deseeded and chopped into chunks

900 ml hot vegetable stock

150 ml milk

4 - 6 slices French bread

fresh parsley or thyme chopped to garnish

 

Method
Cut the rind of the parmesan but don't throw it away.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter, turn the heat to gentle and add the vegetables and the rind for 10 minutes.
Add the stock and cook until the vegetables are tender that should take 20 minutes.
Remove the rind, blend the soup to a consistency you like.
Return to saucepan and add the milk, cook it for a minute or so
meanwhile prepare your toasts
slice the Baguette, sprinkle with parmesan and toast.
Serve immediately.
 

Baked Bean Soup

Look at this soup, all inviting and warm, you would think that it's the perfect winter warmer. Wrong, this soup is an abomination. Then why did I cook it? The answer is: "It's not my fault".

 

We have all heard that excuse before. Little Johnny comes back from school with fish in his hair, clothes all dirty, sporting only one shoe, when you asked what happened, he replies: "he made me do it" to which invariably you will say: "So, if he asked you to jump over the cliff blabla bla bla..."

 

Except in this case, I am little Johnny and Dom made me do it. Dominic Franks from Belleaukitchen has an event which I have wanted to enter for donkey's years. It's all to do with random and recipe books. This month, we were supposed to throw our past Christmas gifts/books in the air and pick a recipe  from the landing page.

 

Thankfully, I don't get many recipe books at Christmas, but I did get one a couple of years ago which I love: Celebration of Soups by Lindsey Bareham. This book is simply great, pages after pages of soup wonderful recipes from around the world.

 

Except that when I threw it in the air, faith had it landing open on a choice of boiled oyster soup, Brussels sprout soup and baked beans soup. This was a non-choice, at this stage, I should have cheated but, oh no, I soldiered. Described as a rapid to make, it may be nutritious but the result is yurk.

 

Now, I feel strange to share it with you but rules are rules therefore Baked Bean soup gets entered in Dom's December 'random recipes' challenge, moreover if you wanted to give it a go, love baked beans, Worcester sauce, onions and bacon here is how to make

Baked Bean Soup

a recipe adapted from L. Bareham, wonderful book A Celebration of Soups

Proudly entered in

 

 

Ingredients

 

1 tbsp sunflower oil

1 onion

2 chopped rashers of rindless smoked back bacon

420g can baked beans

300ml each of chicken stock

Worcestershire sauce

paprika

 Salt or soya sauce and pepper

 

Method

Heat 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a large pan.

Chop and lightly fry 1 onion and 2 chopped rashers of rindless smoked back bacon for 10 minutes.

Add a 420g can baked beans with 300ml each of chicken stock.

Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce and a pinch each of paprika then cover and cook gently for 10 minutes, do not let it boil.

 

 

 





Harira: Moroccan Lamb and Bean Soup

To be born of two cultures is a blessing and a curse. For me the blessing was the food: the familiar yet unfamiliar smell of spices that flavour  Moroccan food, the tiny little cakes left around the dining room which could be picked up at leisure.

 

One recipe sticks in my mind as the ultimate comfort food and that's my grand-dad's Harira, A wonderful dish of lamb, chickpeas and lentils, this is the ultimate cure for the winter blues.

 

I seldom cook Harira because it is full of calories for a soup moreover one bowl is never enough. But on these rare occasions it is nice to share and this is my inheritance recipe

 

Be prepared to let the soup cook for at least 30 minutes.

 

 

Harira: Moroccan Lamb and Bean Soup

 

Ingredients

    1 tbsp oil

1 large onion, roughly chopped

1 pound of bone-in shoulder lamb chopped in small pieces (but any lamb meat will do)

1 carrot, cut into pieces

2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 small potato, roughly chopped

2 tbsp dried  lentils (I use red lentils but again any will do)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp turmeric

 1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp hot paprika

600ml  of  chicken stock

1 can of chopped tomatoes

1  can chick peas

large handful or chopped coriander

 a dollop of Greek yogurt to garnish (optional)

Method

heat oil in a large pot and cook the lamb for 2 to 3 minutes until brown . Remove to a plate and set aside

Reduce the heat to medium add onion and cook for 2 minutes mix in all the spices for 15 seconds. Add the stock bring to simmer. Scrap up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.

Stir in the tomato and the lentils, return the lamb to pot. Bring to boil aand immediately reduce to simmer for 20 minutes

Add the chick peas and cook for a further 10 minutes add more liquid if it seems too thick.

Serve with a handful of coriander and a dollop of Greek yogurt.

I have to thank Sue for emailing me this recipe and generate an idea which I hope will be popular with food bloggers, in the new year Pebble Soup will be hosting its own event: Your Inheritance Recipes....watch this space.