Soup is always great for using up vegetables before they go off!
Here are two types: one is chunky and orange, the other creamy and green. They both taste lovely.
Proper Carrot Soup
Take 6 to 8 medium carrots (more or fewer to taste)
Cut their heads off and roughly chop them
Simmer in a couple of pints of stock until they start to go soft
Add 1 chopped courgette and a red or green pepper
To season, use a teaspoon of dried herbs and a teaspoon of mild curry powder
When everything is quite soft, mash it all up a bit (carefully!) with a potato masher (or a hand-held blender, if you're really brave!)
Add a chunk of creamed coconut (how much you use will be down to your own taste – I use loads (about 4oz) because we love it!) and the juice of half a lemon (save the peel for tomorrow's recipe!)
Cook it all a while longer, until the coconut has melted into the soup and everything is nice and soft.
Serve with a nice big hunk of crusty bread!
Creamy Spinach and Mushroom Soup.
Take three or four handfuls of mushrooms. Peel/wash them and chop them roughly
Saute them in plenty of olive oil until they are just going soft
Add about 3-4 oz creamed coconut (it comes in a solid block) and continue to cook until the coconut has melted
Add the juice of half a lemon and four blocks of frozen spinach
Cook until everything has melted, defrosted and softened
Take the pan off the heat and blend everything with a hand-held blender, or liquidiser, if you prefer
Return the pan to the stove and add one pint of stock
Bring to the boil and lower the temperature to simmer
When the soup is simmering gently, slowly add half a pint of soya milk while stirring
Continue to simmer (gently – you don't want the soya milk to curdle) until it is simmering again. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with bread and butter.
For the last recipe:
ReplyDeleteWhere do you buy the coconut milk and blocks of frozen spinach from? Also, (I think this isn't vegan) could I fry the mushrooms in butter? One last question, I can't make my own vegetable stock, would a good powder variety be okay do you think? <3
I buy creamed coconut and frozen spinach in the supermarket. Both Morrisons and Tesco have them. I'm sure all the others do too.
ReplyDeleteand yes, if you want to, you cold use butter. I'm sure it would taste great, but you're right, it's not vegan!
I tend to make stock in one of two ways: Either I save the water I have cooked vegetables or pasta in, or I cheat and use bouillon powder or stock cubes - both are fine!