SOUPS - Deliciously Irish(2015)

Deliciously Irish (2015)

SOUPS

Illustration

Evening at Lough Gill, County Sligo.

Spring Green Soup

Spicy Carrot Soup

Potato Soup with Salmon and Chives

Crab Soup with Saffron

Lovage Soup

Pea Pod Soup

Walnut Soup with Walnut and Cress Sandwiches

Chestnut and Lentil Soup

Celery Soup with Blue Cheese

SPRING GREEN SOUP

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SERVES 6

Give yourself a spring boost with this green soup using the early shoots of nutrient-rich herbs. Vary the ingredients according to what can be foraged or found in the shops.

large handful of sorrel leaves

large handful of spinach

handful of young nettles or dandelion leaves

heart of a small green cabbage

55 g/2 oz butter

2 onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

chopped fresh thyme

2 potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 litre/1¾ pints chicken stock, or milk and water

150 ml/¼ pint whipping cream

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Wash all the leaves thoroughly in salted water, removing any coarse stalks or ribs. Keep the nettles separate. Prepare the cabbage in the same way, shake dry and finely chop.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and gently sweat the onions, garlic, spinach, cabbage, sorrel and thyme. Add the potatoes and the stock, or milk and water, and simmer until the potato is soft. Then add the nettles and cook until they are tender, about 30 minutes. Liquidise, add the cream, adjust the seasoning and serve.

SPICY CARROT SOUP

SERVES 6

1 tablespoon oil

1 tablespoon mustard seeds

30 g/1 oz butter

2 medium onions, chopped

4-5 large carrots, grated

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1.2 litres/2 pints chicken or vegetable stock

2 tablespoons porridge oats

3 teaspoons cider vinegar

juice and grated zest of 1 large orange

salt and freshly ground black pepper

whipping cream, to garnish (optional)

chopped fresh coriander, to garnish (optional)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the mustard seeds, heating until they pop. Add the butter and onions and cook on a low heat until they begin to soften. Then add the carrots and coriander seeds and continue cooking for 5-6 minutes. Add half the stock and the porridge oats and cook a further few minutes.

If you like a smooth soup, purée the mixture at this point. Return it to the saucepan, add the vinegar, orange juice and zest and the remaining stock. Season well with salt and pepper, simmer for a few moments and serve.

The soup can be garnished with a swirl of cream and some chopped, fresh coriander.

POTATO SOUP WITH SALMON AND CHIVES

SERVES 6

This rather unusual potato soup uses the excellent farmed salmon that is available all year round.

175 g/6 oz salmon, cutlet or tail piece

55 g/2 oz butter

1 onion, finely chopped

2 leeks, chopped

6 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 bay leaf

600 ml/1 pint chicken or fish stock

600 ml/1 pint milk

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Wholemeal Scones and butter, to serve

Put the salmon in a small saucepan, just barely cover with water, and poach gently until the fish is cooked, about 10 minutes. Remove from the water, skin, remove bones and flake. Use the water to make up the stock.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and cook the onion and leeks until tender but not coloured. Add the potatoes, bay leaf, seasoning and the stock, and cook until the potatoes are soft. Remove the bay leaf, then purée in a food processor. Return to the saucepan. Next add the milk, chives and salmon and heat through gently. Adjust the seasoning and serve hot. Wholemeal scones with butter turn this soup into a little feast.

Illustration

Sunset over Lough Gill.

CRAB SOUP WITH SAFFRON

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SERVES 6

4-5 saffron strands

6 large scallions (spring onions), finely chopped

1 garlic clove

2 teaspoons fresh marjoram

30 g/1 oz butter

900 ml/1½ pints fish or light chicken stock

1 tablespoon long-grain rice

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

350 g/12 oz cooked crab meat

150 ml/¼ pint whipping cream

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Soak the saffron in a little water for 30 minutes. Cook the finely chopped scallions (spring onions), garlic and marjoram in the butter until soft. Add the stock, rice, lemon zest and saffron, with its water, and simmer gently until the rice is soft. Add the crab and the cream and season well. Bring to the boil very gently, simmer for 2-3 minutes until hot, garnish with the parsley and serve.

LOVAGE SOUP

SERVES 6

Lovage, once to be found in many Irish gardens, has celery-like leaves that make interesting soups and salads. Celery leaves are delicious prepared in the same way.

2-3 large handfuls of young lovage leaves, chopped

30 g/1 oz butter

1 onion

1 garlic clove

1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus extra to taste

1 tablespoon plain flour

600 ml/1 pint hot chicken stock

600 ml/1 pint milk

salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons croûtons

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and cook the onion and garlic until soft. Add the chopped lovage and lemon juice. Cook until the leaves soften a little and then sprinkle in the flour. Continue stirring until the flour is cooked and the mixture is smooth. Gradually add half the hot stock, little by little, stirring well, until the soup has thickened and the sorrel has cooked. Purée in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Return the soup to the saucepan, add the rest of the stock and the milk and bring back to the boil. Season well with plenty of black pepper and salt to taste. Just before serving sprinkle the croûtons over the top.

Note: to make the croûtons, remove the crusts from 3 slices of white bread, cut into cubes and fry in a little oil, until brown. Drain on kitchen paper.

PEA POD SOUP

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SERVES 4

The pods of baby peas, so juicy and sweet, make very good soup, with an intense pea taste. Sugar-snap peas, now readily available, give something of the same flavour.

225 g/8 oz sugar-snap peas

1 onion, finely chopped

30 g/1 oz butter

30 g/1 oz plain flour

750 ml/1¼ pints hot chicken or vegetable stock

1 teaspoon roughly chopped summer savory or fresh mint

½ teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

salt and freshly ground black pepper

3-4 tablespoons whipping cream

chopped fresh savory or mint, to garnish

Wash the peas, put them in a large saucepan and just cover with water. Simmer gently until the peas are just tender, about 15 minutes. Strain the peas and keep the water. In a large saucepan, cook the onion in the butter until soft. Mix in the flour and keep stirring until cooked, 2-3 minutes. Gradually add half the hot stock, stirring well until it thickens and the flour is cooked. Add the savory or mint. Blitz this mixture, with the peas, with a hand blender or food processor and process until smooth, then return it to the pan.

Add the remainder of the stock, the sugar, parsley, salt and pepper. Check the seasoning and bring to the boil for 2-3 minutes. A little of the pea water can be added for a thinner soup. Serve in small bowls with a swirl of cream in each bowl. Garnish with savory or mint.

WALNUT SOUP WITH WALNUT AND CRESS SANDWICHES

SERVES 4

This simple soup is best made in the winter, when the new season’s nuts are fresh. Good homemade stock will also greatly add to the flavour. This soup is particularly popular with men - perhaps because it was frequently served in conjunction with game.

110 g/4 oz shelled walnuts

1 large garlic clove

675 g/1¼ pints chicken stock

300 ml/½ pint whipping cream

grated nutmeg

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives or parsley, to garnish

FOR THE SANDWICHES

110 g/4 oz cream cheese

2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts

2-3 tablespoons chopped cress or flat-leaved parsley

6-8 slices of thinly sliced pan loaf, preferably brown or homemade

To make the soup, crush or blend the walnuts and garlic to a smooth paste, adding a little stock to help it along. Blend in the rest of the stock, add the cream and season well, grating a very little nutmeg over it. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 4-6 minutes before serving. Garnish with the herbs.

Make the sandwich filling by beating together the cream cheese, walnuts and cress. Remove the crusts from the pan loaf, make the sandwiches and cut into quarters to serve.

CHESTNUT AND LENTIL SOUP

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SERVES 6

With its warm colour and earthy flavours, this lovely soup is redolent of autumn. Try a glass of not-too-dry sherry - an amontillado, perhaps, which is delicious with the soup; it’s a fashion that is due for revival.

2 streaky bacon rashers, finely chopped

2 large onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

55 g/2 oz butter

3 celery sticks, with leaves, chopped

1 carrot, grated

225 g/8 oz chestnut purée (homemade or bought)

175 g/6 oz green or brown lentils

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1.2 litres/2 pints chicken or vegetable stock

150 ml/¼ pint whipping cream, to serve (optional)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the bacon, onions and garlic in a large saucepan with the butter and sauté until the bacon is crisp and the onions are soft. Add the chopped celery (reserve the leaves) and carrot and cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the chestnut purée. Add the lentils, cumin and the stock and simmer gently until the lentils are soft.

Reserve 1-2 cupfuls of the soup to give a little texture, and purée the remainder. Return to the reserved soup and check the seasoning. Reheat before swirling a spoonful of cream in each bowl, if using, then scatter the chopped celery leaves over the top.

CELERY SOUP WITH BLUE CHEESE

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SERVES 6

1 large head of celery

2 garlic cloves

1 onion

30 g/1 oz butter

30 g/1 oz plain flour

1.2 litres/2 pints vegetable or light chicken stock

150 ml/¼ pint whipping cream

a little milk, if necessary

55-75 g/2-3 oz Cashel Blue cheese, crumbled, or other semi-hard blue cheese

2-3 scallions (spring onions), finely chopped, to garnish

salt and freshly ground black pepper

crusty bread, to serve

Prepare and finely chop the celery, garlic and onion. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the prepared vegetables and stir frequently until they begin to soften. Sift in the flour and stir well until it has cooked. Gradually add the hot stock, mixing well to avoid lumps. Cook for 10 minutes or so until the vegetables are completely cooked, and then put through the blender.

Return the soup to the saucepan, season well and add the cream. (If it seems too thick, add a little milk also.) Cook for a few moments to amalgamate the cream.

Just before serving, bring back to the boil and stir in the crumbled cheese, but don’t continue to boil once it has been added. Garnish with the finely chopped scallions (spring onions). Serve with plenty of crusty bread.