Showing posts with label Soups. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Soups. Show all posts

Sweetcorn & Seafood Chowder

A real winter warmer!


One thinks of Chowder as a winter food, welcoming and warm on a cold day, a respite from the harsh elements. True, but you can eat (yes, you eat soup) this at any time.


The seafood you add is up to you; best to use what's readily available or failing that something from the freezer but not battered or breadcrumbed.

Ingredients:
  • Knob of butter
  • 1 Onion, finely chopped
  • 12oz Potatoes,cubed
  • 18 fl oz Milk
  • 5oz Sweetcorn
  • For the fish I use:-
    • 10oz Smoked Haddock
    • 5oz Prawns
Directions:
Heat the butter in a large saucepan and add the onion and cook until soft. Pour over the milk and add the cubed potatoes. Bring to the boil but drop the temperature immediately to the mixture just simmers - you do not want the milk boiling vigorously. Simmer for about 10 minutes - the potatoes should not be cooked fully but should be getting there.

Add the fish and the sweetcorn and simmer for another 5 minutes. Scatter with parsley and serve with crusty bread.

Optional:
  • You can add a few slices of bacon (chopped) with the onions - not suitable for vegetarians.
  • Try adding some frozen peas for colour, texture and taste; similarly some chopped sun-dried tomatoes!

Quick Pea Soup

Pea Soup In a Snap

Making soup doesn't have to be complicated... as this recipe shows. It's adapted from Nigella; adapted in that I saw her TV show but can't remember exactly what she did so made it up a little as I went along. Turns out nice though; and As this uses frozen peas there is even less work to do.

Before:

Ingredients:
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • Half a clove of garlic (grated) & a dash of olive oil
  • 3 cups frozen peas
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Cream
Directions:

Heat the olive oil and gently fry the garlic in a saucepan. Add the stock and warm over medium heat. Add the peas; cook until tender. Transfer peas and stock to a blender [or blend in situ with a hand blender], and process until smooth, adding the balsamic vinegar toward the end.

Pour in a bowl, season with salt and black pepper, and pour a little cream on top.

After:

Doesn't get much easier than that!