Super Seasonal Soups

Anyone else delighted that the evenings are drawing in and the air is cooler? I love autumn. The colours, smell of wood smoke and crisp air. It's also the season for beautiful squashes, pumpkins and curly kale. For me, soup is the ultimate homemade comfort food. Great with warm, crispy bread and hearty enough on their own. Here are a few of my favourite seasonal soup recipes:

Roasted Butternut Squash and Fennel Soup

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
1 fennel bulb
1 onion
1 litre vegan stock
3 cloves garlic
4 sprigs thyme
1 red or birdseye chilli
1 thumb piece ginger
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 block creamed coconut
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Wash the squash, de-seed and chop into chunks. Put it in a baking dish with coconut or olive oil (not virgin!) and season. Roast in oven for about 1/2hr. The skin will soften and is edible. Don't worry!
Meanwhile, chop the fennel, onion and garlic and sweat in a pan with some oil over a low heat and with the lid on. Shake the pan every few minutes so nothing sticks on the bottom and burns. Do this for about 7mins. Add the chilli and flakes, ginger, stock, roasted squash, and coconut and let it simmer over a low heat for about 20mins. You may need to add more water. Blitz and over a low heat, season and add the lime juice. Serve with a dollop of coconut yogurt and a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!

Note: I'll add more soups this week and include photos. Also, let me know if you'd like recipes for veg you're not sure how to cook or what it goes well with.

It started with a Romanesco

So, my first EVER blog. What better subject than food?


I shall commence by telling you what I made for dinner. I used mainly the contents of my Riverford organic box that is delivered to my door every Thursday morning by a rather charming man.


I have been making a dip recently that I have discovered goes with pretty much everything. Even cardboard. Or soil, depending on your level of hunger.


Pea and Mint dip:
3 hand fulls of frozen or fresh peas,
glug olive oil,
2 garlic cloves,
2 generous tea spoons dry horseraddish
juice 1/2 lime and squeeze of lemon,
2 table spoons of sour cream or similar.
Sprig mint,
Blitz in food processor.


Works well with crudites, pitta or flat bread, oat cakes...you get the idea.


I love winter. Like the fashion, the vegetables areso much more substantial and interesting. I love all the root vegetables and squashes, gourds and brassicas that are all so warming and comforting in soups and stews. One of my favourite vegetables is the Romanesco. Broccoli will always be the King of Brassicas, but the Romanesco, with its beautiful, bright green turrets, which are a prime example of phyllotaxis-the fractal patterning that appears in nature, is truly beautiful! This sweet, nutty, crunchy delight is a rich source of antioxidants, vitamins C and K and fibre. Just don't boil it to death, please. If you do I will HUNT YOU DOWN AND THRASH YOU!!


So, anyway, I lightly stir fried mine in olive oil, with finely sliced garlic, red onion, leek, and mushrooms. I then tossed in some yummy spelt tagliatelle and watercress and squeezed some lemon juice over it with a final splash of olive oil. It was bloody lovely.


I am happy to tell you I have some left over for my lunch tomorrow.


More delightful insights and recipes to come.


Eat well!


XX