Winter warmers

Tasty, comforting, healthy and thrifty, a bowl of homemade soup is the per fect winter lunch or dinner, served up with your favourite bread or savoury muffin

Brown butter baked potato soup V

PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes COOKING TIME 1 hour 20 minutes SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS 4 large baking potatoes 110g butter 1L vegetable or chicken stock 150ml sour cream 100g grated Cheddar olive oil, to drizzle salt and pepper For the crispy potato skins potato skins, reserved from the baked potatoes olive oil, to drizzle 30g grated cheddar

METHOD 1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas Mark 6. Prick the potatoes with a fork, rub the skins with a little salt and bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour until the potatoes are soft when you insert a sharp knife into the centre. Set aside until cool enough to handle. 2 In a saucepan, melt the butter over a gentle heat until it starts to lightly brown – the butter will smell nutty, which is how you will know it is ready. Scoop out the potato from the skins (reserving the skins for the garnish) and add to the butter. Cook for a few minutes, then add the stock and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add the sour cream and grated cheese, then blitz the soup in a blender or food processor, or use a stick blender, until smooth. Pour the soup back into the saucepan, season with salt and pepper to taste and keep it warm on a low heat. 3 For the potato skins, preheat the grill to high. Place the reserved skins on a baking sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper. Place under the hot grill and toast until the cheese has melted and the skins are crispy – this will take about 5 minutes, but watch them carefully as grills are all different and you don’t want them to burn. 4 Serve the soup in bowls with a drizzle of olive oil and the crispy potato skins broken up on top or served whole on the side.

COOK’S TIP To save on time, prebake the potatoes. If you’re cooking something else in the oven and have room, pop a few spuds in at the same time then, once cooled, keep them in the fridge for up to three days.

Recipes reproduced with permission from A Bowl of Soup by Hannah Miles (Ryland Peters & Small, £20). Photography by Alex Luck © Ryland Peters & Small

T o as t e d n u t s o r r o as t e d ch i c k p e as m a k e a d e l i c i ou s c r ou t on al t e r n a t i v e

Spinach and nutmeg soup V

PREPARATION TIME 10-15 minutes COOKING TIME 25-30 minutes SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS 2 tbsp butter or olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 160g spinach 1L vegetable or chicken stock 250g white potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes a pinch of grated nutmeg 100ml double cream salt and pepper garlic croutons, to serve (optional)

METHOD 1 Heat the butter or oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and sauté the chopped onion until soft and translucent. Add the spinach, stock and potatoes to the saucepan and simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are soft. 2 Season with salt and pepper and a good pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. Blitz in a blender or food processor until the soup is smooth, or use a stick blender. Pour back into the saucepan and add the double cream to the soup, then heat through gently. 3 Share the soup into bowls and sprinkle with garlic croutons, if using, to serve. COOK’S TIP It’s easy to make your own garlicky croutons. Simply peel a clove of garlic then slice in half and rub over both sides of a couple of thick slices of good-quality bread – sourdough is perfect. Chop the bread into cubes, spread over a baking tray and toss with 2 tsp olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and bake in a preheated oven at 220°C/200°C Fan/Gas Mark 7 for 8-10 minutes until crisp and golden. Then sprinkle liberally over your favourite soup to elevate your bowl from great to delicious!

Butternut squash soup with crispy chilli seeds and stilton croutons V

PREPARATION TIME 20-25 minutes COOKING TIME 1 hour SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS 1kg butternut squash 3 tbsp U:ME Vegetable & Olive Oil blend sea salt and black pepper 2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced 75g unsalted butter 500ml vegetable stock 150ml double cream For the chilli squash seeds ½ tsp mild chilli powder 1 tsp U:ME Vegetable & Olive Oil blend sea salt and black pepper For the stilton croutons 2 tbsp U:ME Vegetable & Olive Oil blend 100g (vegetarian) stilton cheese 1 baguette

METHOD 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas Mark 4. Peel and de-seed the butternut squash (keeping the seeds) and dice into cubes. 2 Place the squash into a mixing bowl, pour over 2 tbsp of the U:ME oil, season and mix well. Tip into a baking dish and roast for 45-50 minutes until soft and starting to take on some colour. 3 Meanwhile, wash the reserved seeds, removing any squash. Place into a bowl and add the chilli powder, U:ME oil and seasoning, mix well and place onto a baking sheet and roast for 8 minutes. 4 Ten minutes before the squash is cooked, heat the remaining 1 tbsp U:ME oil and butter over a medium heat and gently sweat the shallots with some seasoning until translucent, add the stock, bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. 5 Add the cooked squash and cream to the pan and, using a blender or stick blender, blitz until smooth. Return to the pan, season and keep warm. 6 For the croutons, cut the baguette into 8 x 2cm thick rounds and cover both sides with the U:ME oil, place on a baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes. Crumble stilton on to each round and place back in the oven for 5 minutes to melt. Spoon the soup in bowls, add two croutons and a sprinkle of crispy chilli seeds to serve. PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes COOKING TIME 35 minutes SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS 1 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 2.5cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1 large red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 15g butter 6 tomatoes 1 tsp smoked paprika ½ tsp cayenne pepper 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground allspice 2 x 400g cans black beans, drained 800ml vegetable or chicken stock a handful of chopped fresh coriander 1 avocado, pitted and peeled freshly squeezed juice of 1 lime 4 tbsp sour cream salt and pepper

METHOD 1 In a large saucepan, heat the oil and sauté the onion until soft and translucent. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté until the garlic is lightly golden brown. Reserve a few pieces of chilli for the garnish and add the remainder to the pan with the butter. Cook until the chilli starts to soften. 2 Blitz the tomatoes in a blender or food processor to a smooth purée. Set aside. 3 Add the paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, cinnamon and allspice to the saucepan and fry in the oil for a minute to release the flavours. 4 Rinse the drained black beans and add to the saucepan with the stock and puréed tomatoes. Simmer for about 20-30 minutes, then season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in the chopped coriander. 5 Chop the avocado into small pieces and toss in the lime juice to prevent it discolouring. 6 Pour the warm soup into four bowls and top each with a spoonful of sour cream, some avocado pieces and the reserved chilli pieces.

COOK’S TIP This soup is particularly delicious served with cornbread muffins but any bread or toast for dipping will do!

Recipe from A Bowl of Soup by Hannah Miles (Ryland Peters & Small, £20). Photography by Alex Luck © Ryland Peters & Small

T O P W I T H A N O N - DA I R Y S O U R C R E A M T O M A K E T H I S V E GA N

Traditionally, chowder is served in an edible bowl made from a hollowed sourdough loaf

Sweetcorn and pancetta chowder

PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes COOKING TIME 30-35 minutes SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS 40g butter 150g pancetta, cubed 1 onion, sliced 2 carrots, finely chopped 300g new potatoes (unpeeled), thinly sliced 2 tbsp plain flour 600ml whole milk 400ml chicken or vegetable stock 3 dried bay leaves 300g sweetcorn kernels (thawed if frozen) 3 tbsp double cream sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD 1 Heat the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat and fry the pancetta until crisp. Add the onion, carrots and potatoes, cover and cook gently for 15-20 minutes until soft. Stir occasionally to ensure nothing sticks. 2 Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook for 1 minute, stirring it into the vegetables. Pour in the milk gradually, blending it with the flour, then add the stock and bay leaves; bring to a gentle simmer. Add the sweetcorn and cook for 5 minutes. 3 Remove from the heat, stir in the cream and season with salt. Divide the soup between 4 bowls and serve immediately with a grind of black pepper.

COOK’S TIP Bacon will do nicely if you don't have pancetta – go for thick-sliced if possible, and cut into cubes. For a veggie chowder, leave out the pancetta and use vegetable stock.

Recipes reproduced with permission from Comfort: A Winter Cookbook (Ryland Peters & Small, £20). Photography © Ryland Peters & Small

Pea and smoked ham soup with mint

PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes COOKING TIME 10 minutes SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve 6 spring onions, chopped 2 garlic cloves, sliced 200g thick slices of smoked ham, finely chopped 10g fresh mint leaves or 1 tsp dried mint 500g peas (defrosted or fresh) 1L hot chicken or vegetable stock sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD 1 Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan over a low heat and add the spring onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic, ham and half the mint and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the peas and pour in the hot stock. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until the peas are tender. 2 Transfer a third of the soup to a blender and liquidise until completely smooth. Pour back into the soup pan and mix until combined. Season with a little salt (the ham will be quite salty already) and pepper to taste. Sprinkle in the remaining mint. 3 Divide the soup between 4 mugs or bowls and serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a fresh grinding of black pepper.

COOK’S TIP If you prefer a completely smooth soup, simply blend all of the soup in step 2, then return to the pan to warm before serving. This is a great soup to make using leftover roast ham or gammon.