3 QUICK AUTUMN SOUPS
Serves: 2-4 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutesINGREDIENTS
PEA & HAM
500ml ham/gammon stock
500g defrosted frozen peas
White Pepper
Handful of soft herbs
SWEETCORN CHOWDER
150g bacon
1 can drained sweetcorn
1 diced carrott
1 diced small onion
2 diced celery sticks
30g butter
30g plain flour
600ml gammon/ham stock
300ml milk
Cracked Black Pepper
Small handful of chopped parsley
Pinch of cayenne pepper
MUSHROOM VELOUTE
300g sliced mushrooms
40g butter
40g plain flour
1 diced small onion
2 cloves crushed garlic
600ml ham/gammon stock
300ml milk
Small handful of chopped tarragon
80ml single cream
METHOD
3 quick autumn soup recipes which have been created using leftover ham/gammon stock.
PEA & HAM
Bring the ham/gammon stock to a rolling boil. Add the peas and return to the boil. Once boiling, immediately remove from the heat.
Add fresh herbs and blitz the soup until smooth, then pass though a sieve to remove any unblended peas, herbs or skins.
Return the soup to the pan and bring back to a simmer – check for seasoning and add white pepper as required. You should not need to add salt.
If the soup is a little thin it can be thickened with a cornflour slurry.
Serve with chopped fresh herbs and/or poached egg the drizzle with truffle oil.
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SWEETCORN CHOWDER
Melt butter in a large pot or saucepan. Add chopped onion, celery, carrot and bacon. sweat gently for 10 minutes to soften.
In a seperate pan, gently heat the ham/gammon stock to a low simmer.
Add flour to the vegetable/bacon mix to form a roux and cook for 2 -3 minutes stirring regularly.
Next add the stock to the roux mix one ladle at a time, stirring well to incorporate between each ladle. Once all of the stock is incorporated, add the sweetcorn to the pan and stir. Reduce heat to low and allow to gently simmer for 5-6 minutes, stirring regularly.
Gradually add milk and simmer for a further 10 minutes or until vegetables are soft. If the soup looks too thick, add a touch more milk or a splash of boiling water. Season the soup and let it stand for 2-3 minutes.
Serve with a pinch of cayenne pepper, a sprinkling of chopped parsley and a twist of cracked black pepper.
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MUSHROOM VELOUTE
Add butter to a saucepan with mushrooms, garlic and onions and sweat for 10-12 minutes
In a seperate pan gently heat the ham/gammon stock to a low simmer.
Once the onions and mushrooms have softened, add the flour to the pan and form a roux. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the flour has coloured slightly.
Next add the stock to the roux mix one ladle at a time, stirring well to incorporate between each ladle.
Reduce the soup to a simmer and cook for a further 5-6 minutes, then gradually add the milk to the pan and stir to combine.
Simmer for 8-10 more minutes. Once the onions are completely soft, carefully blend the soup with a hand blender until smooth.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, then return to the pan and add cream, stirring gently to combine. Heat soup back to a simmer then remove from heat and let stand for 2-3 minutes
Serve with fresh tarragon, a twist of black pepper and a touch of cream.