Soup Tuesday

       British onion soup                                                            

British onion soup recipe

Ok so I know it's wednesday but I didn't have time yesterday. Every tuesday chez moi (time permitting) my friend Christine and I have a bowl of soup together.  It's a chance to catch up and for me to try a new soup recipe or simply eat an old favourite.

With a brown bread baguette.

In my house I am the 'Reine of soups', I adore making them and the girls eating them. I shall try and keep up the 'Soup Tuesday' posts with photos and recipes. This take on the French onion soup uses cider instead of cognac and white wine. Perfect for vegetarians if you use a veggie stock instead of chicken, have a go, it's delicious !




Bean and rosemary soup with red pepper purée

Bean and rosemary soup

With red pepper Purée

For the soup :
1 large carrot
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons of olive oil
3 x 300g (10.5 oz) cans of cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained
3 sprigs of rosemary, chopped finely
2 litres (3.5 pints) chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and pepper
For the purée:
2 red peppers, halved, de-seeded and stalks removed
A pinch of salt

1. Chop the carrot, onion and garlic and fry gently in the olive oil for about 4 minutes.
2. Add the beans, rosemary and stock and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile make the red pepper purée. Grill the peppers skin side up until charred, then put in a plastic bag until cool. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel them and liquidize them with a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons of water. Check the seasoning and reserve.
4. Spoon out half of the soup from the pan, allow to cool slightly and process until smooth. Return it to the remaining soup in the pan and reheat, stirring. Taste to check the seasoning. Serve the soup with the red pepper purée swirled on top.