Chinese egg flower soup

Ingredients:

• 900ml/11⁄2pt chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• pinch of ground ginger
• 25g/1oz frozen peas
• 1⁄2 red pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 egg, beaten

• Put all the ingredients except the egg in a heavy saucepan, and bring to the boil.

• Simmer for 5 minutes until the peas are tender. Remove from the heat, and pour the egg in a thin stream through the prongs of a fork so that it ‘flowers’.

• Let the soup stand for 20 seconds to allow the egg to set, then serve immediately.

Pumpkin soup

Ingredients:

• 900ml/11⁄2pt milk
• 500g/1lb 2oz pumpkin, 
• peeled,
• deseeded and cubed
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 300ml/10fl oz single cream
• salt and freshly ground
• black pepper
• extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

• Put milk and pumpkin in a heavy saucepan. Add the nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the pumpkin is tender.

• Using a food processor or handheld blender, purée until smooth.

• Return to a clean pan, and stir in the cream. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary, then gently reheat the soup.

• Serve hot, garnished with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Borscht

Ingredients:

• 900g/2lb large raw beetroot
• 225g/8oz onion, diced
• 225g/8oz leeks, sliced
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 50g/2oz butter
• 600ml/1pt chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 150ml/5fl oz soured cream
• salt and freshly ground
• black pepper

• Boil the beetroot whole in salted water for 15 minutes. Drain and refresh in cold water. Peel and cut
  into 2.5cm/1in chunks.

• In a frying pan, gently sweat the onion, leek and celery in the butter until softened. Add the beetroot, stock and    bay leaf. Bring to the boil, skim the surface, reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.

• Discard the bay leaf, and purée the soup in a blender or food processor. Return to a clean pan, season and bring back to the simmer. Remove from the heat, stir in the sour cream and serve.

Bacon & split pea soup

Ingredients

• 50g/2oz dried split peas,
• 25g/1oz butter
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped,
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 175g/6oz long-grain rice
• 2 tablespoons tomato purée
• 1.2 litres/2pt vegetable stock
• 175g/6oz carrots, diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh
• flat-leaf parsley
• 4 tablespoons single cream
• 100g/4oz streaky bacon rashers
• salt and ground black pepper

• Cover the split peas with plenty of cold water, cover loosely and leave to
  soak for at least 12 hours.

•  Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over a medium heat, add the garlic
  and onion, and cook for 2–3 minutes until soft but not coloured. Add the
  rice, drained soaked split peas and tomato purée, and cook for a further
  2–3 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent sticking. Add the stock, bring
  to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20–25 minutes until the
  rice and peas are tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

•  Blend three-quarters of the soup in a blender or food processor to form a
  smooth purée. Pour into the remaining soup in the saucepan. Add the
  carrots and cook for a further 10–12 minutes until the carrots are tender.

•  Stir in the parsley and single cream. Keep warm.

•  Finely chop the bacon and put in a frying pan over a gentle heat. Sauté
  until the bacon is crisp. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle
  over the soup, and season well with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Chilled avocado soup

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe avocados,
• 600ml/1pt chicken stock,
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1⁄2 teaspoon chilli powder
• salt
• 2 tablespoons sour cream, to serve           

 

• Peel and stone the avocado. Blend
  or process the flesh into a purée.
  Add the remaining ingredients,
  except the sour cream, and blend
  until smooth. Allow to chill for a
  few hours before serving  
• To serve, add the sour cream, stir
  through and serve the soup chilled.

Jerusalem artichoke soup

Ingredients

• 1 onion, 
• sliced 50g/2oz butter
• 700g/11⁄2lb Jerusalem artichokes,
• peeled and sliced
• 600ml/1pt milk
• salt and ground white pepper

• In a heavy saucepan over a low
heat, gently sweat the onion in the
butter until soft and translucent.

• Add the artichokes to the onion.
Cook, covered, for 10 minutes,
stirring a few times.

• Add 600ml/1pint water and the
milk. Season with salt and pepper
to taste, and simmer slowly – do
not boil or the milk may curdle.

• Purée the soup using a blender or
food processor. Taste and add
more seasoning if needed. Reheat
gently and serve.

Almond soup

Ingredients:

• 225g/8oz blanched almonds,
• minced 3 egg yolks,
• hard-boiled 1.2 litres/2pt chicken stock,
• 25g/1oz butter,
• softened 25g/1oz plain flour,
• 125ml/4fl oz single cream,
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Using a mortar and pestle, reduce
the almonds to a paste with the
egg yolks and 1 tablespoon of the
stock. Set aside.

• Make a beurre manié by working
the butter and flour together into a
smooth paste using a fork. Bring
the remaining stock to a simmer in
a heavy saucepan. Add the beurre
manié in small knobs, whisking
vigorously after each addition until
completely dissolved. Whisk in the
almond paste until smooth, then
cook gently for 30 minutes.

• Strain the soup through a sieve into