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For the stuffed mushrooms
6 large flat mushrooms, stalks removed and retained
3 slices of white bread (stale is best), roughly torn
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
150g (5oz) Gruyère cheese, grated
75g (3oz) Parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 tbsp finely chopped marjoram, plus extra to serve
75g (3oz) butter, melted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Truffle oil, for drizzling (optional)
Marjoram leaves, to serve
1 Blend the onion and garlic in a food processor for a few seconds until finely chopped, or finely chop by hand using a sharp knife. Melt the butter in a large saucepan on a medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic for 2–3 minutes to soften a little, but not brown.
2 Blend the mushrooms in the food processor until finely chopped, or finely chop by hand. Add the mushrooms to the saucepan and sweat for 1–2 minutes or until softened. Season with salt and pepper, pour over the stock and bring slowly to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20–25 minutes.
3 Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas mark 6.
4 To make the stuffed mushrooms, place the mushroom stalks in the food processor along with the torn bread and garlic. Blend to fine crumbs and tip the mixture into a bowl. Alternatively, finely chop by hand and transfer to a bowl. Add the cheeses and the marjoram and then drizzle with the melted butter. Season with salt and pepper and toss everything together to combine.
5 Arrange the mushrooms on a baking tray, flat side down, and pile the stuffing mixture on top of each one. Bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft and the topping crisp and golden.
6 Once the soup has finished cooking, check the seasoning, then pour in the cream and simmer gently for a few minutes to warm through. Ladle the soup into wide soup bowls to a depth of no more than 2cm (¾in). Carefully place a stuffed mushroom in the centre of each bowl, drizzle over the truffle oil (if using) and decorate with the marjoram leaves.
Rachel’s tip
You can prepare the mushroom soup in advance (freezing it, if you wish) and then prepare the stuffed mushrooms on the day.
Gazpacho
SERVES 4 · VEGETARIAN (WITH NON-VEGETRIAN VARIATIONS)
Gazpacho is a classic chilled summer soup from Spain. It reminds me of the many happy holidays I’ve had in Mallorca.
800g (1¾lb) ripe tomatoes (about 3–4), quartered
1 red pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped
½ large cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
8 spring onions, trimmed and roughly chopped
8 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 tbsp sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
Squeeze of lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 tsp caster sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth. Check the seasoning and add a little more sugar if necessary. Push the soup through a fine sieve over a large bowl, cover and place in the fridge to chill before serving.
2 Ladle into bowls and drizzle over a little olive oil. Serve with your choice of toppings from below, placing little bowls of them on the table for each person to add to their own soup.
Toppings
* Mix ½ red or yellow pepper, deseeded and finely chopped, with 4 teaspoons of finely chopped red onion and 4 tablespoons of golden croutons (2 thick slices of white or brown bread cut into 5mm/¼in cubes, brushed with olive oil and baked in the oven, preheated to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6, for 10 minutes).
* Mix 2 tablespoons of fresh white crab meat with ¼ avocado, finely chopped.
* Push 1 cold hard-boiled egg through a sieve and mix with 25g (1oz) finely chopped cooked ham.
* Vodka ice cubes — 1 teaspoon of vodka mixed with 1 teaspoon of water per ice cube and frozen overnight. Add to the soup, with or without the other toppings.
Brussels sprout soup with toasted almonds and chive cream
SERVES 4 – 6 · VEGETARIAN (IF MADE WITH VEGETABLE STOCK)
A perfect winter dish and particularly lovely at Christmas, this delicious and nourishing soup uses up leftover Brussels sprouts, or you can use raw sprouts instead — just give them an extra minute or two to cook in the soup. Like many children, mine aren’t too keen on Brussels sprouts on their own, but they lap them up in this soup!15g (½oz) butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 large potato (about 250g/9oz), peeled and chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 litre (1¾ pints) chicken or vegetable stock (see page 326)
450g (1lb) cooked or raw (and peeled) Brussels sprouts, halved
100ml (3½fl oz) double or regular cream
1 tbsp finely chopped chives
25g (1oz) flaked almonds, lightly toasted (see tip below right)
1 Melt the butter in a saucepan on a low heat, add the onion and potato and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and leave to cook very gently for about 8–10 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the potatoes are just soft but not browned.
2 Add the stock, bring to a rolling boil and cook for 1 minute before tipping in the sprouts. With the lid off this time, boil the cooked sprouts for 1–2 minutes only (enough time to warm through but not to overcook) or 3–4 minutes for raw sprouts.
3 Remove the saucepan from the heat and whiz the soup in a blender until smooth. Return the soup to the pan and stir in half the cream. Check the seasoning and simmer for a few minutes to warm through.
4 Finally, lightly whip the remaining cream to soft peaks and stir in the chives. Divide the soup between warm bowls, spoon a dollop of chive cream on top, scatter over the toasted almonds and serve immediately.
Rachel’s tip
To toast the almonds (or any other kind of nuts or seeds), toss them in a dry pan for 2–3 minutes on a medium—high heat. Remove from the heat as soon as they start to turn golden as they can quickly burn.
Assian noodle broth with chicken dumplings
SERVES 6
This is a fragrant and light soup, with noodles and chicken dumplings poached in the broth to make it more substantial. The sweet element in the broth makes it popular with children; if the chilli is too spicy for them (or you), then leave it out. Likewise, the nuts in the dumplings can be omitted.
500g (1lb 2oz) chicken dumpling mixture (see page 155)
1.8 litres (3 pints) chicken stock (see page 326)
100g (3½oz) medium egg noodles
200g (7oz) Savoy cabbage, finely shredded
1 red chilli, deseeded (optional) and finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Large handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped
To serve
Lime wedges
Fish sauce (nam pla)
1 Divide the chicken dumpling mixture into 36 walnut-sized pieces and shape each one into a small ball.
2 Pour the chicken stock into a large saucepan and bring just to the boil. Reduce the heat so the stock is simmering gently and add the chicken dumplings. Cook for 4–5 minutes, then add the noodles, cabbage and chilli. Simmer for 3–4 minutes or until the noodles are tender and the chicken dumplings cooked through. Stir in the lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3 Ladle into serving bowls (serving six dumplings per bowl), scatter with the mint and serve with the lime wedges and fish sauce for people to add themselves.
Molly malone’s cockle and mussel chowder
SERVES 4–6
A little more work is involved in making this soup, but it’s definitely well worth the effort. It makes a decent meal in its own right, especially with chunks of crusty bread, or you can serve it as a starter. Cockles and mussels are a classic combination but if you can only get one or the other, you can use them singly in this soup.2 tbsp sunflower oil 110g (4oz) smoked bacon, diced
25g (1oz) butter
110g (4oz) leek, trimmed and very finely diced
110g (4oz) carrot, peeled and very finely diced
275g (100z) potato (about 1 medium), peeled and finely diced
1kg (2lb 3oz) mixed cockles and mussels
300ml (½ pint) dry white wine
200ml (7fl oz) milk
200ml (7fl oz) single or regular cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp roughly chopped parsley
1 Heat the sunflower oil in a saucepan on a medium—high heat and sauté the bacon for about 1 minute until crisp and golden. Melt the butter in the pan and add the leek, carrot and potato. Sauté gently on a low heat for 4–5 minutes or until soft but not browned.
2 Meanwhile, prepare the cockles and mussels. Scrub the shells clean and discard any that remain open when you tap them against a hard surface. Remove the beard — the little fibrous tuft — from each mussel. Bring the wine to the boil in a large saucepan and add the cockles and mussels. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and leave to cook for 3–4 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the shells have opened.
3 Remove from the heat, drain the shellfish in a colander, retaining the cooking juices, and discard any shells that remain closed. Once drained, return the shellfish to the empty pan to keep warm. Place a fine sieve over a measuring jug and strain the cooking liquid. If the juices caught in the jug measure less than 600ml (l pint), add water to make up to that quantity.
4 Add the pan juices and the milk to the bacon and vegetable mixture and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 6–8 minutes or until the potato is tender. Add the cream and simmer for a further 2–3 minutes or until reduced and thickened slightly. Season with salt and pepper.
5 Meanwhile, remove half of the cockles and mussels from their shells and add them with the remaining cockles and mussels still in their shells to the chowder. Stir in the parsley and serve at once with some crusty bread.
Nettle soup with smoked mackerel crostini
SERVES 6 · VEGETARIAN (IF MADE WITH VEGETABLE STOCK)
This is a tasty and highly nutritious soup that freezes very well. Feel free to substitute the nettles with other greens such as spinach, watercress or sorrel. For the best flavour, pick young new nettles that haven’t been sprayed. Don’t forget to wear gloves while picking and chopping! The sting goes out of the nettles as soon as they hit the hot stock. Like all green soups, this should not be left to simmer for a long time or it will lose its fresh green colour and flavour.
25g (1oz) butter or 2 tbsp olive oil
110g (4oz) peeled and chopped onions
150g (5oz) peeled and chopped potatoes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
600ml (1 pint) chicken or vegetable stock (see page 326)
600ml (1 pint) milk
