Creamy Mushroom Soup

This mushroom soup recipe came about because our local supermarket had a deal on chestnut mushrooms. They looked too good to pass up, so we took some home and then thought about what to use them for.

I came up with this soup and it was delicious, rich and tasty. I have since repeated the recipe many times and it turns out just as well every time.

I have also tried it with some dried mushrooms mixed with the fresh for even more flavour and that works as well. To make 2 servings:
kcal 54 122 180 91 4 29 480

250 g (8 oz) Chestnut Mushrooms, chopped 250 ml (1 cup) semi skimmed milk 25 g (1 oz) butter 25 g (1 oz) plain flour 1 clove of garlic, chopped 500 ml (2 cups) vegetable stock Total Less than 240 kcal per serving

Put the chopped mushrooms, garlic and stock in a good sized pan and bring gently to the boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. When the mushrooms are tender add the flour and the butter and stir in well until the butter has melted. Pour in the milk and bring the soup back to the boil, stirring all the time. Gently boil for 3 minutes and remove from the heat and blitz with a food processor.

Serve 2 servings:
kcal 63 33 8 150 15 5 274

350g (12oz) fresh tomatoes 450ml (3/4 pint) vegetable stock 2 cloves of garlic 1 medium sized potato, chopped or grated 15ml (1tbsp) tomato puree salt and pepper to taste Total Around 137 kcal per serving

Halve the tomatoes and place them on a baking tray, cut sides down. Put the garlic cloves on the tray as well, there is no need to peel them first. Put in a hot oven and bake for 20 minutes. While the tomatoes are baking cook the potato in the stock. I roughly chopped the potato so it took a few minutes to cook but grated potato would take less time. When the tomatoes are baked remove them from the oven. The skins will come off easily and the flesh can be added to the stock. Squeeze the garlic cloves with a knife blade to extract the roasted flesh and add to the soup. Add the tomato puree and stir well over a gentle heat. Use a hand blender or food processor to blitz the soup to a smooth consistency. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. There you have it, my tomato soup recipe. You could add basil if you like and a spoonful of cream would be indulgent but nice. mmediately.

Leek n Potato

To make 2 servings: 1 good sized leek 1 medium sized potato 10 g (1/3 oz) butter 20 g (2/3 oz) Parmesan cheese 500 ml (2 cups) vegetable stock or water Total Less than 150 kcal per serving kcal 55 55 72 87 29 298

(1 Knorr Vegetable stock cubes make up 500 ml of stock and contains 29 kcal; using water instead of stock will save 15kcal per serving) Prepare the leeks by cleaning them and cutting into thick chunks. Wash them well before cooking. Melt the butter in a heavy based pan and add the leeks. Cook the leeks on a low heat for about 20 minutes, giving them a stir now and again. While the leeks are cooking peel the potatoes and cut them into similar size chunks to the leeks. When the leeks are soft add the potatoes and cook them together for about five minutes. Add the parmesan cheese and black pepper and then the stock (or just water) and simmer for at least 40 minutes with the pan partially covered. If you are not using stock cubes you should also add some salt with the pepper. Blitz the soup in a food processor or directly in the pan with a hand blender. Check the seasoning and serve. You can garnish with chopped parsley, a good handful will only add 40 kcal. When you have tried this leek and potato soup you will probably see why we never have any left over to freeze. Gently caramelising the onion brings out the flavour but it really helps if the onions are full of flavour to start with.

Cauliflower soup To make 2 servings: kcal 126 8 119 33 5 291

300g (10 oz) onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil 300ml (1/2 pint) vegetable stock Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste Total Around 146 kcal per serving

Using a heavy based pan, fry the chopped onions and the garlic in the olive oil until the onion is nicely browned but not burnt. This gives the soup its brown colour and concentrates the flavour of the onions. Add the stock and bring back to the boil, stirring gently. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve hot.

Gently caramelising the onion brings out the flavour but it really helps if the onions are full of flavour to start with. To make 2 servings: kcal 126 8 119 33 5 291

300g (10 oz) onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil 300ml (1/2 pint) vegetable stock Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste Total Around 146 kcal per serving

Using a heavy based pan, fry the chopped onions and the garlic in the olive oil until the onion is nicely browned but not burnt. This gives the soup its brown colour and concentrates the flavour of the onions. Add the stock and bring back to the boil, stirring gently. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve hot.

This Asparagus Soup recipe brings out the wonderful flavour of this seasonal delicacy. This has to be one of the simplest soup recipes in our collection because the secret of cooking asparagus is do the very least to it and let the flavour speak for itself. To make 2 servings: kcal 50 108 29 120 5 Total 312

1 bundle (about 200g or 6 1/2oz) fresh asparagus 15g (1/2 oz) butter 250ml (1/2 pint) vegetable stock 250ml (1/2 pint) semi skimmed milk salt and pepper to taste

Around 156 kcal per serving Make sure the asparagus is clean and then chop the spears into pieces about 25mm (1 inch) long. Melt the butter in a heavy based pan and very gently fry the asparagus pieces for 2 minutes. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a gentle boil. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Use a hand blender or food processor to produce a smooth mixture and then add the milk. Add the salt and pepper and check the seasoning. Bring back to a gentle boil and serve. There you have it, essence of asparagus or Aparagus Soup.

Asparagus Pasta Primavera

Pasta Primavera is literally springtime pasta and asparagus is surely the ultimate spring vegetable. We are lucky to live near England's prime asparagus growing area and always look forward to the season. This recipe is very rich without overpowering the taste of the asparagus. Not a good idea if you are looking for a low fat or low calorie meal but absolutely delicious. Parmesan cheese suitable for vegetarians can be hard to find, but any tasty hard cheese can be uswed instead. To make 2 servings: kcal 50 715 110 309 264 72 4 16 12 5 1557

1 bundle (about 200g or 6 1/2oz) fresh asparagus 200g (6 1/2 oz) pasta pieces 2 egg yolks 100 ml (3 fl oz) double cream 60g (2 oz) Parmesan cheese, grated 10g (1/2 oz) butter 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 tomato, peeled and seeded 25g (1 oz) frozen peas salt and pepper to taste Total Around 780 kcal per serving

Cook the pasta in plenty of lightly salted boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes or as suggested on the packet. Make sure the asparagus is clean and cut each spear in half. Cut the peeled and deseeded tomato into 8 pieces. Put the egg yolks, the cream and the grated cheese into a bowl and mix them together well. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Melt the butter in a frying pan (skillet) and cook the asparagus and the

crushed garlic for 2 minutes. Add the tomato and the peas and cook for another minute. Check that the asparagus is tender and cook for a little longer if required. When the pasta is cooked drain it well and return it to the pan. Pour the egg and cream mixture over the pasta and then stir it through so that the heat of the pasta thickens the sauce. Add the vegetables and toss them together. Serve the Asparagus Pasta Primavera immediately. You can add more grated Parmesan on top or leave it as it is. Enjoy. The pasta shapes can be any style that fits nicely on a fork, conchiglie (shells), farfalle (bow ties) or fusilli (spirals) all work well. To make 2 servings: kcal 823 357 2 4 3 5 24 165 15 43 60 1501

125g (4oz) pasta shapes 45ml (3tbsp) olive oil 15ml (1tbsp) wine vinegar 1 clove garlic, crushed 5ml (1tsp) Dijon mustard Salt & Pepper to taste 125g (4oz) Tomatoes, quartered 60g (2oz) Feta cheese, crumbled 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced 30g (1oz) green olives, pitted 1 small head of romaine or cos lettuce, shredded Total Around 750 kcal per serving.

Bring a pan of salted water to a brisk boil and add the pasta shapes. Cook for about 10 minutes until the pasta is cooked. While the pasta is cooking put the olive oil, vinegar, garlic and mustard in a screw top jar, add salt and fresh ground pepper and with the lid firmly screwed on give the mixture a thorough shake. You just put it in a bowl and whisk it together but I like my dressing shaken, not stirred. When the pasta is cooked, drain it and rinse well under cold water until it is cool. Put the cold pasta into a bowl and toss it with the dressing. Stir in all the other ingredients. There you have it, cold pasta salad ready to be served and enjoyed