WATERCRESS SOUP
1 bunch of water cress
1 small mild onion or 5 spring onions.
Soya milk,
1t salt.
Sauté the onions; the green parts too, if using spring onions, and then add the bunch of watercress, having first cut out the coarser stems. When all is soft, remove from the heat and transfer to the blender. Add 2C of soya milk and blend all together.
At this point, check the consistency. Add a little more soya milk if needed and also the salt.
This delicately pastel green soup is better served immediately, with a small sprinkling of chives as a garnish. Always popular!
LENTIL SOUP
This is a hearty winter soup, almost a stew. The amounts of the ingredients are not critical as it turns out differently depending on what is available the kitchen.
Red Lentils
A carton of tomato passata, or tomato puree or a can of chopped tomatoes.
Mixed herbs
1 onion, grated carrot, chopped celery all stir fried together.
1t yeast extract.
A can of baked beans
A pinch of chilli powder
Cook the lentils to a paste to make the base. If too much, take out what is needed and then cool and freeze the remainder. Then add all the other ingredients. Cook for an hour very slowly, stirring occasionally to stop the lentils sticking. At the end of the cooking time, check the seasoning and add salt if needed. But try to get used to lower amounts of salt and enjoy the 'sweeter' flavour of the soup. This is a soup best made the night before so the flavours blend and develop. It also freezes very easily. Serve with salad and wholemeal crusty bread.
GRAVY AND SAUCES
The easy quick gravies are vegetarian granules from supermarkets. But here is an easy and favourite home-made gravy.
Sauté 1 large chopped onion till soft. Add to this, wholemeal flour and make a roux. When thoroughly mixed, add some cold water to make a paste and then make up to the quantity required with the cooking water from root vegetables. When this is the desired consistency, add 1 generous teaspoon of Marmite and stir well. To make a different flavour, tomato puree can be added, or a vegetable stock cube. This gravy goes well with all vegetarian meals where there is a nut roast and cooked vegetables. |
