Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
50 g/2 oz butter
1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 potatoes, chopped
250 g/8 oz broccoli, chopped
300 g/10 oz spinach, washed and chopped
900 ml/1/1/2 pints Chicken orVegetable Stock
125 g/4 oz Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled into small pieces
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
salt and pepper
75 g/3 oz toasted pine nuts, to garnish
warm crusty bread, to serve

Spinach and Broccoli Soup

heat the oil and butter in a saucepan, add the onion and garlic and saute for 3 minutes.

add the chopped potatoes, broccoli, spinach and stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes.

add the Gorgonzola to the soup with the lemon juice, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. This soup can be liquidized or left with chunky

pieces according to taste. Garnish with the toasted pine nuts and serve with warm crusty bread.

Serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS
15ml/1 tbsp olive oil
350g/12oz red onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
275g/10oz cooked beetroot, cut into sticks
1.2 litres/2 pints/5 cups vegetable stock or water
50g/2oz cooked soup pasta
30ml/2 tbsp raspberry vinegar
salt and ground black pepper
low-fat yogurt or fromage blanc, to garnish
snipped chives, to garnish

Red Onion and Beetroot Soup

Heat the olive oil in a flame-. proof casserole and add the onions and garlic.

Cook gently for 20 minutes or until the onions and garlic are soft and tender.

Add the beetroot, stock or water, cooked soup pasta and vinegar, and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle into warmed soup bowls. Top each one with a spoonful of low-fat yogurt or fromage blanc and sprinkle with chives.

Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1.2 litres/2 pints/5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 garlic clove, lightly crushed
2.5cm/1 in piece fresh root ginger, peeled
and cut into fine matchsticks 30ml/2 tbsp soy sauce 15ml/l tbsp cider vinegar 75g/3oz fresh shiitake or button
mushrooms, stalks removed and
thinly sliced
2 large spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
40g/1/1/20Z vermicelli or other fine noodles 175g/6oz Chinese leaves, shredded a few fresh coriander leaves

Chinese-style Vegetable and Noodle Soup

Pour the stock into a saucepan. Add the garlic, root ginger, soy sauce and vinegar. Bring to the boil, then cover the pan and reduce the

heat to very low. Leave to simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove the garlic clove from the pan and discard.

Add the sliced mushrooms and spring onions and bring the soup back to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally.

Add the noodles and shredded Chinese leaves. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until the noodles and vegetables are just tender. Stir in the

coriander leaves. Simmer for a final 1 minute. Serve the soup hot.

Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
115g/4oz small pasta shapes
30ml/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small bunch spring onions, chopped
350g/12oz/3 cups frozen peas
1.2 litres/2 pints/5 cups chicken stock
225g/8oz raw unsmoked ham or gammon
60ml/4 tbsp double cream
salt and ground black pepper
warm crusty bread, to serve

Pea and Ham Soup

Cook the small pasta shapes in plenty of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. Drain through a colander, place in the

pan again, cover with cold water and set aside until required.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy saucepan and cook the spring onions gently until soft but not browned. Add the frozen peas and

chicken stock, then simmer gently over a low heat for about 10 minutes.

Process the soup in a blender or food processor then return to the saucepan. Cut the ham or gammon into short fingers and add, with the

pasta, to the sauce­pan. Simmer for 2-3 minutes and season to taste. Stir in the double cream and serve immediately with the warm crusty bread.

Serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
3 cloves garlic, crushed
salt, to taste
1 piece fresh ginger, 5cm/2in long, crushed
450ml/3/4 pint/1/1/2 cups natural (plain) yoghurt, beaten
2-3 green chillies, finely chopped
3-4 curry leaves
4 tbsp vegetable oil
fresh coriander leaves, chopped, to garnish
4 tbsp gram flour (besan)
4 whole dried red chillies

Yoghurt Soup

Mix together the first 5 ingredients and pass through a strainer into a saucepan. Add the green chillies and cook gently for about 10

minutes, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to let the soup boil over.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the remaining spices, garlic and ginger until the dried chillies turn black.

Pour the oil and the spices over the yoghurt soup, cover the pan and leave to rest for 5 minutes off the heat. Mix well and gently reheat for a

further 5 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with the coriander leaves.

Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
225g/8oz white fish fillet such as lemon sole or plaice
1 tsp egg white
2 tsp cornflour (cornstarch) paste
700ml/1/1/4 pints/3 cups Basic Stock
1 tbsp light soy sauce
about 50g/2oz fresh coriander leaves, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Sliced Fish and Coriander Soup

Cut the fish into large slices each about the size of a matchbox. Mix with the egg white and cornflour (cornstarch) paste.

In a wok or saucepan, bring the stock to a rolling boil and poach the fish slices for about 1 minute.

Add the soy sauce and coriander leaves, adjust the seasonings and serve.

Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 cake bean curd(tofu)
15g/4oz spinach leaves (weight exclusive of stems)
700ml/1/1/4 pints/3 cups Basic Stock
1 tbsp light soy sauce
salt and pepper, to taste

Spinach and Bean Curd (Tofu) Soup

Cut the bean curd (tofu) into 12 small pieces, each about 0.5cm/1/4 in thick. Wash the spinach leaves and cut them into small pieces

In a wok or saucepan, bring the stock to a rolling boil. Add the bean curd (tofu) and soy sauce, bring back to the boil and simmer for about 2 minutes.

Add the spinach and simmer for a further minute. Skim the surface to make it clear. then adjust the seasoning and serve.

Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp light soy sauce
700ml/1/1/4 pints/3 cups Basic Stock
2 tsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
salt and ground white pepper, to taste
225g/8oz lamb steak
1 piece cucumber, 7.5cm/3in long

Lamb and Cucumber Soup

Trim off any excess fat from the lamb and discard. Thinly slice the lamb into small pieces. Marinate with the soy sauce, wine or sherry and

sesame oil for 25-30 minutes. Discard the marinade.

Halve the cucumber piece lengthways (do not peel), then cut into thin slices diagonally.

In a wok or saucepan, bring the stock to a rolling boil, add the lamb and stir to separate. Return to the boil, then add the cucumber slices,

vinegar and seasonings. Bring to the boil once more, and serve at once.

Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
115g/4oz chicken breast fillet
115g/4oz honey-roast ham
115g/4oz peeled prawns (shrimp)
700ml/1/1/4 pints/3 cups Basic Stock
salt, to taste

Three-delicacy Soup

Thinly slice the chicken and ham into small pieces. If the prawns (shrimp) are large, cut each in half lengthways.

In a wok or saucepan, bring the stock to a rolling boil, add the chicken, ham and prawns (shrimp). Bring back to the boil, add the salt and simmer for 1 minute. Serve hot.

Cook’s Tips

Fresh, uncooked praw/is impart the best flavour. If these are not available you can use ready-cooked prawns. They must be added at the last stage to prevent over-cooking.

Serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS
2 X 175g/6oz chicken breasts, on the bone
1/2 chicken stock cube
400g/14oz canned coconut milk
1 piece galingal or fresh ginger, 2cm/3/4 in long, finely chopped
1 piece lemon grass, 7.5cm/3in long
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp chopped coriander root, or stem
2-3 small red chillies, seeded and finely chopped
2 tbsp fish sauce
5 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 lime leaves
225g/8oz fresh or cooked prawn (shrimp) tails, peeled and de-veined
juice of 1 lime
4 sprigs coriander, chopped, to garnish
2 spring onions (scallions), green part only, to garnish
4 large red chillies, sliced, to garnish

Thai Chicken and Prawn (Shrimp) Soup

Cover the chicken with water, add stock cube, and simmer for 45 minutes. Slice the meat into strips (discard skin), and return to stock. Add coconut milk and simmer.

Blend the lemon grass, galingal or ginger, garlic, coriander and chillies. Add this to the stock with the fish sauce, sugar, salt and lime leaves. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Just before serving, add the prawns (shrimp) and lime juice. Simmer for 5 minutes. Decorate with the coriander, spring onions (scallions) and chillies.