Minnie's Soup Kitchen

Curried Parsnip Soup I do not like parsnips . There. It's out in the open. I don't like them boiled and mashed with or without carrots, nor do I like them coated in Parmesan cheese and roasted. Just in case you missed it the first time, I don't like parsnips. Imagine my surprise, therefore, when twenty years ago I reluctantly ate curried parsnip soup served as the first course of a wedding meal and I liked it. So I had great expectations of yesterday's soup. According to Sophie Grigson 's introduction to it in The Soup Book , Jane Grigson created the recipe in the 1970s and it was deemed "radical at the time". The ingredients include coriander seeds, cumin seeds, chilli flakes, ground turmeric, ground fenugreek, an onion, garlic, parsnips, stock and cream, with either chives or parsley to garnish. I ground up the spices in my pestle and mortar before peeling and chopping the onion, garlic and parsnips. Then I cooked the vegetables in butter, adding t...

Jane Grigson's Melon and Wine Soup When I dip into The Soup Book I can sometimes spot which soups are worthwhile sharing with guests. Sophie Grigson 's take on her mother Jane Grigson 's soup is one such soup. As I flicked through the book last weekend, the melon and wine soup caught my eye and I read through the ingredients (a melon - charentais or canteloupe -, sugar, dry white wine, lemon juice and creme fraiche). "I could make that for my book group," I thought. The instructions looked reasonably straightforward. Timing was the tricky part. The spouse bought the canteloupe last Saturday and I wondered if the melon would last for five days. Isn't that where a fridge comes in handy? The next timing hurdle was how to get the soup ready in time for my book group as the recipe involves making and chilling syrup. The book group was meeting on Thursday evening so I made the syrup on Wednesday evening while I was preparing ginger shortbread with chocolate cloa...

Celeriac and Hazelnut Soup   My first choice of soup yesterday was actually German potato soup and I would have made it if Young Stephen had had chanterelles in stock. The first time I ever saw these mushrooms was when I was a teenager on holiday in Normandy. The family I was staying with brought me out to pick mushrooms and I was astonished to discover that this bright yellow fungus was edible. As far as I can remember, the chanterelles were cooked in an omelette. Anyway, I brought my copy of The Soup Book with me to Stephen's. His assistant "Marek" apologised for not having any chanterelles (I think they had dried ones), so I whipped out the book to find a different recipe. Don't ask me why I thought of celeriac. I reminded Marek about when I talked to him about tomato borscht (see my blog of 2nd July 2011) and showed him the recipe. (I wonder how many other customers show him their recipe books.) By this time Stephen had appeared and told me that when all t...