Tortilla Soup

This fiery Mexican soup will bring a warm glow to any winter evening. Adjust the chilli to suit your taste buds.
50ml/ 2 fl oz sunflower oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 small red chillies, seeded, veins removed and finely chopped (see note below)
1lt/ 1¾ pt chicken stock
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes, with the juice
½  teaspoon sea salt

8 medium-sized tortillas

100g shredded grated cheese (mixture of cheddar and mozzarella works well) plus extra for serving.
Handful coriander, finely chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges

Optional - Shredded cooked chicken

1 ripe medium avocado cut into fine slices.

 

Serves 4

1.       Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and gently cook until translucent, stirring constantly. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for a further 2 minutes taking care not to burn the garlic.

  1. Add the stock, tomatoes and salt. Bring to the boil, reduce to simmering, cover and cook for 15 mins. (If using chicken, add at the end of cooking time and simmer until the chicken is thoroughly reheated). Season with a little black pepper.
  2. Meanwhile, cover four tortillas with a generous layer of grated cheese; cover each with a second tortilla to create a sandwich. Heat a large frying pan and dry-cook each tortilla sandwich for 1 min on each side, pressing gently with a spatula. Remove from the pan and leave to cool on kitchen paper. Once cool, cut each sandwich into wedges.
  3. To serve, place 3 or 4 tortilla wedges into each serving bowl, sprinkle with a little extra cheese, a few slices of avocado if using, and ladle in the soup. Garnish with coriander and a squeeze of lime juice, serve with any remaining tortilla wedges.

Note: take care when deseeding and chopping chillies. Avoid direct contact with the skin by wearing rubber gloves and carefully wash knives and board after cutting to avoid cross-contamination.

 

Wine match: Sicilian Nero d’Avola, Agro Argento – an easy drinking, well-balanced wine with just the right level of tannins for this dish.

 

Cauliflower, Mustard and Cheese Soup

50g unsalted butter

1 medium red onion, finely chopped

1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

½ tsp dry English mustard

1 medium cauliflower

1 small head broccoli

1 litre vegetable stock

1 large potato, peeled and cubed

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard.

50ml crème fraiche

Sea salt and black pepper

 

To serve

Bread croutons (see note below)

200g strong grated gruyere or strong Cheddar cheese

Serves 4

 

  1. In a large saucepan or stock pot melt the butter, add the onion and gently cook until translucent, stirring constantly. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes taking care not to burn the garlic. Stir in the mustard powder.
  2. Meanwhile, remove the leaves from the cauliflower and cut into florets and steam with the broccoli until almost tender. Add to the onion, and cover with vegetable stock. Add the potato and bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 minutes or until the potato is cooked.
  3. Purée the soup in a food processor, return to the pan, adding the mustard and crème fraiche. Bring back to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
  4. To serve, place 50g of grated cheese in the centre of a warmed soup bowl. Surround with the soup and top with croutons.

Note: to make croutons brush thick slices of slightly stale bread with olive oil, melted butter or a mixture of both. Cut into cubes and spread on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in a hot oven, 180°/350°F/GAS 4

 

Wine match: Chateau Remaury, AOC Minervois, France. A wine packed with character that works well with strong or aged cheeses.

 

White Bean Soup

 220g/7 oz dried haricots blanc beans, or 1 x 410g tin, drained.

60g/2 oz unsalted butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1.25 litres/ 2 pints vegetable stock

1 tin chopped tomatoes, with juice

Tiny pinch of dried thyme

1 tsp sugar

1 bay leaf

Sea salt and pepper

To serve

2 tbsps finely chopped flat leaf parsley

 

Serves 4

 

  1. If using dried beans, soak overnight in cold water then drain.

 

  1. In a large saucepan or stock pot melt the butter, add the onion and gently cook until translucent, stirring constantly. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes taking care not to burn the garlic. Add the carrots and celery and cook for a further five minutes.

 

  1. Add the stock, beans, tomatoes, thyme, sugar, bay leaf and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer. If using dried beans cook for 2 – 2 ½ hours until the beans are tender. If using tinned beans, cook gently for 30 mins, or until the carrot and celery are tender - avoid over stirring to prevent the beans breaking up. Remove the bay leaf.

 

  1. Place half the soup into a food processor and purée. Stir the purée back into the pan and season to taste.

 

  1. To serve, ladle into warmed soup bowls and garnish with the parsley.

 

Wine match: Marklew Chardonnay 2006, South Africa. A fresh, citrusy wine with a subtle oak that does not overpower the fragrance of the soup.