Celeriac soup

Celeriac is a great creamy vegetable soup. Serve with some crispy streaky bacon bits and croûtons for that extra touch.
INGREDIENTS
1oz butter
1 onion - finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
700g/1lb 8oz celeriac, peeled and cut into small cubes
50g/2oz streaky bacon, cut into small pieces (+ extra for decoration if desired)
1 leek - the white only, chopped
2 stick celery, chopped
2 thyme sprigs, leaves picked (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 litre/1¾ pint hot chicken stock
200ml/7floz double cream (or just milk for a lighter calorie count!)
salt and white pepper to taste


METHOD
    For the soup, heat a large frying pan or saucepan until medium hot, add the butter, the onion and bacon and fry for a couple of minutes to just soften. Add the garlic, leek, celery and thyme sprigs (or dried thyme) and fry for another minute; then add the chopped celeriac. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. When boiling - turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the celeriac is just tender.

    Blend the soup to a fine purée using a liquidiser or a stick blender. Sieve and return to the heat in a pan. Add the cream / milk and bring back to a soft boil.

Meanwhile for the crispy bacon bits for the top of the soup: Fry small bacon bits until crisp and place on kitchen paper and pat to take out the oil / fat  - this will  keep them nice and crisp.



    Season with salt and white pepper. Serve the hot soup in bowls with crusty brown bread.



 

Pea & Mint Soup

 
I decided to explore making soups that have bowled me over (excuse the pun) which I have had the pleasure of eating in restaurants lately  - and add my own twist to them. 

Today I decided to make Pea and Mint soup which I had a few weeks ago in the amazing Treasury Restaurant in Limerick. 

Now while not claiming in any way to be anywhere as good as the chefs there I have come up with what I think is a pretty darn good soup!!! 

It's light, refreshing and really tasty. 

Serve it up with my Chorizo and Red Onion soda bread for a mega lunch!!

Make this up the day before it's needed and store it in the fridge - it will mature overnight and slightly thicken and believe me it has a mega taste next day!!!

INGREDIENTS 

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, chopped 
1 onion, chopped
600g - 800g frozen peas (if you can get fresh peas all the better but they do need to be really really fresh)
450ml hot chicken stock (or vegetable stock if you prefer a veggie option)
150 ml milk
50ml cream 
4 tablespoons of chopped fresh mint leaves 
salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

 

METHOD

Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and fry for 3-4 minutes, until softened. 

Add the frozen peas, hot chicken stock and mint and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for eight - ten minutes. 

Add the milk and cream liquidize with a hand blender or liquidizer if you have one. Strain to remove and bits. (Push the pea and mint bits left through the strainer to get as much concentrated flavour as you can)

Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve in a warm bowl, garnished with a mint leaf or chopped spring onion and a swirl of cream.

If you prefer a thicker soup throw some diced potato to the stock and cook it out.
 
For a healthier version you can use 600ml water and leave out the milk and cream - but I think they add to the flavour.