delicious soup – My Whisk and I

White Bean Soup

August 21, 2023August 2, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

30ml olive oil
30g butter
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 x 400g cans of cannellini beans
500ml vegetable stock
5ml finely chopped rosemary
5ml finely chopped thyme leaves
sourdough croutons to serve

Place a saucepan on medium-high heat, add the olive oil and butter and wait for the pan to heat up.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Drain 2 of the cans of beans and add the beans to the saucepan.
Pour the third can of beans, liquid and all, into a liquidiser and blitz until smooth.
Add to the saucepan.
Pour in the stock and add the rosemary and thyme.
Grind over some black pepper and stir together.
Bring the soup to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve piping hot with freshly made croutons.

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Leek and Cheese Soup

June 3, 2022May 25, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

45ml butter
15ml vegetable oil
2 large leeks, sliced
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
600g potato, peeled and diced
2litres chicken stock
5ml salt
black pepper
200g mature cheddar cheese, grated
80g cheese and onion potato chips

Add the butter and oil to a large saucepan set over medium-high heat.
Add the leeks and onion and cook while stirring until completely wilted and soft.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the diced potato, stock, salt and pepper and bring the mixture to a simmer.
Lower the heat to a slow simmer, cover the saucepan with a lid and cook for about 30 minutes. Check on the soup every now and then and adjust the heat as you go. The potato must be very soft.
Decant the soup into a blender and blitz together until smooth and silky.
Pour the soup back into the saucepan and place over a low heat.
Add the grated cheese and stir the soup until the cheese has melted.
Spoon the soup into individual bowls.
Crush the potato chips in the packet and sprinkle a generous amount onto each bowl of soup.
Serve immediately.

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Potato and Leek Soup

July 13, 2021June 25, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a nutritious soup with lots of flavour and crowd appeal and is really easy to make. This recipe feeds 6 – 8 people.

45ml butter
2 large leeks, sliced
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
800g potato, diced (about 4 -5 large potatoes)
2 stock cubes (I use chicken but if you want to go vegetarian use vegetable cubes)
5ml salt
1,2ml black pepper
1,2 litre water
250ml cream

Preparing the leeks:
Cut off the root ends and thick green parts.
Cut the leeks in half lengthwise and rinse under cold running water.
Pull the layers apart and check that there is no dirt left.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the sliced leeks, onion and garlic.
Cook and stir until the leeks and onion are soft and completely wilted. This should take about 10 minutes.
Add the potato, stock cubes, salt, pepper and water and bring the mixture to the boil.
Lower the heat, cover with a lid and cook gently for 25 minutes until the potato is very soft.
Purée the mixture with a stick blender until completely smooth.
Now add the cream and stir on a low heat for about 5 minutes.
Serve the soup piping hot, sprinkled with croutons.

Making croutons:
Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Cut 4 slices from a day-old bread and slice off the crusts on all four sides.
Cube the bread and spread it out on a baking tray.
Drizzle the cubes with olive oil and give the bread cubes a mix with your hands.
Bake for 5 minutes, shaking the baking sheet halfway through the cooking time, to spread and turn the cubes.
Take the croutons from the oven and lightly sprinkle with salt.

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Roasted Cauliflower Soup

June 24, 2021June 15, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This roasted cauliflower soup is deliciously light and complex at the same time. The sunflower seeds add a creaminess and depth of taste and makes this a soup you can entertain with. Yields 6 – 8 servings.

2 heads of cauliflower
2 onions
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1l vegetable/chicken stock
250ml water
250ml cream
125ml sunflower seeds, toasted
1,2ml grated/ground nutmeg
15ml lemon juice
30ml butter
salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 220℃ and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Cut the cauliflower heads into florets and place them on the line baking tray.
Drizzle with vegetable oil and a sprinkling of salt.
Roast the florets in the oven for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through the roasting time.

Peel and chop the onions.
Put a large saucepan on to medium heat, add some oil and the onions and fry until the onions start to caramelise.
Turn the heat down, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Pour the stock, water and cream into the saucepan and add the sunflower seeds and nutmeg.
Add the roasted florets and cook at medium heat for 20 minutes.
Add the lemon juice and butter to the soup and stir through.
Decant the soup, in batches, into a liquidiser and blend until smooth.
Pour the soup back into the same saucepan and taste it – adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve the soup warm with a crusty bread.