From a Michelin-starred chef’s coffee and artichoke soup to a restaurateur’s watercress dish, these recipes are sure to impress this autumn and winter
Soup is a simple and comforting dish perfect for both autumn and winter, with a variety of options to suit everyone’s dietary needs. Whether you’re making it at home or picking up a can from the supermarket, there’s always a soup that will tickle your fancy.
While most of us might opt for a quick can of soup or a basic homemade recipe, professional chefs are known for taking things up a notch. With this in mind, I chatted with five chefs who shared their favourite soup recipes.
Some may require a bit more elbow grease, but others are surprisingly straightforward.
Steve Smith – Jerusalem Artichoke soup
If you’re aiming to wow your guests and bring a touch of Michelin-starred magic to your dinner table this soup season, then this recipe from multi-Michelin-starred Steve Smith, Head Chef at Latymer, Pennyhill Park, is just the ticket. Sharing his recipe with Express.co.uk, Steve notes that while it’s a step up from your average homemade soup, it’s not too taxing for any keen cook.
Ingredients:
- 250g unsalted butter
- 100g onion, chopped
- 100g used coffee grounds
- One clove of garlic
- One sprig of thyme
- 1kg Jerusalem artichokes, peeled
- 1.5l Vegetable stock
- 500ml Crème Fraiche
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
Begin by melting the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan. Then add the artichokes, shallots and garlic, sautéing until they are caramelised.
Pour in the stock and bring it back to the boil. Simmer until the artichokes are cooked through. Add the coffee and leave it to infuse for 10 minutes.
Blend everything together and pass through a chinois or sieve if you have one. Stir in the creme fraiche, and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
James Golding – Pumpkin, Orange Juice & Ginger Soup
“Pumpkin is such a brilliant ingredient and we forget how versatile it is,” says James, the Chef Director at Rockwater. “I love that earthy sweetness, and pairing it with ginger gives it a proper kick. The orange juice adds freshness, and the thyme ties it all together. It’s simple, but full of flavour – the kind of soup you can serve as a starter at a dinner party or just enjoy with a thick slice of buttered sourdough.”
Ingredients:
- 5kg pumpkin flesh, chopped into small pieces
- 1.5kg leeks, washed and roughly chopped
- 180g ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- Butter
- One litre of orange juice
- One bunch of thyme
- Four bay leaves
- 10 litres of vegetable stock
- Your choice of seasoning
Method
Place the butter in a pan. Add the leeks, pumpkin, ginger, thyme, and bay leaves. Sweat until soft.
Add orange juice and reduce slightly. Pour in the vegetable stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
Blend, strain, and season to taste. Serve with toasted pumpkin seeds and buttered sourdough.
Mark Hix – Watercress Soup
Sharing his recipe for watercress soup, chef and restaurateur Mark Hix sung the praises of this leafy green vegetable: “Hampshire and Dorset are centres of watercress production and it’s at its best in winter. Yet while we will happily munch our way through a pile of rocket, we neglect our local peppery equivalent. So often watercress ends up as a garnish, left behind on the plate instead of being eaten and enjoyed as a nutritious vegetable.
“As with most soups and sauces made with leafy green herbs, overcooking can kill the flavour and colour of watercress. So, cook briefly and chill quickly to preserve the delicate taste of this underused English leaf. Eaten raw it can be so strong it helps to mix it with other leaves or try it with orange. Asian flavours, too, suit it well. Apart from salads, though, it makes a great, tasty and quick soup.
“The strong taste and colour of watercress is a reminder of its high iron content. In the past it was also recommended for fighting scurvy, the ailment caused by too little vitamin C.”
Ingredients:
- 250g watercress, stalks removed
- 1 leek, well rinsed, trimmed and roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp vegetable or corn oil
- 1.5 litre vegetable stock (a good cube is fine)
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Goats curd for garnish
Method
Cut the stalks from the watercress and put the leaves to one side. Gently cook the leek in the vegetable oil in a covered pan until soft, without allowing it to colour. Add the vegetable stock, season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil.
Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the watercress stalks and simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add two-thirds of the watercress leaves and blend the soup in a liquidiser, or with a stick blender, until smooth.
Strain through a fine-meshed sieve. Chop the remaining watercress leaves and add to the soup. Bring back to the boil briefly if necessary. Top with a spoonful of goat’s curd before serving.
Gennaro Contaldo – Borlotti Bean & Prosciutto Soup
Gennaro Contaldo, one half of the Two Greedy Italians with Antonio Carluccio and the chef who taught Jamie Oliver how to make Italian food, told us: “In Italy, especially when I was growing up, no part of the pig was wasted and it was common to use the prosciutto bone in soups and stews for extra flavour.
“When I can’t get prosciutto bone, I simply use thick chunks of prosciutto, which you can ask for in Italian delis or you could use a piece of gammon. The prosciutto really enhances the finished dish and together with beans or pulses takes me back to family evening meals when I was a child.
“I also like to add a piece of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO rind during cooking and at the end stir in grated Parmigiano Reggiano PDO for an even richer flavour. This nutritious soup is a perfect winter warmer and served with some rustic bread is a satisfying meal.”
Ingredients:
- 350g thick chunks of prosciutto (cured ham)
- Two onions, cut into chunks
- Two celery stalks, cut into chunks
- Two large carrots, cut into chunks
- Three tomatoes, cut into chunks
- Two bay leaves
- A handful of parsley, roughly chopped
- A piece of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO rind
- Ten black peppercorns
- 400g cooked borlotti beans
- 60g grated Parmigiano Reggiano PDO
- Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
- Slices of rustic bread, toasted, to serve
Method
Place the prosciutto chunks, all the vegetables, bay leaves, peppercorns and approximately two litres of water into a large pot.
Set over a high heat and bring to the boil, then lower the heat to medium, add the Parmigiano Reggiano PDO rind, partially cover with a lid and cook for one and a half hours.
Tip in the borlotti beans and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the grated Parmigiano Reggiano PDO.
Divide between serving bowls and serve immediately with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkling of grated Parmigiano Reggiano PDO and some toasted rustic bread.
Robert Thompson – Crab & Armagnac Bisque With Fresh Orange & Brown Crab Toasties
Turning to seafood, award-winning chef Robert Thompson MBE of the RT Cafe Grill on the Isle of Wight has shared a recipe for a crab and Armagnac bisque, telling Express.co.uk: “I absolutely love a rich and full-flavoured shellfish bisque. Ask your fishmonger for shellfish bones, lobster crab, prawn, langoustine etc.”
Ingredients:
- One large crab
- 700g mirepoix of vegetables (onions, carrots, and celery), roughly diced
- 60g tomato puree
- 500ml double cream
- Two large oranges
- 100ml Armagnac
- One medium sourdough – sliced
- 50g plain flour
- 50g unsalted butter
- 350ml hot milk
- 100g Parmesan cheese, grated
- Four large egg yolks
- Brown crab meat
Method
Gently place the crab into a large saucepan of boiling water. Return to the boil then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain the crab and pour cold water over it for 5-10 minutes.
Break open the crab’s claws and carefully extract all the meat. Slice through the body and use a lobster pick or the tip of a teaspoon to remove meat.
Complete by scooping out the brown meat from the main shell. Push the brown meat through a coarse sieve and sort through the white meat, discarding any shell.
Bake the crab bones for 30 minutes at 200°C. Soften the mirepoix of vegetables in a little oil until tender, then incorporate the crab bones.
Crush the bones as thoroughly as possible to extract more flavour. Submerge in cold water and heat to boiling before simmering gently for two hours on a low heat.
Filter the crab stock and incorporate the cream, tomato puree and the juice and zest of both oranges. Return to the boil and reduce for 10 minutes.
Take off the heat and stir in the Armagnac. Start by melting the butter over a low heat and stir in the flour.
Let it cook for 2 minutes before taking it off the heat. Gradually add the hot milk while whisking, followed by the Parmesan and brown crab.
Put it back on the heat and let it boil for 1 minute. Allow it to cool before adding the egg yolks and seasoning.
Toast the sourdough slices on each side, spread with the crab bechamel sauce and put them back under the grill until they’re nicely coloured. Warm up the crab bisque and serve it with the crab toasties.