Rose Elliot - Rose Elliot’s New Complete Vegetarian

Taste and season well with salt and pepper. Chill in the fridge, with the serving bowls too, if there’s room.

To serve, check the seasoning, as chilling can dull the flavour, then ladle the soup into the bowls and scatter some bright green chopped chives on top.

One of my all-time favourite soups, this is a stunning deep ruby-red soup that looks mouth-watering with its white topping of yoghurt or soured cream. It’s wonderful hot, but I particularly like to make it from new-season beetroot in the summer and serve it chilled. I think you’ll have gathered by now that I’m rather partial to chilled soup!

SERVES 4

1 onion, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large potato (about 225g (8oz)) peeled and diced

1 tbsp olive oil

450g (1lb) cooked fresh beetroot (not in vinegar), peeled and diced

1.2 litres (2 pints) stock or water

1 tsp vegetable bouillon powder, stock cube or concentrate

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp lemon juice

½ tsp grated lemon rind

TO GARNISH

thick natural Greek yoghurt, soured cream or crème fraîche

coarsely ground black pepper

Fry the onion gently in the oil in a fairly large saucepan, with a lid on the pan, for about 5 minutes, being careful not to let it brown. Add the potato, stir, then cover and cook gently for about 5 minutes more.

Add the beetroot and stir in the stock or water and the bouillon powder, stock cube or concentrate.

Bring to the boil then cover and leave to simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

Blend the soup, then return it to the saucepan and flavour with salt, pepper and the lemon juice and just a touch of the grated rind. Reheat gently and serve topped with a spoonful of yoghurt, soured cream or crème fraîche and a scattering of coarsely ground black pepper.

You could serve this soup with the little curd cheese tarts on page 272 but it’s also great accompanied by chunks of rye or wholemeal bread and goat’s cheese.

SERVES 4

2 tbsp olive oil

2 large onions, chopped

2 large carrots, diced

2 sticks of celery, sliced

125g (4oz) cabbage, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1 litre (1¾ pints) water or vegetable stock

400g can chopped tomatoes

450g (1lb) cooked beetroot (not in vinegar), peeled and diced

salt and freshly ground black pepper

sugar

TO GARNISH

150ml (5fl oz) soured cream or thick natural yoghurt (optional)

chopped fresh dill or chives (optional)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onions, carrots, celery and cabbage, stir them in the oil so they glisten, then fry over a gentle heat for about 10 minutes, with the occasional stir.

Pour in the water or vegetable stock and the tomatoes, bring to the boil, cover and leave to simmer for about 20 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender.

Add the beetroot to the soup and season well with salt, pepper and a little sugar. Bring to the boil again and simmer gently for 3–4 minutes.

Serve the borsch as it is or blend it a little. If you like, top with soured cream or yoghurt and a scattering of chopped dill or chives.

This soup has a smooth, creamy texture that is complemented perfectly by its crunchy topping of golden-brown croûtons.

SERVES 4

125g (4oz) dried butter beans, soaked

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 potato, peeled and diced

2 carrots, diced

2 sticks of celery, chopped

1.2ml (2 pints) water or unsalted stock

1 bouquet garni – a couple of sprigs of parsley, a sprig of thyme and a bay leaf tied together

150ml (5fl oz) single cream (optional)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

freshly grated nutmeg

a few croûtons or cubes of crispy wholemeal toast, to serve

Drain and rinse the beans.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the vegetables and sauté for 7–8 minutes without browning, then add the butter beans, water or stock and the bouquet garni. Simmer gently, half covered, for about 1½ hours or until the butter beans are tender.

Remove the herbs and blend the soup (with the cream, if using). Season well with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.

Reheat gently – don’t let the soup boil – and scatter over the crunchy golden croûtons or crisp wholemeal toast cubes at the last moment.

I love to use dried butter beans for this, though I’ve given the option of canned, as dried beans are such a joy. You can buy them for practically nothing, keep them in the cupboard until you need them, then work some kitchen alchemy just by gently soaking and boiling, to produce a meal that’s deeply satisfying and full of natural goodness. If you are cooking your own beans, use the cooking water for this soup, with some vegetable bouillon powder for extra flavour.

SERVES 4

2 tbsp olive oil

2 large onions, chopped

225g (8oz) dried butter beans, soaked, cooked until tender and drained, or 2 x 400g can butter beans, drained and rinsed

850ml (15 pints) water or unsalted vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes

salt and freshly ground black pepper

sugar (optional)

chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large pan, add the onions and fry over a gentle heat for about 10 minutes, until softened, but not browned.

Add the cooked butter beans, water or stock, bay leaf and tomatoes. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 10–15 minutes.

Taste and season with salt, pepper and a little sugar if you think it needs it.

Blend a bit with a hand blender or leave the soup as it is. Serve sprinkled with the parsley.

This is so easy to make – it’s pretty much a case of ‘roast and whiz‘. The butternut squash is cooked in the oven while you leisurely fry an onion and some garlic, then all you have to do is purée it with some vegetable stock, and there’s your beautiful golden soup.

SERVES 4-6

1 butternut squash

2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing

1 onion, chopped

1 large garlic clove, crushed

about 1.5 litres (2½ pints) vegetable stock

salt and freshly ground black pepper

4–6 tsp chilli oil, to serve

Set the oven to 190°C (375°F), gas mark 5.

Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise. You might find it easier to cut it in half widthways, then cut each of these pieces in half. It doesn’t really matter how you do it, and there’s no need to remove the seeds at this point.

Put the pieces of squash in a roasting tin, brush the cut surfaces with oil and bake for about I hour, or until the squash is soft.

While the squash is roasting, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a gentle heat, add the onion, cover and cook gently for about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Scoop out the flesh of the butternut squash, discarding the seeds. Pull off and discard the skin – it will come away easily. Purée the flesh and their juices, along with the onion and garlic.

Put the purée into a pan and stir in enough vegetable stock to make a consistency that’s pleasing to you. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Gently heat through, then serve with a swirl of chilli oil on top of each bowl.

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