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Soups & Starters
Ingredients
25g (1oz) butter
2 leeks, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
sprig fresh thyme, leaves only
300ml (½pt) vegetable stock
300ml (½pt) milk
300g potato, peeled and chopped
15ml (1tbsp) double cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Dish: 3 litre (6pt) bowl
Place the butter, leeks, garlic and thyme in a large bowl
on the glass turntable and cook on HIGH MICROWAVE
for 3-4 mins, until softened. Add the stock, half the milk
and potato. Cook on HIGH MICROWAVE for 8 mins, stir
then cook on MEDIUM MICROWAVE for 4-5 minutes, or
until the potato is tender. Stir in the remaining milk,
cream, season to taste with salt and freshly ground black
pepper. Allow to cool slightly. Place in a liquidiser and
puree until smooth. Return puree to the bowl. Heat on
MEDIUM MICROWAVE for 3 mins or until piping hot.
Leek & Potato Soup Serves 4
Ingredients
1-3 green chillies
7cm (3”) piece of root ginger peeled
and finely chopped
2-3 lemongrass sticks – just the soft
middle part finely chopped
1 small pack of fresh coriander
stalks only-keep leaves for garnish
7.5ml (1½tsp) Chinese five spice
5ml (1tsp) ground cumin
30ml (2tbsp) olive oil
1 onion sliced
1 butternut squash around 1.1kg
whole weight
600ml (1pt) vegetable stock
400g (14oz) tin of low fat coconut
milk
juice of 2 limes
salt and pepper
Thai Butternut Squash Soup Serves 6
Dish: 3 litre (6pt) bowl
Make the spicy paste by combining the first seven
ingredients. Use a food processor or a pestle and
mortar to do this. Add onion to the paste. Put in a large
glass mixing bowl, cover with pierced cling film and
cook on HIGH MICROWAVE for 5 mins. Peel and chop
butternut squash scraping out all seeds and stringy bits.
Add butternut squash and hot stock to the mixing bowl.
Cook on HIGH MICROWAVE for 15-20mins or until
butternut squash is soft, stirring once during cooking
time. Add coconut milk, juice of limes, salt and pepper.
Liquidise. Stir and serve with coriander leaves.
