Butternut Squash & Coconut Soup

Ingredients
1 butternut squash cut into small chunks
1/2 can coconut milk
2 pints of vegetable stock
1 onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Method
Lightly fry the onion in the oil on a low heat for around 4/5 mins or until it has softened.
Add the garlic and butternut squash and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add the stock, bring to the boil then turn down to a simmer and cover. Leave to cook down for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes add the coconut milk remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
Once slightly cool blend to a smooth consistency
To serve, top with chilli flakes and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

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My current soupy favourite is a bit of a variation on Minestrone in taste but with the addition of some lovely sausage meatballs. It’s a really adaptable recipe so you can add in any root veg you like. And for a healthier version you can substitute the pork by making meatballs from some turkey mince. Just add some seasoning and herbs of your choice to give the turkey meat a bit more flavour.

You will need
6 good quality pork sausages
1 clove of garlic
2 stalks of celery
2 large carrots
1 large onion
1 large white potato
2 bay leaves
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
A quarter head of savoy cabbage
1.5 litres of vegetable stock (heated)
2 teaspoons of sunflower oil

Method
1.) Cut up your veg into small chunks
2.) Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a large saucepan
3.) Gently fry your onions until they soften, then add the garlic and the other vegetables. Fry for around 3 or 4 minutes.
4.) Add your vegetable stock, tomatoes and bay leaves.
5.) Bring to the boil and then allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
6.) Remove the skin from your sausages and place the meat in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper.
7.) Roll small amounts of the sausage meat into ball and set aside on a plate.
8.) Heat the oil in a frying pan and then fry your sausage meatballs on a medium heat until cooked through and browned on the outside. Once cooked, set aside until your soup is cooked.
9.) Add some chopped savoy cabbage to your soup a couple of mintues before you are ready to serve and remove the bay leaves.
10.) Ladle the soup into bowls, add meatballs and top with grated parmesan cheese.

This recipe will serve around 6 people.

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Oh I do love a bit of beetroot, with its delicious earthy taste. Leave me alone with a plateful and I’ll literally snaffle it up within seconds.  And as luck would have it it’s currently in season.

I’d never attempted to make it into soup before but this recipe from the Waitrose website looked tempting enough for me to give it a try.  I have adapted it slightly to suit my own taste though, using beef stock instead of the chicken or vegetable that the recipe suggests. Instead of the chive cream, at the time of serving I crumbled some goat’s cheese on top of the soup. I’ve seen some recipes using feta cheese too, which sounds nice, but I do prefer the strength of flavour of goat’s cheese.

As a small aside, I have a friend whose uncle (Uncle Gerald, to be precise) was obsessed with eating beetroot, getting through several jars a week. He carried on with this obsession for quite some time until his skin started to develop a rather dashing purple hue. I kid you not.

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I know my last post was a soup recipe, but the weather has been so ridiculously cold and snowy here in Sussex this week that I’ve been eating little else. Knowing that I’ve got a warm and satisfying lunch to look forward to is about the only thing that makes braving the arctic temperatures in the morning bearable.

I think this has to be one of the simplest soups I’ve ever made: quick to prepare, healthy and a really short list of ingredients. My kind of recipe.

You will need
A glug of olive oil
1 onion, chopped 
½ teaspoon of dried chill flakes or ½ fresh red chilli, deseeded.
1 tsp ground coriander
2 garlic cloves, crushed and sliced
750g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into medium chunks
1 pint of warm vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste.

1.) Warm the oil in a large pan, add your onions, garlic, chilli flakes and ground coriander and cook until soft.
2.) When your onions have softened, add your sweet potato and mix it in with the other ingredients. Leave it to cook in the pan for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
3.) Pour your warmed stock over the mixture, bring to the boil and then turn down to simmer for about 10/15 mins, or until the sweet potatoes soften.
4.) Blend your soup until smooth. Serve with fresh crusty bread (this soda bread is ideal). If you find the soup too spicy then add a dollop of crème fraiche.

All images © Heather Wilkinson 2012

The post Spicy sweet potato soup appeared first on Breakfast by the sea.

All images © Heather Wilkinson 2012


The temperature has really plummeted here this week. It’s the kind of cold weather that means you have to hop from foot to foot just to generate enough heat to stop your toes going numb. I basically live off soup when the weather’s like this, and I luckily had enough root veg to whip up a batch today. Soups of this nature can be a tad bland, so I add just a pinch of dried ginger to give it a subtle lift.


You will need

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 stick of celery, sliced
1 leek, sliced
150g potato, peeled and diced
150g swede, peeled and diced
½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
½ tsp dried ground ginger
1 litre milk
Single cream


1.) Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion and fry until soft.
2.) Add your garlic, carrot, leek and celery, stir it all together and continue to fry for about 5 minutes.
3.) Next, add your swede, potato, nutmeg and ginger, salt and pepper. Add the milk, bring to the boil then turn down to a simmer for 25 minutes, or until all the vegetables have softened.
4.) Add your soup mixture to a liquidiser and blend together until it is smooth. You can run it through a sieve if you want it extra smooth.
5.) Return the soup to a clean pan, add a little cream, mix and heat thoroughly. Serve with fresh crusty bread.

The post Cosy winter vegetable soup appeared first on Breakfast by the sea.

In my last post, I promised recipe ideas for leftover roast chicken. So, here goes with the first, ideal for this time of year when you want something warm, satisfying and healthy. This recipe serves two people.

You will need:
2 pints of chicken stock (read my last post for a how-to)
1 tsp caster sugar
half a red chilli
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
2 tbps of dry sherry
2 portions of dried egg noodles (thick, thin, or whatever you prefer)
½ small leek, shredded
Leftover roast chicken, cut into small slices or bite-sized pieces
2 tsp sesame oil
A handful of fresh coriander

Add the stock, a mug of cold water, soy sauce, chilli, sugar, star anise, cinnamon and sherry to a large saucepan. Bring to the boil and then turn the heat right down and allow to simmer very gently. In a separate pan, cook your noodles, drain and then toss in the sesame oil. Remove your soup mixture from the heat and sieve it over a bowl or pan.

Divide your noodles between two big bowls, ladle the soup over the noodles and then add chicken. To finish, add shredded leeks and coriander and, if you’re feeling adventurous, some thin slices of red chilli too.

Keep your eyes peeled over the next few days for the final roast chicken recipe.

I almost forgot to mention that I was really chuffed to be featured on Fiona Beckett’s (Guardian food and wine columnist) lovely blog recently. Thanks Fiona!

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