There are some dishes that seem to cure all ills, that take us back to an idyllic childhood universe (almost certainly seen through rose-tinted glasses) when our problems were nonexistent. There was nothing our happy body couldn’t do: hangovers were yet to be experienced, colds came and went without too much fuss and we knew nothing of lovesickness, at least not the emotional tidal waves that would hit us as adults. Granny’s homemade soup somehow still manages to whisk us back to that safe world, a kind of imaginary uterus free from all cares. So how about making these four quick and easy soups at home?
1- Avocado soup
Ingredients:
– 4 avocados
– 1 l (33,8 US fl oz) chicken stock
– ½ glass single cream
– Salt and pepper
– Fresh mint or aromatic olive oil with lemon rind
Method:
Blend the avocados with a hand blender, add the chicken stock and heat in a saucepan. When it comes to the boil, take off the heat, add the cream and leave for 5 minutes. Decorate the soup with some fresh mint or a dash of aromatic olive oil with lemon rind.
2- Onion soup
Ingredients:
– 2 onions
– 1 l (33,8 US fl oz) vegetable stock
– Salt, pepper and nutmeg
– 2 slices of toast
– 2 spoonfuls of extra-virgin olive oil
– 500 g (17,6 oz) potatoes
– A pinch of Gruyère cheese
Method:
Cut the onion into rings, then peel the potatoes and cut into pieces. Fry the onions in a frying pan with olive oil until golden brown and add the potatoes. When they’re done, add the warm vegetable stock and a pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add 500 ml of water and cook over a low heat for 30 minutes. Blend the mixture, sprinkle the toast and Gruyère cheese on top and cook au gratin in the oven for 10 minutes.
3- Mushroom soup
Ingredients:
– 500 g (17,6 oz) mushrooms
– 1 onion
– 1 clove of garlic
– 1 l (33,8 US fl oz) vegetable stock
– 4 spoonfuls of olive oil and salt
Method:
Sweat the onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add the thinly sliced mushrooms and lightly fry until done. Add the vegetable stock and boil for 20 minutes. Blend and add salt and pepper to taste. Finish off with some sprigs of parsley, for example.
4- Vegetable soup
Ingredients:
– 1 leek
– 1 onion
– 1 clove of garlic
– 1 courgette
– 1 spoonful of extra-virgin olive oil
– 200 g (7 oz) tofu
– 500 ml (16,0 US fl oz) vegetable stock
– Salt, pepper and nutmeg
Method:
Sauté the garlic, onion and leek in extra-virgin olive oil. Add salt and pepper and the vegetable stock and boil for 20 minutes. In a separate frying pan, sauté the spiralised courgette and cubed tofu with a pinch of nutmeg. Add the stock, leave for 10 minutes and serve. Top off with some croutons, if you fancy.
