27/12/2011

Christmas Dinner Soup

The best thing about Christmas Dinner is ...

Leftovers!

Pack away the turkey and collect up all the vegetables.

Spend Boxing Day with the rest of the family and have the 27th as a day of rest ... your evening meal is covered.

How?

Simple! Just bung all the vegetables that you collected into a large soup pan, pour over water, blend ... blend really well, add some spices, like ground coriander, cayenne pepper and chilli powder, some sea salt and warm it through.

Really, it's that easy - all the great flavours from all those vegetables: boiled carrots, boiled Brussels sprouts, steamed cauliflower, steamed green beans, stringless beans & peas (thanks, Mark), baked potatoes (thanks, Paul), fried off parsnips, boiled red cabbage reduced in port and simmered with beetroot, red onion & grapes, bacon, chestnuts and just a touch of cranberry sauce for sweetness.

Serve out into a wide bowl and pour over a swirl of double cream if you're happy with dairy.

Likewise, drop in some good chunks of blue cheese - stilton (too "Christmassy"?), go for Dolcelate, Saint Agur, something much creamier ...