Ingredients:

* 4 shallots, peeled and chopped

* 1 large clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

* 30g butter

* 1kg cauliflower florets

* sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

* 1.5 litres good vegetable or chicken stock

* 400ml full-fat milk

* ½ tsp grated nutmeg, plus extra for sprinkling

* 1 bay leaf

* 100ml double cream

* copped chives or parsley for garnish

Method:

1. Gently fry the shallots and garlic in a large saucepan in the butter until softened but not coloured, 2-3 minutes. Add the cauliflower and plenty of seasoning, cover and cook over a low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, then pour in the milk, add the nutmeg and bay leaf and simmer until the cauliflower is tender, about 20 minutes.

3. Discard the bay leaf, then blend the soup in batches in a processor or liquidiser until smooth. Pour into a saucepan, add the cream and gently reheat. Ladle the soup into bowls,  sprinkle with extra nutmeg and garnish with chives or parsley.

4. Serve with croutons, toast or savoury muffins.

Ingredient:

2 teaspoons of vegetable oil

1 tablespoon of Thai red curry paste

4 cups of chicken stock

400 mls can of coconut milk

1 piece of ginger, peeled, about 5 cm

2 pieces of boneless, skinless chicken meat (breasts)

2 teaspoon of brown sugar

2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon of fish sauce

Chopped vegetables such as carrots, broccoli and celery

2 tablespoons of chopped fresh coriander

1 small bunch of Thai basil leaves

Method:

Cut the chicken meat into cubes of about 1 inch in size.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the curry paste and cook quickly for about 30 seconds without burning it. Add the stock, coconut milk and ginger and bring it to a boil. Add the chicken, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Add the sugar, lime juice, fish sauce and vegetables. Turn heat up and cook until vegetables are just cooked but still crunchy, about 5 minutes. Stir in basil leaves and pour into bowls. Top each soup bowl with cilantro and serve with rice.

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken broth

3 potatoes, peeled and diced

2 leeks, diced

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, diced

500 g bacon sliced

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

Method:

1.Combine broth, potatoes, leeks, onion, carrots, bacon, parsley, salt, pepper and bay leaf in slow cooker; mix well.

2.Cover; cook on LOW 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH 4 to 5 hours in slow cooker, OR simmer in a pot for an hour, OR cook in pressure cooker for 20 mins.

3.Remove and discard bay leaf. Combine 1/2 cup hot liquid from slow cooker with sour cream in small bowl. Add sour cream mixture to slow cooker; mix well. (optional)

Ingredients:

(serves 4)

2 lb/ 1 kg green or white asparagus

1 oz/ 25 g unsalted butter

4 shallots, trimmed, peeled and finely chopped

2 pints/ 1 litre mild vegetable stock

2 tablespoons mixture of fresh tarragon, chervil and chives, finely chopped

1 teaspoon celery salt

Freshly ground white pepper

Fine sea salt (optional)

9 fl oz/ 250 ml crème fraiche or single cream

Method:

1. Snap off the woody stems from asparagus spears, and discard them (or use them to make stock).

2. Cut the asparagus into approximately 3-inch pieces. Steam for around 3 to 4 minutes. Refresh in cold water and set aside.

3. Melt the butter in a soup pot, and sauté the shallots for 2 or 3 minutes on medium heat. Add the cooked asparagus pieces, and stir for another minute or two.

4. Add the stock, most of the herbs (reserve a few for garnish), celery salt, and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat, cover with lid, and simmer for 30 minutes. The asparagus should be very tender. Let the soup cool slightly.

5. Blitz the soup in a food processor until smooth, then sieve into a clean saucepan. Pour in the crème fraiche or cream. Heat gently, but do not allow to boil. Season with white pepper. Taste the soup – it should already have enough salt because of the vegetable stock and celery salt, but add some sea salt if necessary.

6. Ladle the soup into individual bowls and garnish with the remaining fresh herbs. Add swirls of extra crème fraiche or cream if desired, and serve immediately.

Note: Ideally, this soup is made with the finest ingredients: locally grown asparagus from the farmers’ market, the freshest artisan-made unsalted butter and cream, home-made vegetable stock (or asparagus cooking water), and a shower of the sprightliest of spring herbs from the garden.

Use green or white asparagus according to preference: the French value the white variety for its superior flavour, whereas the English believe green asparagus tastes finer. Serve the soup with rustic French country bread or good-quality baguette – warmed, and smeared, if you like, with a little Dijon or wholegrain mustard. Or use the whole bread as a serving dish by taking the core out.

Ingredients:

(serves 4)

* 1/2 kg peeled and deveined large shrimp

* 1 tablespoon salt-free Thai seasoning

* Cooking spray

* 1 cup refrigerated prechopped tricolor bell pepper

* 2 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

* 1 tablespoon fish sauce

* 400 g can light coconut milk

* 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

* Chopped fresh coriander

Method:

1. Sprinkle shrimp with Thai seasoning; toss well. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; coat pan and shrimp with cooking spray. Add shrimp to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until shrimp are almost done. Remove shrimp from pan; set aside. Coat pan with cooking spray; add bell pepper, and sauté 2 minutes.

2. Add chicken broth and fish sauce to bell pepper in pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Stir in coconut milk and reserved shrimp. Cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in lime juice. Stir in cilantro, if desired.