Soup on a cold winters day, waht could be more satisfying? My step-kids love soup and what a great way of getting them to eat vegetables. I am by no means a chef i just love food and love to cook it. I dont follow recipes to well infatc that is why i dont really do puddings. With puddings you have to follow recipes to get things to rise, set, thicken and so on and i am more of a shove it in and see what it taistes like, i like to experiment. If you have seen the film rattoulie then im more like that especialy when it comes to soups.

Whenever i make a new soup i never tell anyone what is in it, if i did then my fussy family would turn their noses up, so i wait until they have ate it all and they are pleasantly surprised.

If you are a soup lover then experiment with me, you wont go back to tinned soups afterwards!

Cream of Artichoke Soup recipe

Cream of Artichoke Soup recipe

ingredients

2 lb (900 g) Jerusalem artichokes
2 slices of lemon
2 tbsp (1 oz) 25 g butter
4 oz (100 g) onion, skinned and chopped
2 level tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
3/4 pint (400 ml) milk
25 ml (1 1/2 tbsps) lemon juice
2 tbsp (30 ml) chopped parsley
7.5 ml (1/2 level tsps) salt
pepper
113 ml (4 fl oz) carton single cream

method
1. Wash the artichokes well and put them in a large saucepan with the lemon slices. Cover with water, bring to the boil and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain of the water and reserve 600 ml (1 pt). Allow the artichokes to cool before peeling away the skins. Roughly mash them.
2. Melt the butter in a clean saucepan, add the onion and fry until soft but not coloured. Stir in the cornflour, reserved artichoke water and milk. Stir in the artichokes.
3. Bring the sauce to the boil, stirring. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then sieve the soup or puree in an electric blender.
4. Return the soup to the saucepan. Stir in the lemon juice, parsley, seasoning and cream.
5. Bring to serving temperature.
Garnish with croutons.