RECIPE: Soup of the Day!!

I love soup. I certainly cook it once or twice a week during the winter, and we have it for lunch.
Very often it's bottom-of-the-fridge soup, with soup lentils thrown in for good measure. Sometimes it's whatever leftovers I have, reheated with a tin of tomatoes and some stock and then zuzzed (left over lasagne makes a good hearty soup!)

I've blogged the recipes for a couple of great soups recently: Mushroom, Chestnut and walnut soup here and curried leek and apple on the post before this one. Of course, there's the perrenial favourite Spicy Butternut squash soup as well, but I was pleased to find this series on the Good Housekeeping site: 10 Warming Soup Recipes

They all sound really rather delicious (although some are ones I make anyway) But here are two which definitely appealed:
SPICY TOMATO SOUP WITH HERBED FLATBREADS

• 1tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2 celery sticks, trimmed and chopped
• 1tsp mild chilli powder
• 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• 800ml (1⅓ pint) vegetable stock
• 1tsp granulated sugar
• 250g (9oz) strong white bread flour, plus extra to dust
• ½tsp fast-action dried yeast
• 1tsp mixed dried herbs
• 125g (4oz) ball of mozzarella, chopped
• Balsamic vinegar, to drizzle

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and fry the onion, carrot and celery for 8-10min until beginning to soften. Stir in the chilli powder, fry for 1min more, then add the tomatoes, stock and half the sugar. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 20min until the vegetables are tender.
2. Meanwhile, put the flour in a bowl and stir in ½tsp salt, the yeast, dried herbs and remaining sugar. Stir in 175ml (6fl oz) warm water to make a smooth dough. Tip out on to a floured surface and knead for about 5min, until the dough feels smooth and elastic. Put dough back into bowl, cover and rest for 15min.
3. Whiz the soup in a blender until smooth (do this in batches if necessary). Add a little boiling water to thin, if needed. Return to the pan, check the seasoning and set aside to reheat later.
4. Divide the dough into four equal balls. Flour the work surface and roll out each ball to make a rough 15cm (6in) circle. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Shake off any excess flour and cook each flatbread (in batches) for 5min, turning halfway through the cooking time.
5. Reheat the soup, if necessary, and divide among four bowls, top with the mozzarella and drizzle over a little oil and balsamic vinegar. Serve with the warm flatbreads.

GOLDEN LENTIL & CHORIZO SOUP:

• 50g (2oz) chorizo, cubed
• 1 large leek, finely sliced
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 125g (4oz) red lentils, washed
• 1.3 litres (2¼ pints) vegetable stock
• 1tbsp pumpkin seeds

1. Heat a large pan and fry chorizo for 2min, until it gives up some of its oil. Empty chorizo and oil into a small bowl and set aside.
2. Return pan to the heat and add leek, celery and carrots. Cook gently for 10min or until vegetables are softening. Add lentils and stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20min or until the lentils are soft.
3. Blend until smooth (in batches if needed) and return to the pan to reheat, if necessary. Check the seasoning. Serve in warmed soup bowls, topped with the chorizo, a drizzle of chorizo oil and the pumpkin seeds.