Soups are the food most people associate with cooler weather, even in summer a bowl of cold soup can be very refreshing.

However, with winter approaching, I will concentrate this month on the soups which give you that nice warm glow.

I love making soups . . . the sight of all the lovely healthy ingredients really gets the taste buds going. Also, soups are an excellent way of using the glut of summer vegetables and, since soups freeze well, you can make them in the summer and microwave them in cooler months.  They are also ideal for using up left over food –  the prime example being turkey soup after Christmas or, as we call it, Christmas dinner soup . . . as everything goes into it!

The base of most soups is a good stock, and it’s best when homemade, which is very easy to do but takes a few hours. You can get some good stock cubes, which are fine if you are in a hurry, but remember they can be rather salty.

To make a stock, use vegetables, meat and/or fish, and simmer for a couple of hours. The vegetables do not need to be peeled, and you can use any trimmings you have collected, including those too-small-to-peel garlic cloves.

The best vegetables to use are onions, carrots, potatoes, garlic, celery with the tops and parsley, or any other fresh herbs.

If you are using chicken, the skin can be included, as it does add more flavour (the disadvantage is that it adds more fat). Also, after you have picked all the meat, you can put the whole carcass in, as the bones add more calcium.

Add water and seasoning, bring to a boil and simmer for a couple of hours. When ready, strain the stock and leave to cool. It is best kept in the fridge overnight, and the fat can be skimmed off in the morning. Use the stock as required, or freeze it.

Another good tip is to pour some into an ice cube tray and freeze, to use as your own home-made stock cubes.

The first of the two recipes this month is one of my favourites, as every bit of the cauliflower is used in this:

Cauliflower Soup with Roquefort

For four to six servings you will need:

1 medium cauliflower.
50g Roquefort, crumbled or use any other blue cheese.
3 bay leaves
30g butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
1 large leek, trimmed, washed and chopped
100g potatoes, peeled chopped and diced

For the garnish use chopped chives, parsley or croutons, and a swirl of cream or yoghurt.

1. Trim the cauliflower and cut into small florets. Take all the trimmings, stalks etc. and put into a saucepan with 1 ½ litres of water, the bay leaves and some salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

2. In another pan melt the butter and add the onion, celery, leek and potato; cover and sweat gently for 15 minutes.

3. Over a low heat, strain the stock into the pan with the vegetables. You can add the bay leaves if you want, but throw away the rest of the trimmings.

4. Add the cauliflower florets and simmer for 25-30 minutes uncovered.

5. Remove the bay leaves and leave to cool a little then process the soup until fairly smooth, but still with some texture.

(At this point you can leave the soup overnight, as to allow the flavours to develop.).

6. Warm gently, and pour into the soup bowls, then add the crumbled cheese so that it melts slightly in the heat. Top with your herbs and add a swirl of cream or yoghurt.

Curried Chicken and Asparagus Soup.

Serves 4

2 cooked chicken breasts, chopped into bite sized pieces.
1 chicken stock cube dissolved in 750ml of boiling water
30g butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 leek, trimmed, washed and chopped
2 tbsp plain flour
2 tsp curry powder, or more to taste
½ tsp ground cumin
1 ½ cups milk
440g can asparagus spears, drained and cut into small pieces.

1. Melt the butter gently, add the onions and leeks and sweat for about 10 minutes.

2. Stir in the flour, curry powder and cumin and cook gently for one minute stirring all the time.

3. Very slowly add the stock using a small whisk to avoid lumps and then add the milk.

4. Heat for 5 to 10 minutes until thickened. Add the chicken and asparagus, heat gently until warmed through.

Pour into the soup bowls and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

As with all soups, serve with some delicious, warm, crusty bread.

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