Soup – Scandelights

Recipe: Old-Fashioned Vegetable Soup

Published on March 7, 2022 by Hanna1 Comment

When I was little my granny looked after me until I started nursery at four years old, and I still remember being around her every day. We would grow vegetables in the garden and pick them as needed and make lunch together, all the while granny was happy and singing and playing with me. She made everything fun and lighthearted and was such a joy to be around.

I miss her so. But through memories our dear ones live on.

She made a version of this soup quite often, and often boiling a piece of meat first to have on the side and using the broth for the soup. I don’t remember the taste of the meat very well, but the soup has stuck with me and a while ago I decided to recreate it with the vegetables I had on hand.

I started with softening some leeks, then adding carrots and potatoes, cubed small, and cooked until almost soft in homemade chicken stock. Then I added the kale and peas and adjusted the seasoning and removed the bay leaf. It’s probably the most classic vegetable soup there is, and each family have their own version. It’s similar to French pot au feu and the addition of pesto or pistou when serving would work really well. Or just eat it plain tasting each vegetable as it hits your tongue.

Old-fashioned vegetable soup, serves 2

1 tbsp butter or mild olive oil

1 leek, washed, but in half lengthways and then sliced quite thinly

2 medium carrots, peeled and cubed small

2 medium firm potatoes, such as Maris Piper, peeled and cubed small

750 ml -1 litre chicken stock, to cover

1 bay leaf

100 ml frozen petit pois

2 strands of kale, stalks removed and leafs torn into bite size pieces

salt and pepper

Add the butter or oil to a medium-large saucepan and sweat the leeks without browning, for a few minutes until soft. Add the cubed potatoes and carrots and fry for a minute or so in the oil. Add the stock to cover the vegetables generously. Add a bay leaf, put a lid on and bring to the boil. Lower the temperature to medium-low and put the lid half on. Let it cook for approx 10 minutes or until the carrots and potatoes are cooked but still a bit firm. Add the kale and peas and cook for a minute or so. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaf and serve.

Updated: Jerusalem Artichoke Soup 3.0 – with the Best Topping!

Published on November 28, 2019 by HannaLeave a comment

Even though I obviously think about other things too (work, skincare, loved ones) food is on my mind a lot. I don’t actively think about it all the time but sometimes thoughts about food are idling in the background until they need my attention.

And it was one of those idling thoughts that led to the discovery of the best topping for my favourite soup!

I have used prosciutto crumbs a lot lately (because they’re so so delicious!!) and suddenly it hit me that maybe they would work as topping for my creamy Jerusalem artichoke too? And yes, they did!

They’re not as salty as bacon (tried that but it didn’t work for me), yet offer a nice texture (unlike fried mushrooms – tried that too!) and they accompany my already favourite topping of chopped shallots perfectly.

Soooo, let me introduce you to my newly perfected Jerusalem soup recipe – with that wonderful new topping! Hope you like it too!

Jerusalem artichoke soup 3.0, serves 4 as a starter

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 tbsp butter

750 g Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and cut into similar sized pieces

water

1/2 good-quality stock cube (chicken or vegetable)

100 ml double cream

salt and pepper

Topping:

3 slices prosciutto

1 shallots, finely chopped

Fry the onions until soft in the butter without browning. Add the Jerusalem artichokes and fry for a minute. Cover with boiling water. Add salt and the stock cube and bring to the boil. Once the Jerusalem artichokes are soft, drain half the cooking liquid but keep it aside. Purée the Jerusalem artichokes and remaning water (adding more of the cooking water if needed) until you have a thick soup. Add the cream to the soup and bring it to the boil again. Season to taste.

While the soup is underway, pre-heat the oven to 200C. Place the prosciutto slices on a baking parchment covered tray and let them crisp up in the oven for approx 5 minutes. Leave to cool and chop it into crumbs.

Divide the soup between four bowls. Add chopped shallots and prosciutto crumbs.

Recipe: green pea soup with creme fraîche and bleak roe

Published on May 24, 2019 by HannaLeave a comment

I know, green pea soup is nothing new. But, it’s really delicious (and nutritious!) and made even more delicious topped with creme fraîche and bleak roe.

Mamma had this at a restaurant and told me how the combination really works, so obviously I took her word for it and tried it too!

And now, I hope you take my word for it too. Because it really does work and makes this lovely soup even more dinner party worthy than it was before.

A note on bleak roe. I realise it’s a fairly Swedish ingredient, but any nice of fish roe or caviar would work here. It’s that slightly salty tang that works so well with the creaminess of the soup.

Green pea soup with creme fraîche and bleak roe, serves 2

1 small shallot, finely chopped

1 tbsp neutral oil

300 g frozen petit pois

water to cover

a dash of concentrated vegetable or chicken stock

100 ml cream

approx 3 tbsp dry white wine

To serve:

2 tbsp full fat creme fraiche

2 tbsp bleak roe

Heat up a sauce pan and add oil. Add the onions and fry on medium heat without browning. Add the frozen peas to the pan and just about cover them with water. Bring to the boil and let it boil for a minute or two. Drain but keep the water on the side. Blitz the peas with about two small ladles of the water until you have a too-thick soup. Pour it back into the pan, add cream, wine and stock and bring to the boil again. Add more liquid if the soup is too thick. Season. With two spoons shape eggs of the creme fraîche and place in bowls. Do the same with bleak roe and place on top. Place on the table and pour in the soup.

Recipe: broccoli cheddar soup

Published on December 4, 2018December 4, 2018 by HannaLeave a comment

I love broccoli! Which you can see in the archives here at Scandelights. And luckily broccoli is one of those rare vegetables that both taste nice AND is good for you. Hurrah!

This soup, however, might be more good for the soul than the waist, as it has a hefty amount of cheese in it. But, isn’t that what we need this time of year?! Something warm and comforting in a bowl, that’s both delicious and nutritious (thanks to the broccoli).

Broccoli cheddar soup, serves 4-6

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s recipe.

4 tbsp butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

60 ml plain flour

120 ml milk

120 ml cream

950 ml vegetable or chicken stock (from a good quality cube is fine)

1 bay leaf

salt and black pepper

565 g broccoli, finely chopped

1 large carrot, finely chopped

225 g grated mature cheddar + extra for garnish

Melt the butter in a large saucepan on medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes, then gradually whisk in the milk and cream until smooth. Add the stock, bay leaf, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

Add the broccoli and carrot to the pan and simmer until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and adjust seasoning if needed, but keep in mind the cheese will add some salt as well. Mix the soup with a stick blender to your desired texture. Back on the stove, add cheese and whisk until melted, about 1 minute.

Serve in bowls, garnished with grated cheddar. Serve with crusty bread.

Recipe: Lobster soup with toast

Published on March 24, 2017March 24, 2017 by HannaLeave a comment

For New Year’s Eve my assignment was to make a lobster soup with sherry, so that’s what I set out to do. But as I needed lobster shell for the stock I thought it best to incorporate the lobster meat as well and did so by serving a delicious lobster toast (on butter-fried bread!) along side it. So yummy!

Obviously one can make the soup sans toast the day after a lobster feast or freeze the shells and use them another day. Same goes for prawn shells; you find a great recipe for prawn soup here.

Lobster soup, serves 8

4 cooked lobsters

2 carrots

1 onion with skin on

1 fennel or celery

a bunch dill stalks

1 tsp fennel seeds

300 ml double cream

50 ml dry sherry

approx 2 tbsp maizena or corn starch to thicken the soup

concentrated lobster stock (to taste)

———-

1 tbsp butter

a splash of sherry

2 shallots, finely chopped

1/2 bunch dill, finely chopped

Remove the lobster meat from the shells and set aside. Chop the shells very coarsley (it’s only so they fit better in the pan later). Place the shell in a large cooking tray with a little oil. Also add large pieces of carrot, onion and celery/fennel. Roast for approx 20 minutes on 180/200C. Transfer the shells and vegetables to a large saucepan with a lid. Add plenty of water (3 litres) and bring to the boil. Add dill stalks and fennel seeds. Place the lid askew and cook for 30-45 minutes.

Sieve the stock and reduce (high heat, no lid) until approx 1 litre remains. Add salt and pepper and taste. Add some concentrated lobster stock if needed. Add the sherry to a clean non-stick pan and let it bubble for a minute. Add the stock and cream and let it thicken. Add the maizena/corn starch to thicken the soup further. Sieve if you see any lumps. Season to taste with concentrate, salt, pepper and sherry.

From the lobster meat I used approx 1/4 of the meat, the smallest pieces, to place in the soup bowls. Melt the butter in a pan and add the chopped shallots. After a minute add the lobster meat and add the sherry. Add salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat and add the dill. Divide between the bowls and pour in the soup.

Lobster toast, serves 8

6 slices white bread

2 tbsp butter

remaining lobster meat from the 4 lobsters

1 batch homemade mayonnaise

1 tsp dijon

1 bunch, finely chopped

1 pinch cayenne pepper

salt, pepper

Chop the lobster meat (not too finely). Add 4 tbsp mayonnaise to a bowl and mix in the meat. Add more mayo if needed. Add mustard, dill and cayenne after taste. Season. Place cold until serving.

Remove the crusts on the bread and cut into two diagonally. Fry the slices golden brown on both sides in butter on medium-low heat. Divide the lobster mayonnaise between the toasts and serve with the soup.

Recipe: udon noodles with spinach and poached egg

Published on November 21, 2016 by HannaLeave a comment

This simple and very comforting dish (funny how foods not involving melted cheese can be comforting, but they can!) I found in Vogue of all places, i.e. not where I usually get my food inspiration from, but it’s nice they write about food as well as fashion.

The only slightly daunting part of this meal is poaching eggs, but if you have the freshest of eggs and a slotted spoon you’re halfway there. Further instructions here.

Udon noodles with spinach and poached egg, serves 1

1 portion udon noodles, cooked according to the instructions on the packet

2 handfuls fresh spinach

200-300 ml vegetable or chicken stock

1 poached egg

Heat up the stock. Blanch the spinach in boiling water and squeeze it dry. Pour the stock into a bowl. Add noodles and spinach and lastly the poached egg. Sprinkle with chilli flakes or Aleppo pepper.

Recipe: cream of mushroom soup with sherry

Published on October 24, 2016 by Hanna1 Comment

This creamy mushrooms soup with sherry is a new favourite of mine. The humble ingredients really come together here creating a delicious soup, definitely worthy of becoming your next dinner party starter but also perfect for a warming weeknight supper with some crunchy bread to go with it.

Cream of mushroom soup with sherry, serves 2

1/2 onion, sliced

1 small garlic clove, sliced

oil and butter for frying

250 g chestnut mushrooms, cut into quarters

50-75 ml fino sherry

300-400 ml boiling water

1/2 stock cube

salt

1 proper sprig of thyme

5 pieces dried porcini mushrooms

30 ml single cream

salt, white pepper

Fry the onion and garlic until soft in the butter and oil in a large saucepan, without browning too much. Add the mushrooms and fry for a few minutes until the mushrooms have shrunk somewhat. Add the sherry and let some of it evaporate. Add the water and stock cube, a small pinch of salt and the thyme. Also add the dried porcini. Bring to the boil and let it boil for 5 minutes.

Remove the thyme and then mix everything until smooth in a blender. Pour the soup back into the saucepan and add the cream. Bring to the boil again and add the cream. Season with salt and white pepper. Serve in bowls and garnish with a few drops of cream and a sprig of thyme.

Kale soup with pork quenelles

Published on January 15, 2016 by HannaLeave a comment

This, dear fellow foodies, is old-fashioned Swedish peasant food. In a good way. Perfect for this cold time of year this soup is warming and nourishing and so are the pork quenelles, which are basically meatballs cooked in stock instead of pan-fried.

Please note that the quenelles takes longer to make than the soup, so do start with these. If you think the quenelles are strange or you don’t eat meat, garnish your soup with medium-boiled eggs instead. Cut them in half and put them in the soup – it’s also delicious and another common way to eat the soup.

Kale soup, serves 4

Adapted from Hannu Sarenström’s recipe in the book Vinterkalas.

ca 375 g chopped fresh kale

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp plain flour

1 litre chicken or vegetable stock

100 ml cream

salt, black pepper

Melt the butter in a large saucepan, stir in the flour and add the stock little by little while stirring. Add the kale and let simmer for 10 minutes. Mix with a stick blender and add the cream. Bring to the boil and season to taste.

Pork quenelles, serves 4-6

500 g pork mince

1 egg

100 ml breadcrumbs

1-2 tbsp water

salt, white pepper

1 onion, finely chopped

1,5 litre chicken stock (from a cube is fine)

Break the egg into a bowl and stir in breadcrumbs. Add salt (more than you think) and white pepper. Let the mixture swell for a few minutes. If the mixture is thick add 1-2 tbsp water to loosen it. Stir in the chopped onions and the mince. Mix well and roll the mince into 2 cm thick balls. Rinse your hands in between rolling to make it easier.

Bring the stock to the boil in a large saucepan and let it simmer. Add the quenelles and let them simmer for approx 15 minutes (check with a knife that they’re cooked through, i.e. not pink in the middle). Remove with a slotted spoon and add to the soup bowls. Fill up with kale soup and serve.

Pappa al pomodoro with burrata

Published on June 18, 2013June 18, 2013 by Hanna1 Comment

Although I utterly adore this simple Italian bread and tomato soup, I haven’t made it myself until recently. I saw no point cooking this with flavourless winter tomatoes, but now when the tomatoes (at least the forced ones) are in season again I just couldn’t wait any longer to make it.

But I will admit it might work even better in the autumn when there are sunwarm tomatoes aplenty but the outside temperatures have dropped slightly. However, serving the pappa al pomodoro with a cold, creamy and mild burrata makes the dish a whole lot more summery. (I have the wonderful restaurant Zucca to thank for that idea.) And you don’t have to serve the soup piping hot either, it is nice when just warm too.

Pappa al pomodoro, serves 2-3

2 medium tomatoes

4 small garlic cloves

1 bunch basil

3-5 tbsp of good quality olive oil

salt and black pepper

400 g tinned tomatoes (whole or chopped)

200 ml water

200 g stale white bread, sourdough or farmhouse style bread

To serve: burrata

Cube the tomatoes and chop half the garlic and add to an ovenproof tray. Also add a third of the basil and drizzle with olive oil. Season. Roast in 200C oven for 20 minutes.

Chop the rest of the basil and garlic. Add to a saucepan and fry in olive oil for a minute or so. Add the tinned tomatoes and water. Bring to the boil and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Break the bread into chunks and add to the soup. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the roasted tomatoes (oil, garlic and all) and mix well. Remove from heat, add olive oil and season to taste. Garnish with some more chopped basil and the burrata.

Potato soup with lemon and truffle ricotta

Published on February 28, 2013 by Hanna1 Comment

I am definitely a seasonal eater, both in terms of produce and in terms of what type of food I fancy. During spring and summer I can’t get enough of fresh salads, and in the winter it feels like no amount of hot soup can warm me up enough, so I eat it all the time.

This time, in between winter and spring, I crave lighter foods such as salads combined with warm hearty dishes to warm me up. But not too hearty. Instead I try and make those dishes seem lighter by adding lemon or just some fresh parsley. In this soup I used both and some ricotta and truffle oil, and yes, the soup really is like that warmer spring coat you start to wear when you just can’t stand the heavy winter coats anymore; it still keeps you warm but doesn’t feel that heavy.

Potato soup with lemon and truffle ricotta, serves 4 as a starter or 2-3 as a maincourse

4 large potatoes, Maris Piper or King Edward

1/2 red onion

chicken or vegetable stock

50 ml milk

50 ml single cream

zest from 1/2 lemon

salt, black pepper

To serve:

100 g ricotta

truffle oil

chopped parsley

salt, black pepper

Peel the potatoes and cut into equal sized pieces. Rinse the starch away. Slice or chop the onion roughly and fry without browning in some oil in a large pan. Add the potatoes and fry without browning for a minute or so. Pour in the stock so it just about cover the potatoes. Boil with the lid half on for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are very soft. Mix until you have a smooth puree. Add milk and cream and bring to the boil. Adjust the thickness with more milk or stock. Add the lemon zest, salt and pepper.

Mix the ricotta with enough truffle oil for the flavour to really come through. Season.

Pour the soup into bowls. Add a spoonful of ricotta, drizzle with a few drops of truffle oil and dust with some chopped parsley.