1 leek, chopped
1 potato, chopped
1 bunch watercress
½ tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
Chicken stock or water
Sour cream or live plain yogurt
Lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the butter and olive oil in a heavy-based pan.

Add the potato and gently cook for 5-10 minutes. Add the leek, put a lid on the pan and sweat the vegetables for a further 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add enough stock to amply cover the vegetables – you can cover them with water and put a stock cube in if you don’t have real stock. Add more water or stock if you like your soup thinner.

Simmer with a lid on until the vegetables are soft. Add the watercress, simmer for 3 minutes, then blend and serve with a dollop of yogurt or crème fraiche, a squeeze of lemon juice and pepper to taste. Serves 2.

3 zucchini, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, chopped small
Chicken stock or water
1/2 cup double (heavy or whipping) cream
4-5 basil leaves, torn into smaller pieces
A small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2-3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan. Add the zucchini and garlic and sweat or cook gently until the zucchini are soft and golden-brown – this takes about 25 minutes.

Add enough stock or water to amply cover the vegetables and simmer for a few minutes.

Blend around three quarters of the soup until pureed and return to the pan with the rest.

Add the cream, a grind or two of pepper, herbs and Parmesan. Stir in and serve. Serves 2.

Full of lycopene-rich tomatoes, this simple yet richly-flavored soup is good both hot in winter and chilled in summer.

1 lb. ripe tomatoes, quartered
1 small onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 fat garlic clove, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 small bay leaf
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 tablespoons crème fraiche, sour cream or live plain yogurt
Salt and freshly-ground pepper

Boil a saucepan of water, remove from the heat, and put the tomatoes in the water. Remove after 1 minute and peel off the skins.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based pan. Add the onion and carrot and cook for 3-4 minutes until slightly softened.

Add the tomatoes, garlic and herbs. Reduce the heat and simmer with a lid on for 30 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf and blend the soup. Serve with the cream or yogurt.

Make this soup when the vegetables are in season – try to get vine-ripened organic tomatoes rich in taste.

1 slice slightly stale whole meal bread, soaked in cold water for 20 minutes
1 lb. ripe, red tomatoes, chopped
3 spring onions or 1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cucumber, peeled
1/3 red bell pepper, chopped
1/3 green or yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
Parsley to garnish

Blend all of the ingredients in a blender except for the bread. Squeeze out the bread, tear it into chunks, and blend it in with the rest. Pass the soup through a fine sieve. Chill in the refrigerator before serving. Garnish with the parsley. Serves 2.

1 lb. medium beets
1 clove garlic
1 small onion, chopped small
1 carrot, chopped small
1-2 tablespoons dill, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
1-2 tablespoons crème fraiche or sour cream
1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 400F. Wrap the beets in foil and roast for 1.5-2 hours or until tender (you should be able to poke a skewer through the beets easily). Set aside to cool, then chop.

Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan and add the onion and garlic. Cook gently for around 5-10 minutes or until soft. Add the carrot and beetroot, stir in, and then add the stock. Simmer for around 45 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Blend and serve with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraiche, a generous squeeze of lemon juice, and the dill.

1 small onion, chopped
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped (alternatively you can use butternut squash)
2 large carrots, chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
Chicken or vegetable stock

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based pan, add the onion, and cook on a low heat for a few minutes. Add the sweet potato, carrots and spices. Cook on a low heat for 5-7 minutes or until starting to soften, stirring from time to time.

Add enough stock to cover the vegetables and simmer until they are soft. Put in the blender and blend until smooth. Serve with a dollop of live yogurt or crème fraiche.

2-3 sweet potatoes or 1 butternut squash
2-3 carrots
1-2 tablespoons groundnut oil
1 tin coconut milk
½ organic chicken stock cube
1 tablespoon red Thai curry paste
1 small knob ginger, finely chopped/minced
1 fat clove garlic, finely chopped/minced
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
Live plain yogurt

Cut the sweet potatoes and carrots or squash into small pieces.

Gently heat the oil in a heavy-based pan and add the vegetables, ginger, and garlic, and sweat for 5 minutes or a little longer until they start to soften, stirring from time to time.

Add the curry paste and stir in. Add the coconut milk, stock cube, and some water if required (depending on how thin or thick you want the soup to be).

Simmer until the vegetables are soft, put in the blender, and serve with the cilantro and a spoonful of yogurt. Serves 2-3.

1/2 cup uncooked noodles (e.g., buckwheat, wheat, or brown rice)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 small onion or shallot, chopped very small
1 clove garlic, chopped
2-3 cups water
1 tablespoon tamari sauce (if not gluten-sensitive, you can substitute soy sauce)
1 heaping tablespoon white miso paste (found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store)
1/2 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup green beans, sliced

Cook the noodles as directed. Take care not to overcook them or they will go overly soft when added to the hot soup. Heat sesame oil in a heavy-based pan and add the onions. Cook for one minute, then add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the water, tamari sauce and miso paste and bring to a boil. Add the vegetables and cook for 2-3 minutes so they are still crunchy. Add the noodles and serve. Add additional tamari sauce to taste if necessary. Serves 2.