Yep I'm here with yet another soup, once upon a time I dreamt of running a soup kitchen, you can maybe see why. But at this time of year you can't beat a good filling soup. I like to make soups which are super free, giving your weight loss a boost. I will sometimes have some crab sticks or ham on the side my healthy extra b, I particularly like the swedish Krisprolls that you can have 3 of. If Im being really good I up the super free again and use crudities, celery, carrots, little gem lettuce leaves.

In this recipe you roast the cauliflower first and produces a really rich, deeply flavoured soup. I like to add some quark at the end too (partly because I cant get enough of  the stuff) as it makes it lovely and creamy but also adds a slightly sharp edge which I think works really well.

Ingredients

• 1 head of Cauliflower
• 1 Onion roughly chopped
• 4 cloves of Garlic, unpeeled
• Chicken Stock Pot
• Bay Leaf
• 1tsp Black Pepper Corns
• Quark/Greek Yogurt (optional)

Method

1. Pre heat the oven to Gas Mark 6. Break the cauliflower into florets place on a roasting tray with the onion and garlic, spray with fry light and roast for 20-30 mins. Until nicely roasted but not too dark.
2. Transfer the contents of the tray to a pan, squeeze the garlic out of its skin
3. Add hot water to an inch or so over the veg and add the stock pot, bay leaf and black pepper corns. Bring to the boil and then simmer gently for 10 minutes.
4. Remove the bay leaf and some of the pepper corns (or leave them all in if you like a good pepper kick like me!) and blend, adding hot water if you want, till you reach your desired consistency.
5. Dish out into bowls and dollop on a big spoonful of quark or greek yogurt on top and stir through.

I've not had the best week, various reasons for celebration have led to lets say a 'flexi syn' week. In an effort to not derail my efforts completely I've been trying to do a bit of Success Express, or at least make my meals fit in to the 2/3 superfree foods. At group people were talking about the super speed tomato soup with a special surprise ingredient so I thought I'd give it a whirl. 

It really couldn't be more simple and is genuinely is in the bowl ready to eat in less than 10 minutes. The ingredients sound a little bit surprising but it does make a really tasty filling soup. Make sure you give it a good long blend though otherwise the texture an be a bit grainy.

It makes quite a large amount, enough for 3/4 servings. I like to heat it up in individual portions and then I can add different finishing flavours depending on what you fancy. Some of my favourites are a swirl of balsamic vinegar, chipolte tabasco sauce, smoked paprika and yogurt.

Serve 3/4
Free EE/Green

1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 carton passatta (You can just use another tin of tomatoes if you haven't got passatta)
1 tin cooked carrots
1 tin baked beans
1 large pickled onion or a couple of smaller ones.

1. Put all the ingredients into a food processor or into a large pan
2. Blend until very smooth. You might want to add a little water to get it really smooth.
3. Either heat just a portion or the whole thing.
4. If you want add your chosen topping.

I just don't seem to be able to get away from Asian flavours at the moment, or soup for that matter, it must be an escape from this dreadful weather. Close my eyes and I'm in a distant exotic land all sunkist and happy.

I came up with this soup the last time I did slimming world and I still love it. Broccoli is so good for us and Im not that keen on it as a boiled soggy side but I love broccoli and stilton soup. I was trying to think of something else other than cheese that I could add so I thought where else to you get broccoli and thought of all the broccoli in Asian stir frys and Japanese cooking. This recipe uses soy sauce, wasabi, and zesty lime to bring the broccoli to life.

I served it today with a homemade nori roll inspired by the SW Asian cook book. An Asian take on the classic soup and a sandwich! I'll post the recipe for the roll soon. 

Serves 2 
1/2 syn per serving

Ingredients 

1 onion roughly chopped
4 cloves of garlic chopped
1" piece of ginger finely chopped
1 good head of broccoli inc stalk roughly chopped
handful of peppercorns
2 bay leaves
Vegetable stock
1 teaspoon wasabi (more to taste but it is 1 syn per teaspoon)
Juice of 1 lime

1. Soften the onions in frylight and then add the garlic and then ginger.
2. Add broccoli and fry for a moment.
3. Add the stock to just cover the vegetables, add the peppercorns and bayleaves.
4. Bring to the boil and then simmer until the vegetables are tender.
5. Remove the bayleaves and blend to your preferred texture
6. Add the wasabi and return to a simmer for a couple of minutes.
7. Take off the heat, stir through the lime juice and serve.