Souper Special Guest: Melissa Hemsley
a mini soup-masterclass
Earlier this Autumn, I spent a cosy afternoon with the lovely Melissa Hemsley, self-taught chef, best-selling cookbook author, real food activist, sustainability champion, and overall wonderful human being. We met up to chat and cook each other soups from our respective cookbooks; my There’s a Soup for That, and Melissa’s Sunday Times Bestseller (!!!), Real Healthy (both of which, might we add, make FABULOUS holiday gifts, *hint hint*)! We’re also doing a little giveaway so tell us your favourite soup on our Instagram video, or in the comments below, to enter (UK only, closes December 6).
As you’ll have seen from our video, we had a lot of fun (with some guest appearances by Summer!) and made 2 quick, easy, healthy, and delicious soups. The fact that they were both rather brown soups was a complete coincidence, but don’t let that deter you!
Without further ado, here’s a (non-exhaustive) list of quickfire tips and tricks from two certified soup fanatics.
Melissa
Make more than you need. It will last 3-4 days covered in fridge or freeze for a rainy day. It is the perfect food to batch-cooked to see you through busy weeks.
Go for it on toppings. I like roasted chickpeas, toasted seeds and fried Halloumi “croutons”.
Finish serving up your soup with a good quality fat source, eg a swirl of really good extra virgin oil, a dollop of lemony yoghurt or some spiced salted butter.
Theresa
Use (almost) everything - if you have some spinach that’s too wilted to use for a salad, its perfect for soup! Don’t peel your root veg, just scrub them clean (and cut off the ends). Use bones to make stock, use parmesan rinds to add umami. Reduce food waste and o“
Experiment and explore! Soup is forgiving. If you oversalt it, a glug of water should help (or a peeled potato, popped into the simmering soup for about 20 minutes, then removed).
If you have leftover soup and you’re bored of the flavours, use different add-ins to change it up (more on that below…). Turn one soup into several soups!
Melissa
Don’t feel you need to blend a soup, sometimes I have them smooth, sometimes I like them chunky, sometimes half and half. Whatever suits your mood, do it. If you’re feeling lazy and don’t want to dirty and wash up the blender, you do you!
Don’t go hungry. Make soups satisfying by adding a hearty ingredient like grains, chickpeas, lentils, beans.
Don’t forget soup is special! I love serving soup to friends. Some of my favourite dinners have been a great big soup served straight from the pot in the middle of the table with butter and bread and alongside a fantastic salad. Perfect.
Theresa
Don’t rush stock. Building up flavour takes time! Also, don’t throw out the fat that comes from cooking stock. It’s schmaltz and it can be used for cooking!
Don’t let your soup be boring! A bowl of blended soup on its own will not satisfy you for lunch - you need something chewy or crunchy on top.
Don’t skimp on seasoning - salt (and good fat) bring out maximum flavour.
Melissa:
I made a dangerously spicy soup once for a journalist when they came over for an interview. I had no time to cook anything else. I ended up adding coconut milk and hoping for the best, and it was all good, I think, although by that time I was too anxious and lost the use of all my senses.
Theresa:
A few years ago we had a brutally hot summer, and I was always on the lookout for variations on gazpacho. I had the usual gazpacho suspects in my fridge, along with a head of romaine lettuce, and decided to blend it all up. I’m not sure what was worse - the colour (a putrid brown/green) or the taste (extremely bitter). Do not try this at home!
Melissa:
Cheese always saves the day - crumble feta, grate Parmesan, fry Halloumi cubes
Pink Pickled onions - see my soup recipe below!
Spiced butter - toast some spices, add butter, add salt, let it foam then pour over your soup
Theresa:
Chili crunch. I put this on everything!
A squeeze of lemon or lime livens up a super savoury soup, a dollop of creme fraiche or yoghurt to lend body and creaminess to a lighter soup.
A drizzle of oil - olive oil, sesame oil, herb oil. Looks pretty and adds flavour.
When in doubt, something crunchy on top: nuts or seeds, croutons, fried veggie skins.
Melissa:
Olives
Extra virgin olive oil
Red lentils
Theresa:
Flaky salt
Chili crisp
Coconut milk
Melissa:
Peas
Berries
Edamame
Theresa:
Dumplings
Sliced sourdough bread
Butter (in the summer, I buy 1-2 kilos of butter from a farmer in the alps, portion it, and freeze it! Butter forever!)
Melissa:
Focaccia and loads of olive oil.
Theresa:
Freshly baked German rye bread with a generous amount of butter and flaky salt.
Melissa:
My * throw it together* red lentil dahl with frozen peas.
Theresa:
Dumplings (from the freezer) or ravioli in broth.
Melissa:
Filipino chicken tinola with tons of onions, garlic and ginger.
Theresa:
A from-scratch chicken soup. If I spend half a day on a soup, I really care about you!
Melissa: I’m going to say pho. It’s just the greatest soup. My friend the chef Uyen Luu makes the best ones.
Theresa:
Same here!!! The idea of making pho at home really intimidates me, so it’s something I love to eat out for. My favourite is actually in Berlin - Madame Ngo in Charlottenburg.
Melissa:
It’s quick, it’s based on a tin of black beans and it’s super delicious and feel good.
Theresa:
I love how it turns super simple ingredients into a really complex soup, in a really short time! I’m a relatively new mushroom-lover, and the umami that comes from these little forest treasures blows my mind! Combined with lightly caramelised miso onions, and just a few other easy ingredients, it’s a wholesome and warming bowl.
Servings: 2
Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
300g cherry tomatoes
2 cloves of spring onions
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 400g tin of black beans, drained and rinsed
500ml vegetable or chicken stock
1 lime
Salt and black pepper
For Toppings:
1 avocado, sliced
Handful of fresh coriander leaves
Quick pickled red onions
I large red onion, thinly sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
Instructions:
Set a large pan over high heat and add olive oil. Once hot, add cherry tomatoes. Cook for 3 minutes until blistered and charred, stirring occasionally after a couple of minutes to give tomatoes a chance to char slightly. Remove tomatoes and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium, add spring onions and season with salt and pepper. Fry for 2 minutes until beginning to soften.
Add cumin and coriander seeds, fry for 1 minute until fragrant. Add black beans and pour in stock. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes while preparing toppings.
Squeeze half lime juice into broth, taste for seasoning. Add more lime juice if needed.
Ladle into bowls and top with avocado, fresh coriander, and pickled red onions if using.
Add the sliced red onion and the lemon juice to a small bowl with a pinch of salt and scrunch the onions to soften. Set aside to quick-pickle. Note: Quick pickled red onions can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to a week.
Servings: 4
Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
4 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp white miso paste
750g chestnut mushrooms (can use others, chestnut are just the most accessible), roughly chopped
750ml vegetable or mushroom stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
For Garnish:
Handful of chopped herbs (dill, chives, parsley)
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Instructions:
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté for 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
Add garlic, miso paste, and remaining oil. Sauté for another 3 minutes until the miso begins to caramelize.
Add the mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender.
Pour in the stock and bring to a boil, then remove from heat.
Using an immersion blender or countertop blender, purée until smooth. If soup is too thick, add more stock. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Divide soup between 4 bowls. Mix the herbs with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and spoon over each serving.
Note: If using a countertop blender, be careful when blending hot liquids and work in batches if necessary.
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Great 1 to 1 :)