Orange, Carrot and Thyme Soup

Why make this soup in January? It will help you fight against the frosty cold temperatures. It costs very little, which is surely ideal when we’re all rather broke from Christmas and New Year partying! But also, it’s the time of year when oranges and carrots are in season. Forget your standard carrot and coriander soup by engrossing yourself in this cauldron of sweet carrot, zesty orange and warming bold thyme flavours.

Serves 4:

Knob of butter

1 onion, sliced

1 garlic clove, crushed

700g carrots, thinly sliced

1 litre vegetable stock

A large pinch of cumin

150ml orange juice

2 tsp. dried thyme

Salt

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Then add the carrots, onions and garlic. Cover with a lid on a low heat, until the vegetable have softened but not coloured (about 12 minutes).

2. Add in the stock and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and simmer. Cover for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.

3. Pour into a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour back into the saucepan. Add the orange juice, thyme and cumin. Gently reheat. Season to your likening and serve!

Tuna, Cannellini Bean and Tomato Soup

This is a very simple dish, suitable for those on a low budget and easy to make. Cannellini beans are a great partner to tuna, besides their popularity in Italian soups. If you enjoy tuna melt sandwiches, I recommend sprinkling over some grated cheese such as cheddar too!

Serves 4

1 tbsp. olive oil

½ onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 medium potato, peeled and chopped

½ lemon, zest and juice

2 tsp. dried oregano/mixed herbs

3 tbsp. tomato puree

1 tsp. caster sugar

400g chopped tomatoes

850ml fish stock

Salt and pepper

410g tinned cannelloni beans

370g tinned tuna, broken up slightly

Handful of cheese, grated (optional)

1. Heat the olive in a large saucepan. Sautee the onions and garlic on a low heat for 5 minutes or until soft.

2. Add the potatoes, lemon zest, dried oregano/herbs, sugar, tomato puree, stock, chopped tomatoes, season and stir together. Bring to the boil and leave to simmer for about 20 minutes.

3. Take off the heat to cool for a few seconds and blend in a food processor/blender. If you don’t have one you can place the mixture through a sieve, chop the vegetables more finely before starting the recipe or you can leave it as it is instead of a smooth texture.

4. Place the soup back in the saucepan and add some milk/water if the mixture is too thick for your likening. Stir in the cannelloni beans. Bring to the boil and simmer until the beans are cooked. Add the tuna and heat for only a minute or so until the tuna is warm. Add the lemon juice and season. Serve and sprinkle over the cheese.