Hugo Arnold has some spring soups to help you forget winter
Spring soups are a taste of the glory days to come. We expect summer to be here already, not spring. The days are longer, the temperature is rising and somehow freshness is all around. In truth we have a way to go yet: most plants have yet to wake up to the news. Our European neighbours are far ahead, harvesting pretty much anything by now. Soups are a good way to bridge the seasons. Think delicate, tangy broth, teased to its final glory by a slick of olive oil or built up with extras: traditional cheese and rouille (as for fish soup), a rough salsa packed with herbs or, perhaps, chilli oil, as rich in garlic as it is fiery. And why restrict ourselves to vegetables and fish? Isn't Irish stew just the same? Both are eaten with a spoon but exude delicacy. Both take small amounts of relatively humble ingredients and combine them in an impressive package. When contemplating what goes with what, think colour and try not to be too ambitious in the number of ingredients used. If you crowd the assembly you end up with nothing more than confusion. A good stock is essential; chicken is particularly good, as it adds a delicate, meaty sweetness. If you buy whole birds, freeze the breast and legs, for later use on the barbecue. If you are wedded to stock cubes, build them up with some vegetables, simmering the assembly for 20 minutes or so.
All recipes feed four
PEA, PIGEON AND PANCETTA BROTH
2 tbsp olive oil
breasts from 4 wood pigeons
1 tbsp chopped shallots
2 slices pancetta, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
half a glass of white wine
125ml chicken stock
400g frozen peas
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp each chopped mint and basil
Heat the olive oil in a shallow pan, season the pigeon breasts and gently colour. Remove the pigeon, add the shallots and pancetta and cook gently for five minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Turn up the heat, add the wine and reduce by half. Add the stock, bring to a simmer, reduce heat and cook for 20 minutes.
Return the pigeon breasts and poach in the barely simmering broth for five minutes or until just cooked (they need to be pink). Add the peas and cook until tender (about five minutes). Remove from the heat, stir in the butter, season, add the mint and basil, and serve.
ROAST CHICKEN AND CHICKPEA SOUP
1 chicken, jointed into eight pieces
extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp finely chopped shallots
2 400g tins chickpeas, drained and well rinsed
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
pinch of saffron
400ml good chicken stock
juice and zest of one lemon
Using your hands, gently toss the chicken pieces in four tablespoons of olive oil for five minutes. This encourages the meat to absorb the oil, which will help to keep it moist.
Arrange on a tray so they are not too crowded, season generously and roast in a preheated oven, at 200 degrees/gas 6, for 30-40 minutes or until cooked. Turn once during this time. The breast meat will cook in about 25 minutes so should be removed before the end of the cooking time.
Gently saute the shallots in two tablespoons of olive oil for five minutes. Add the chickpeas and cook for a further three minutes, so they are well coated in the oil. Add the garlic, parsley and saffron, cook for two minutes, then add the stock.
Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until the mixture is thick and quite syrupy. Stir in the lemon juice and zest; check seasoning. Pile on to four plates, top with the chicken and serve.
CARROT AND FENNEL BROTH WITH MUSSELS
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into quarters lengthways
8 thin carrots (or 4 halved lengthways)
1 litre chicken stock
1 tsp fennel seeds
large handful flat parsley, roughly chopped
pinch chilli flakes
olive oil
4 bowls of mussels, cleaned and debearded
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees/gas 4. Place the fennel bulbs and carrots in a deep roasting tray, cover with the stock and bake for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Toast the fennel seeds in a dry frying pan, then grind them in a pestle and mortar. Add the chopped parsley, season and grind to a paste, adding a slick of olive oil to form a loose sauce. Remove the vegetables from the stock, then return them to the turned-off oven to keep warm. Place a ladle of the stock in a saucepan, bring to the boil and add the mussels and chilli, seasoning with salt and pepper. Take care with the salt, as the mussels may be salty enough.
Once the mussels are open, transfer to bowls and add the vegetables. Combine the mussel cooking liquor with the stock, return to the boil and pour into the bowls. Spoon the fennel-and-parsley sauce over and serve.
HOT AND SOUR PRAWN SOUP
300g peeled uncooked prawns (reserve shells)
3 lemon-grass stalks, smashed and roughly chopped
vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
2cm squeeze of harissa from a tube or a scant teaspoon if using a tin
2cm fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 litre light chicken stock
juice and zest of three limes
handful green beans
2 little gem lettuces, trimmed and finely sliced
2 handfuls bean sprouts
1 tbsp roughly chopped coriander
Tabasco sauce
Combine the lemon grass and prawn shells with two tablespoons of oil over a medium heat. Saute for two minutes, then add the garlic, harissa and ginger. Cook for a further two minutes or until the garlic just begins to colour. Add the stock, lime juice and zest, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain through a sieve and discard the solids.
Blanch the green beans in boiling salted water for five minutes or until just tender; refresh under cold water. Bring the stock back to simmering point and add the little gem lettuce. Allow to wilt for two minutes, then add the prawns, simmer for two minutes until just cooked, then add the green beans and bean sprouts. Season. Remove from the heat, spoon into bowls and top with the coriander. Serve with Tabasco, to add according to taste.