Garry Watson, chef proprietor of Gordon’s Restaurant in Inverkeilor, makes a warming winter broth of onions, cider and thyme.
Soups can fit the bill in so many ways, and there is nothing more comforting on a winter’s day than the aroma of home-made soup to welcome you home.
Simple rustic broths are great for emptying the fridge and using up leftovers or carcasses from a roast chicken. However, a blended more sophisticated veloute soup is always a winner for depth of flavour and smooth consistency.
You can go on forever with different flavour combinations, from curried parsnip, artichoke and smoked bacon, smoked haddock with potato and leek (Cullen skink) to carrot orange and coriander, but my favourite recipe this winter is onion, cider and thyme soup – and make it even more special by serving it with cheese and apple toasts.
Heat 30g of butter in a saucepan until foaming, then add 2 medium onions and cook for 10 minutes until soft and golden. Add 3 cloves of peeled and sliced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
Pour in 100ml of your favourite cider (I like Thistly Cross traditional), then add 1 small peeled and sliced potato, ½ a peeled and grated Granny Smith apple along with 3 sprigs of thyme, then simmer for another 3 minutes.
Stir in 450ml of hot chicken or vegetable stock and 50ml of crème fraîche, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes until the potato is soft. Remove the thyme, then transfer while still hot into a blender and blitz until silky smooth. Adjust seasoning with salt to taste.
To make the cheese and apple toast, heat the grill to high and toast two slices of baguette or sour dough, then mix crumbled Strathdon Blue (or grated cheddar if you’re not a blue cheese fan) along with 1 finely sliced spring onion and 10g of crumbled dried apple. Pack the mixture on the toasts, then grill until melted and golden. Pour hot soup into warmed bowls and scatter over some apple cut into matchsticks, a few thyme leaves and a teaspoon of crème fraîche and serve with toasts.
Chef’s tip: Invest in a good quality blender/liquidiser to give a silky smooth consistency. Always blend the soup while still hot, but take care not to over-fill the blender, blend in two batches by filling jug half way and place a cloth over the secured lid before switching on. Pass through a fine sieve to finish.
