Though we’re all for a jacket potato heaving with the holy trinity of butter, beans‘n’cheese, sometimes we want our lunches to be lighter at this time of year; less snooze-inducing. Soup is the perfect answer, and another benefit is there’s no better vessel for cramming in all the amazing veg coming into its own over the next couple of months.
• It’s almost time for corn (though frozen also works so you can make this soup year-round). Fry 3 sliced spring onions and a finely chopped garlic clove in a little oil, then add 4 cobs’ worth of fresh corn and a sprig of thyme. Cook for around 5 minutes, until tender. Remove a heaped spoonful of veg and set aside. Add around 600ml veg stock such as bouillon, and a few peeled new potatoes, chopped into small cubes. Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are done. Whizz with a hand blender, leaving it a bit chunky. Add a splash more water if needed, season to taste, and add the spoonful of veg your removed before back in. To make it creamy, stir through 1 tbsp creme fraiche. Or, to add a bit of extra crunch, crumble a few salted corn tortillas on top.
• Dice 1 onion and 2 fennel bulbs, then cook in 1 tbsp olive oil with a pinch of sea salt on a low-medium heat, until soft and beginning to caramelise. Add around 600ml veg stock and all but a handful of a tin of chickpeas (try and buy a brand that isn’t too bullet-like). Simmer for 10 minutes, then whizz with a hand blender. Check the seasoning and cook until reduced a bit. For a jazzy topping, fry the extra chickpeas in some olive oil (season with olive oil, salt and fresh rosemary) until crispy.
• A smooth red pepper and tomato soup is delicious at this time of year. Chop a red onion and sweat in olive oil with a sprig of rosemary. Roast two layers of halved cherry tomatoes (sprinkle over salt, pepper and olive oil) in a small pie dish at 140C/275F/gas mark 1. Add a chopped, deseeded red pepper to the onion pan, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add a crushed garlic clove, a can of drained plum tomatoes, squish them and bring to a simmer, topping up with a little hot stock or water. Remove the rosemary sprig and add the slightly roasted, slightly stewed cherry toms, and some more seasoning. Simmer some more, then homogenise with a stick blender. Finish with some extra virgin olive oil or creme fraiche and fresh basil.
• Caroline Craig and Sophie Missing are authors of The Little Book of Lunch (Square Peg)
