There is only one reason vegetable soup turns out bland: the vegetables go straight into the water. What you get then is not soup but the water vegetables were boiled in. Fry them in fat for five minutes first and their sugars caramelise, which changes the taste of the soup completely. Add the water hot as well; cold water stops the frying.
Ingredients
For the soup
For the top
Method
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Cook the onion
Heat the butter and olive oil in a pan and soften the onion for 3 minutes.
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Add the hard vegetables
Add the carrot and potato and cook for 5 minutes, until the edges take a little colour. This step decides the taste of the soup.
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Add the paste
Add the paste and the grated tomato and cook for 2 minutes, until the raw smell has gone.
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Add the water
Pour in the hot water and bring to the boil. Cold water stops the frying.
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Cook
Turn the heat down and cook for 15 minutes. Add the courgette and peas for the last 5 minutes; added earlier they fall apart.
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Season
Add the salt and black pepper. If you like it chunky, stop here.
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Blend if you like
For a smooth soup, blend for 15 seconds with a stick blender. Do not take it all the way, leave some texture.
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Serve
Scatter with parsley and serve with a wedge of lemon.
Tips
- Do not skip the frying step; without it you get the water vegetables were boiled in, not soup.
- Add the water hot. Cold water drops the temperature of the pan and wastes the frying.
- Leave the courgette and peas until the end; added at the start they disappear within 25 minutes.
- It thickens in the fridge; half a glass of hot water is enough when you reheat it.
Nutrition
Values are per serving and approximate.