Autumn vegetable soup

Soup
POINTS Value: 1
Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 30 min
Level: Easy




Ingredients

5 spray low-fat cooking spray
1 medium chopped onion
1 medium chopped carrot
350 g chopped swede
350 g celeriac chopped
2 portion stock cube, vegetable, dissolved in 850ml hot water
2 level tablespoon cornflour
425 ml skimmed milk
125 g sweetcorn, frozen or canned
1 pinch salt, and freshly ground black pepper
6 sprig parsley, to garnish



Instructions
1. Spray a large saucepan with low fat cooking spray. Add the onion, carrot, swede and celeriac and cook gently for about 3 minutes.


2. Pour in the vegetable stock. Heat until just boiling, then simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.


3. Blend the cornflour to a smooth paste with 3-4 tablespoons of the milk. Add the remaining milk to the saucepan with the sweetcorn, then stir in the blended cornflour. Heat, stirring constantly, until the soup thickens and begins to boil.


4. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, then ladle into warmed soup bowls. Serve, garnished with parsley sprigs.

Leek & Potato soup

Soup
POINTS Value: 0.5
Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 20 min
Level: Easy



Ingredients

5 spray low-fat cooking spray
2 portion leek(s), medium, washed well and coarsely chopped
3 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon parsley, fresh, chopped
1 teaspoon tarragon, dried
175 g potato(es), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
900 ml fresh stock, vegetable, made with hot water
300 ml skimmed milk
1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon pepper, black, or to taste
4 tablespoon very low-fat plain fromage frais

Instructions
1. Spray large saucepan with cooking spray and gently heat. Add leeks and sauté until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes.


2. Add garlic, parsley and dried tarragon to saucepan. Stir and cook until herbs are fragrant, about 1 minute.


3. Add potatoes and stock and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Partially cover and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.


4. Purée potato mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return to saucepan, add skimmed milk and cook for 2-3 minutes to heat through. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve, garnished with fromage frais, sprig of parsley and a little black pepper.

Cream of Chicken Soup

Soup

POINTS Value: 2.5
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 20 min
Level: Moderate


Ingredients
175g skinless chicken breast
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
300ml vegetable stock
1 tbsp plain flour
300ml semi-skimmed milk
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsps low-fat yogurt
chopped chives to garnish

Instructions
1. Chop the chicken into small pieces.

2. heat a large, non-stick saucepan. add the chicken, celery, onion and garlic and dry-fry for 2-3 minutes.

3. pour in a little of stock, then sprinkle the flour over and mix well. Cook the flour for 1 minute before gradually mixing in the remaining stock and then the milk.

4. Simmer gently for 10-15 minutes to allow the soup to thicken. Stir in the parsley. Just before serving, remove from the heat and stir in the yogurt. Garnish with a few chopped chives.

Tips

You can add canned or frozen sweetcorn to this rich soup just remember to add the extra points