Curried cauliflower cheese soup V

04-01-2018 Local Black Bookcauliflower, recipe, soup, vegetarian2 Comments

After having spent 2 weeks at my parents eating foie gras for breakfast, lunch and dinner (without even exagerating), I was looking forward to going back to my regular soup-filled routine.

So about 3 minutes after my groceries where delivered this week, I was in my kitchen chopping away.

This cauliflower cheese soup was one of those wonderful accidents that happen when you’re trying to make the most of your ingredients.

After separating the cauliflower florets for another dish, I was left with the stalks. For some reason, I decided to boil them in some water, then blended them with curry powder and a cheeky bit of grated cheddar and it turned out GREAT!

It tastes absolutely delicious (I mean, it’s basically cauliflower cheese in soup form!) and, because it’s a zero waste sort of recipe, it’s also great for the environment and your wallet.

It’s a well-known fact that free food is the best food. And that little number is a great example of how incredible scraps can be.

Fragrant, gently spiced, indulgent-sounding but incredibly light – it’s soooooo gouda!

Curried cauliflower cheese soup (V) ● Cake + Whisky [amd-zlrecipe-recipe:51]

More soup recipes

Indian spiced lentil soup VE

My favourite squash soup VE

Winter pistou soup (VE alternative)

Thai coconut chicken noodle soup

Indian Spiced Lentil Soup (Vegan)

02-11-2017 Local Black BookGF, lentil, recipe, soup, veganLeave a comment

November isn’t quite my favourite time of the year.

Weirdly enough, I’m not really into that whole ‘night time at 3 O’Clock with heavy risk of frozen rain’ situation.

But there definitely are some silver linings.

Like a big, hot, comforting cup of spiced lentil soup.

Vegan, seasonal, hearty and very cheap, it’s packed with vitamins and good stuff.

You can make boatloads at a time (perfect for packed lunch and those evenings when you just want to collapse on the sofa and go on a Nexflix marathon!) and it’s super easy too!

Absolutely souper all round!

Indian Spiced Lentil Soup (Vegan) • Recipe • Cake + Whisky [amd-zlrecipe-recipe:28]

More winter warmer recipes

Spicy Xi’an Style Noodles (vegan)

Winter Pistou Soup (vegan, GF)

Thai Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup

Classic Beef Bourguignon

Sticky Toffee Porridge (vegan)

My favourite squash soup (VG, GF, DF)

26-09-2017 Local Black Bookrecipes, soup, squash, winter5 Comments

Very few things cheer me up about the days growing colder and ever shorter.

The perspective of wearing (his) cashmere sweaters is one. Getting to wear my beloved boots is another.

But the strongest of them all is finally having the possibility to eat soup for every meal without people looking at me like I’m crazy.

Which I’m 100% up for because I love soup.

And more than any other soup, I LOVE squash soup.

It’s really healthy (5-a-day in a bowl? YES PLEASE!), very seasonal, warm and comforting, SUPER-EASY to make and reaaaaaally exciting when served with a lot of fun toppings (Bacon? Cheese? Croutons? All of the above? Your call!)!

A souper supper if I ever saw one!

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:38]

Some great squash soup toppings:

Pine nuts + spring onion + nigella seeds – easy, nutty, beautiful!
Bacon + fried sage leaves – a classic is a classic for a reason!
Blue cheese + walnut pieces – another classic, another winner!
Pretty much any cheese actually – goat’s cheese, parmesan crisp, the one you got from the farmer’s market…
Soy-roasted nuts – a great vegan alternative!
Hazelnut dukkah – crush toasted hazelnuts with cumin and salt and get sprinkling!
Fried chorizo + onion – like sunshine in a bowl!
Curry powder + ginger paste + a spoonful of coconut cream – for an Asian spicy twist!
Garlic butter mushrooms – autumn-ception!

And about a billion other things! Please report all gourd-geous discoveries in the comments!

More seasonal recipes

Banana bread porridge (VG, GF)

Garlic butter mushroom bun (V)

Spicy pork dumplings

Polenta plum cobbler (V)

This post was originally published in Oct. 2014 but has been updated with better pictures and topping suggestions in September 2017.

Winter Pistou Soup

08-02-2017 Local Black Bookbasil, French, gluten-free, healthy, low GI, pistou, recipe, soup, vegan, vegetables, winterLeave a comment

Soooo, I might have gone a teeny tiny (huge) bit overboard with sales shopping in January.

Which has made me the proud owner of two sets of guest towels (how very grown up!), a beautiful breakfast tray, some very un-seasonal tshirts and a dozen candles amongst other things. And a little bit broke in the process.

I swear I’m gonna try and be better this month (spring collections look bloomin’ lovely though!), so a little bit of budget cooking is in order.

No, don’t do that face. Budget cooking doesn’t have to be bland and boring.

Proof if there ever needed one with Voucherbox’s amazing e-book, which just launched today and is filled to the brim with tasty, colourful recipes created by some of my fave food bloggers (and yours truly #blowingmyownhorn).

As far as I’m concerned, vegetable-laden soups are the best way to cook healthy yet comforting meals on a budget. And my absolute favourite one is pistou soup, a thick and hearty (almost like a stew) South of France classic.

I love this soup’s delicate, almost sweet taste. But I love it even more with a good drizzle of the fresh, pungent basil & garlic oil on top. #GarlicIsMyFave #SoFrenchItHurts

The end-of-Summer version of it was my birthday meal of choice and a very convenient way to tackle the glut of courgettes, green beans and tomatoes my parents’ garden would always provide in August.

The pistou recipe shared below is a cold-month variation on this childhood favourite and it’s just as good as the original.

Super easy, warming, vitamin-packed, low GI and extremely good value for money, it’s great for the cold winter nights.

Winter Pistou Soup (vegan or not, GF)

Serves 4 – cost per person £1.7**

Ingredients:

For the soup:

1 big brown or yellow onion (about 170g), peeled and roughly chopped
1 big garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
2 sticks celery (about 100g), roughly chopped
2 big carrots (about 170g), peeled and roughly diced
1 small winter squash (about 170g), guts removed & diced
½ can chopped tomato
1 can cannellini beans, well rinsed
2 medium-sized potato (about 150g), peeled and roughly diced
2 handfuls leavy greens (about 60g – I used curly kale but spinach, spring greens, cavolo nero… would work equally well), roughly torn
100g fresh green beans, cut in bite size pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt, pepper
Tap water
Not compulsory: 1 small slice pork belly (about 150g), diced

For the basil & garlic oil:

Small bunch fresh basil
1 clove garlic (if you find the taste of raw garlic too pungent, blanch it for a minute or so in boiling water and drain well before proceeding)
200ml olive oil
½ tsp salt

Method:

Wash, peel and chop all the vegetables. Remove the top layer of fat from the pork belly slice and dice the meat.
In a big saucepan, heat up 1 tbsp olive oil. Add in the onion, garlic and celery, season with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes or until translucent.
Throw the carrot (and pork belly dices if using) into the saucepan and cook until the pork is well caramelized on all sides (about 10 minutes).
Add in the canned tomato and winter squash and water to cover, then bring to a small simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 30 minutes.
Add in the cannellini beans and potato chunks, top with more water if necessary, then put the lid back on and cook for another 10 minutes before adding the torn greens and green beans, and more water if necessary, then put the lid back on and cook for another 10 minutes. Taste and correct seasoning accordingly.
Make the basil & garlic oil: Blend together all the ingredients using a food processor or a hand blender, then pour into a small bowl, ready to serve.
Serve the hot soup with the oil on the side for guests to spoon to their heart’s content onto the soup.

Leftover soup will keep for a few days in the fridge. And believe it or nor, is even better the next day! Leftover oil should be used quickly. It works really well with all sorts of things. Steamed vegetables, in tomato sauces, with pasta or baked fish (…) so get creative!

*This post was created in collaboration with Voucherbox but all words, images and garlic spirit animal my own.

**based on average supermarket own-brand prices

Easy Thai Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup

31-01-2017 Local Black Bookchicken, coconut, curry, recipe, red curry, soup, ThaiLeave a comment

About two offices ago (what do you mean that’s not an accurate way to measure time?), I got introduced to Itsu and its dangerously addictive coconut chicken noodle soup.

Needless to say, it became my lunch of choice for those days when I was too lazy/late/disorganised to pack lunch (or I just really, really wanted something warm, spicy, comforting and full of rice noodles for lunch).

Time passed, offices moved and suddently, there was no Itsu nearby for me to get my coconut chicken noodle soup fix.

Luckily, it turns out it’s really easy and quick to make, taking only about 15 minutes from start to finish.

It’s barely any work at all, and yet it delivers a punch of warming, complex flavours. Rich, spicy, tangy, funky all at once. Plus it’s a one pot sort of dish. Less washing up = always a winner in my book.

Easy Thai coconut chicken noodle soup | Cake + Whisky

I know it sounds too good to be true, but you definitely want to give it a try, because it’s all pho real!

Thai Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup (serves 1)

Ingredients:

100g chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 spring onions, white cut into bite-sized pieces and green thinly sliced
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp red curry paste
small garlic clove, finely chopped or grated
tiny piece of ginger, finely chopped or grated
1 tsp yellow curry powder
3 tbsp canned chopped tomato
125ml coconut milk
200ml chicken broth or water
fish sauce to taste
50g rice noodles, prepared according to packaging instructions
lime wedge to serve
salt, pepper

Method:

1. In a saucepan or wok, heat up the sesame oil until it just starts smoking. Add in the red curry paste, grated garlic and ginger and curry powder and cook on a high heat for a couple of minutes.

2. Add in the chicken and spring onion white pieces and cook for a few minutes.

3. Pour in the coconut milk, chopped tomato and chicken broth, reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with fish sauce, salt and/or pepper accordingly.

4. Place the prepared rice noodles in a bowl. Top with the coconut chicken broth. Garnish with spring onion greens and a lime wedge and serve immediately.

Harissa Carrot Soup

06-01-2017 Local Black Bookcarrot, harissa, recipe, soup, vegan, vegetarianLeave a comment

This past few weeks, my diet has been anything but blogger-like.

Every year in January, it’s the same thing.

My fridge and cupboards are sorta empty (because Christmas cookies and playing host), my freezer is packed full (because Christmas leftovers) and my stomach is right at the border of indigestion from all the overindulging.

The result of this wonderful combination? A couple of weeks where I’m basically surviving on salad, soup and re-heated leftovers.

No cake, no pasta, (almost) no dining out. Take that, glamorous food blogger image!

Harissa Carrot Soup recipe | Cake + Whisky

That said, I don’t really carrot what you think because:

Vegetables are my thing (and hopefully, they help me keeping colds and other lovely diseases at bay).
I’m the laziest cook on Earth so a freezer packed full of delicious leftovers are my idea of paradise.
I just made the biggest, yummiest batch of harissa carrot soup. My entire flat smells SO NICE and I have fussy-stomach-appropriate food ready for days. {insert thumb’s up emoji here}

Seriously though, guys, Harissa carrot soup is a revelation. Sweet, warming and comforting, but with a serious kick.

Just enough to keep gobbling up your 5-a-day interesting without blowing your head off, it will keep you rooting for soup ’til winter’s over (and maybe even after, because, as it turns out, it’s also delicious cold!)

Harissa Carrot Soup (serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main)

Ingredients:

3 big carrots
1 medium red onion
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp harissa paste
4 cups water
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt, pepper

1. Peel and chop the carrots and onion.

2. Heat up the olive oil into a bit saucepan. Add in your vegetables and fry for a few minutes.

3. When they turn slightly golden, add the harissa paste, a good pinch of salt and the water. Pop a lid on top of the saucepan and cook on medium-low heat until the vegetables are very soft (about 35-40 min).

4. Add the smoked paprika, ground cumin and pepper to taste, then blend with a hand blender (adding a bit more cold water if necessary). Taste and correct the seasoning accordingly.

5. Serve hot or cold with a spoonful of cream or yoghurt (choose a vegan alternative if you so wish – coconut yoghurt would work especially well) and a pinch of smoked paprika / chilli flakes on top.

Soup Kitchen, Manchester

05-04-2016 Local Black Booklunch, Manchester, MCR, Northern Quarter, recommendation, Restaurant, review, salad, soup, Soup Kitchen, travel, UK1 Comment

The first thing people asked me about after my weekend getaway in Manchester was how the food was.

To which I answered that some of it (Wetherspoon’s chips) was truly aweful and some was absolutely brilliant.

And the Soup Kitchen is definitely on the truly great side of things!

Soup Kitchen, Manchester | Cake + Whisky

Serving up freshly prepared, delicious British café food (think soup, sanwiches, jacket potatoes…), it’s a neighbourhood gem and Mancurian favourite come lunchtime!

Soup Kitchen, Manchester | Cake + Whisky

Come early and set camp on one of the long wooden communal tables with some coffee while the kitchen get the last of the lunch prep ready.

Within minutes, the room fills up with regulars coming in for a taste of the Soup Kitchen’s delicious food (and Pinterest-worthy decor).

Old crockery, a collection of cookbooks, honey-coloured wood everywhere and enough knick-knacks to keep your eyes busy for days, Soup Kitchen feels just like home (a much better organised and instagramable home, that is!)

Plus, no need to slave away in the kitchen to get something nice and healthy on the table, Soup Kitchen’s lovely staff got it covered!

There are fresh, vibrant salads.

Perfectly cooked, steaming hot jacket potatoes.

Juicy & spicy jerk chicken waiting to be piled high onto plates.

And a few other Jamaican-inspired delicacies in case you’re feeling a bit peckish!

But the main event? The Soup, obviously!

Thick, creamy, flavourful concoctions generously ladled into enamel bowls and the Soup Kitchen’s best seller.

Get a bit of everything onto a tray, hurry back to your table and get tucked in without any delay!

Velvety Tomato & paprika soup.

An absolute dream on a cold day!

Jerk chicken ‘dumpling’ with coleslaw.

Crunchy, spicy, wholesome and comforting all at once!

And a gigantic Saltcod & veggie fritter.

Surely one of the best dippers that was ever invented!

Now, if only the Soup Kitchen could set store near my office so I could keep going back for delicious goodness in a bowl (and a side of fluffy bread roll smothered in salted butter)…

In the meantime, I’ll definitely go back next time I go up North (and so should you!)

Find them here

Soup Kitchen, 31-33 Spear St, Manchester M1 1DF

Recipe | Italian-style sausage casserole

31-03-201531-03-2015 Local Black Bookcasserole, comfort food, cooking, easy, food, healthy habits, italian, no-carb, recipes, soup, stew6 Comments

Weather in London has been so confusing lately. I’d leave home in the morning feeling too hot in a sweater and come back home in the evening with frozen (and most probably wet) feet. Which I hate.

However, it kind of gives me the licence to eat both summer and winter food within one day. Which I love. Because salads, avocado and grilled meats VS stews, and soups and cheeeeeeeeese!

In a desperate attempt not to choose between the best of two seasons, I tried to reconcile both within one dish. And I think I might have succeeded with this Italian-style sausage casserole! In your face stupid confusing weather!

For 3-4 people, you’ll need:1 onion, 2 celery sticks, half a red chilli (feel free to adjust to your own taste), 6 sausages (I used Waitrose’s Toulouse sausages but any kind would work as long as they’re not too sweet. I think vegetarian sausages would work too, maybe add a bit more smoked paprika to balance it out…), as much garlic as you can take (I’m French, so I used 5 big cloves, but you definitely don’t have to!), 1/2 a bowl of uncooked white beans (you can also use a can, in which case you’ll want to skip step 1), 1 bowl of kale, thyme (as much as you like, which for me means A LOT), 1 can of chopped tomatoes, 1 vegetable stock cube, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika.

Step 1: Put the beans in a big pot. Cover with water. Add salt and cook until tender (about 30-40 minutes). Then rince under cold water and set aside.

You can do that step in advance (or even skip it all together by using canned beans!)

Step 2: Dice the vegetables. (yuuuup, that’s A LOT of garlic! #sorrynotsorry)Step 3: Chop up your sausages in bite-sized chuncks (I usually do 6-7 with each sausage)

Step 4: Put your diced veggies in a big pot with a spoonful of olive oil. Cook until slightly caramelized.

Step 5: Add the sausages in and cook until they’re almost entirely cooked through.

Step 6: Add in the beans, the stock cube, the can of tomatoes and half a glass of water. Add salt and pepper, thyme and smoked paprika too. Cake + Whisky | Italian-style sausage casserole recipe Time to taste (you know, in case you need to adjust the seasoning or something… 😜 )!
Step 7: Once your casserole has bubbled away for 5-10 minutes and has almost reach the right half-way between soup and stew consistency, stir in the kale and let it cook for another 5-6 minutes.
Step 8: Spoon into bowls in some kind of artistic way. It’s obviously not my forte (but I do know a brilliant fix: add mozzarella on top and melt it for a few minutes in the microwave!).

Step 9: Eat in excellent company while watching the weather change through the window (or you know, re-re-re-watching Friends for the 700th time… I won’t judge!)

My favourite soup and 7 ways to garnish it up

05-12-201403-12-2014 Local Black Bookrecipes, soup, winterLeave a comment

There are very few things that could make me like winter. The perspective of wearing (his) cashmere sweaters is one. Getting to wear my beloved boots is another. But the strongest of them all is finally having the possibility to eat soup for every meal without people looking at me like I’m crazy. Craving soup is the #1 sign that it is winter in my book (I know spring is back when I want to buy nail polish in every pastel colour there is…).

I LOVE soup. Not only is it really healthy (5-a-day in a bowl? YES PLEASE!), but it also keeps you warm and it’s SUPER-EASY to make. Not to mention it’s the perfect excuse to eat snacks as part of a meal… ‘Cause you see, one other thing I love is adding toppings to my soups.

So today I thought I’d share my favourite soup, as well as my ultimate soup garnishes.

I first made this soup almost by accident. We went to the market on the weekend and got a rather massive Crown Prince Squash, that I was planning to roast. A few days later, the temperatures plummeted, and as it was to be expected, I started craving soup… We didn’t have many other veggies in the fridge, except for a few old carrots, that needed to be eaten rather sooner than later. So I thought I’d just cook them together and see what happened.

And I’m so glad I did. There’s something almost magical about squash in soup; it makes for a thick, smooth texture that I yet haven’t manage to get with any other kind of vegetables. I like Crown Prince Squash above all others because it has a nutty flavour than works really well with the sweetness of the carrot, but also because, unlike every other squash, you don’t have to peel it. Lazy and yummy? Sounds like my kind of food!

snsguerin-squash-soup-1

Crown Prince Squash & vegetables soup

Feeds 2-3 people (depending on how much you like your soup!)

Peel 2 small carrots, 2 small potatoes, 1 onion and 250g of squash (you can use other kind of squash of course! For the record, it also works well with butternut).

In a big saucepan, heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add all your vegetables and pan-fry them for about 5 minutes (until the onion start getting golden).

Add water (just enough to cover the vegetables) and 1 stock cube (I like chicken best, but vegetables works too!). Reduce the heat to a small simmer and cook until you can mash the vegetables easily with a spoon (about 20 minutes).

Blend the soup (I use a hand mixer). Taste it and add salt if required.

Pour in bowls and get crazy with your garnishes! Here are a few ideas:

The Ultimate Soup Toppings list

Croque-Monsieur /cheese toastie: not a garnish as such, but it has melted cheese, so I think you’ll forgive me.
Soy roasted cashew nuts: recipes coming soon (but M&S soy-roasted seeds are good too).
Pesto: since you’ll already have to wash your blender, why not DIY? All you have to do is blend basil, pine or cashew nuts, parmesan and olive oil until you get a paste. The additional of a little bit of garlic would make wonders with this soup.
Hazelnuts: I’ve been obsessed with hazelnuts lately. You can just crush a few and sprinkle on your bowls. You can also roast them in a hot pan for a few minutes, and crush them with some cumin and a pinch of salt to get a delicious homemade duqqa. Your call.
Cheese: I’m afraid I don’t like cheese but I believe blue cheeses, like stilton or Roquefort, would work quite well against the relative sweetness of this soup. Or go ahead and make parmesan crisps…
Fried chorizo + onion dice + croutons: YUM!
BACON! Obviously. I am still looking for something that isn’t made better by the addition of bacon.

Do you usually put any garnish on your soups? Let me know which ones you like (I’d hate to be missing out on any of them!)

Cake and Whisky

Life in London and other almost-grown-up tales

Menu

soup

Curried cauliflower cheese soup V

More soup recipes

Indian Spiced Lentil Soup (Vegan)

More winter warmer recipes

My favourite squash soup (VG, GF, DF)

Some great squash soup toppings:

More seasonal recipes

Winter Pistou Soup

Winter Pistou Soup (vegan or not, GF)

Ingredients:

For the soup:

For the basil & garlic oil:

Method:

Easy Thai Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup

Thai Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup (serves 1)

Ingredients:

Method:

Harissa Carrot Soup

Harissa Carrot Soup (serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main)

Soup Kitchen, Manchester

Recipe | Italian-style sausage casserole

My favourite soup and 7 ways to garnish it up