After long summer days spent tending to the veg patch or our allotments, it is time to switch up the seasons and reap the rewards of our green fingers, with recipes from Lavender & Lovage to warm you up this coming winter.
There is no better winter warming dish than a homemade soup, especially with vegetables that are homegrown. Follow these recipes accompanied with a side of sourdough onion bread rolls or cheese toasties if you prefer, for an autumnal feast for all the family!
SOURDOUGH ONION BREAD ROLLS
Preparation time: 1 day & 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes (total time: 1 DAY & 1 HOUR)
Makes: 8 to 10 small rolls
These little Sourdough Onion Bread Rolls are easily made with a standard batch of Karen’s Classic Sourdough Bread Made Easy, but using 200g of Strong Malted Seeded bread flour for an added nutty taste and texture
INGREDIENTS
• 60g recently fed sourdough starter
• 10g teaspoon sea salt
• 320ml tepid filtered water (or boiled water)
• 300g strong white bread flour
• 200g strong malted seeded bread flour
• 50g dried fried onions, plus extra for topping
• Rice flour (for dusting)
• Milk (for glaze)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. 2 to 3 hours before you would like to start your sourdough bread, take the starter out of the fridge and feed it with 40g filtered water and 40g strong white bread flour. Mix well, cover with cling film and set to one side to start working. After 2 to 3 hours the starter should be frothy and light with lots of bubbles and it may be making a noise, perhaps singing! It is now ready to use. Put the covered starter back in the fridge until it is needed.
2. Place a bowl onto some digital scales and set to zero. Add 60g of sourdough starter and set to zero again; then add the flours, dried fried onions, salt and water. Take the bowl off the scales and mix well, it will look rough and lumpy, but never fear it will soon start to look like bread dough! Cover the dough with cling film and set to one side.
3. After an hour, uncover it and with your hands, bring the dough from the outside, and fold it into the middle. Do this approximately 15 to 20 times.
4. Do the folding and turning action two or three more times over the next few hours, by this time the dough will be smooth, elastic and sticky.
5. Once the dough is smooth and elastic and it will have risen by now too, cover the bowl with cling film and set to one side in a cool place to prove overnight. (Ideally around 10 degrees Celsius)
6. In the morning, the dough will have risen overnight, and you will have a large, round ball of smooth dough that's ready to bake after the buns have been shaped. Pre-heat the oven to 200C/190C Fan/400F/375F Fan/Gas mark 6 and line a large baking tray/sheet with non-stick baking parchment.
7. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 8 to 10 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then flatten slightly into a bun shape using the palms of your hands. Place the buns onto the prepared baking tray/sheet and score the tops of the rolls with a lame or razor. Brush milk over the rolls and sprinkle dried fried onions over the top.
8. Bake the buns in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes, or until they are well risen, golden-brown, and when they are turned over and tapped underneath they sound hollow. Remove them from the oven and then set aside to cool on a wire rack.
9. Serve warm, split and spread with butter, or serve toasted, split and spread with butter. The cooked buns can be frozen for up to 3 months; allow 6 hours for them to defrost and serve as above.
ALLOTMENT SOUP
Serves 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and very finely diced
• 2 small leeks, trimmed, cleaned and very finely diced
• 2 sticks of celery, trimmed and very finely diced
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and finely diced
• 1 onion, peeled and very finely diced
• 1 litre vegetable stock - made with filtered water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Grated cheese to garnish
• Fresh parsley to garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
1.Put all the prepared vegetables into a large saucepan with 2 tablespoons of the vegetable stock. Mix well, put the lid on the pan and simmer very gently over a low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft
2. Add the rest of the stock and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and then simmer with the lid on for 15 to 20 minutes until the vegetables are very soft and the soup has thickened. Remove the lid for the last 5 minutes.
3. Blend the soup until smooth with a hand-held blender. Serve immediately in warmed soup bowls with fresh bread rolls.
Lavender & Lovage has served her Autumnal dish upon our Ink Blue HIbiscus and Dark Blue Felicity, you can shop the collections to create this look here.
If you prefer your soup with a little kick, you may opt for a Spicy Chilli Tomato soup to warm up this autumn!
Spicy Chilli Tomato Soup
Serves 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
• 75g chorizo, skinned and very finely diced
• 1 onion, peeled and finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely diced
• 500g tomato passata
• 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Put the finely diced chorizo into a large saucepan and heat over a gentle heat until the oil begins to run. Then add the onions and garlic, place a lid on the pan and sauté over a gentle heat, stirring every now and then until the onions and garlic are soft.
2. Add the tomato passata and tinned tomatoes and stir well. Then add the chilli powder and smoked paprika, stir and replace the lid. Simmer over a gentle heat for about 10 minutes.
3. Add a little water or vegetable stock if the soup is too thick, then adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper and serve in mugs or warmed soup bowls.
4. Serve with crusty bread or cheese toasties for a filling meal.
Garlic Butter Cheese Toasties
Serves 4
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
8 slices Multi-seeded Wholemeal Bread
120g Mature Cheddar Cheese, cut into thin sliceS
Slightly Salted British Butter, softened to spread
Dried garlic powder
DIRECTIONS:
1. Arrange the the Cheddar cheese slices over one slice of bread. Make a sandwich by placing the remaining slice of bread on top of the cheese and then butter the sandwiches on both sides. Sprinkle with the dried garlic powder.
2. Heat up a large frying pan over a medium to high heat and cook (toast) the sandwiches for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until they are crisp, golden brown and the cheese has melted. Take them out and cut them in half or into triangles and serve them with the soup.
Head back to our blog for more recipes and inspiration, or shop our collections here.