Serves 4
Preparation time 15 minutes
Cooking time 30 minutes
50 g (2 oz) butter
1 small onion, chopped
2 dessert apples, peeled, cored and sliced
pinch of cayenne pepper (or to taste), plus extra for sprinking
600 ml (1 pint) vegetable stock
300 g (10 oz)floury potatoes, sliced
300 ml (½ pint) hot milk
salt
Apple garnish
15 g (½ oz) butter
½–1 dessert apple, peeled, cored and diced
Melt the butter in a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the apples and cayenne and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes.
Pour in the stock, then add the potatoes. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15–18 minutes until the apples and potatoes are very tender.
Blend the soup in batches in a blender or food processor until very smooth, then transfer to a clean saucepan. Reheat gently and stir in the hot milk. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Make the apple garnish, meanwhile. Melt the butter in a small frying pan, add the diced apple and cook over a high heat until crisp.
Serve the soup in warm bowls, garnishing each portion with some diced apple and a sprinkling of cayenne.
For spicy apple & parsnip soup, fry the onion and apples as above, omitting the cayenne. Add ½ teaspoon ground turmeric and 1 teaspoon ground coriander and stir through to coat the apple and onion mixture in the spices. Pour in 600 ml (1 pint) chicken or vegetable stock, then add 300 g (10 oz) diced parsnips instead of the potatoes. Season with salt and black pepper. Continue the recipe as above.