SPICY BEETROOT SOUP AND LEEK & POTATO SOUP

I'm slightly obsessed with soup. There is almost always a jar of homemade soup in my fridge.......somedays not a lot else! It's the one food I couldn't be without in the winter months. There is nothing more comforting than a bowl of soup - proving that comfort food can be healthy.
I've made these soups dairy free, but if you want to, it's easy to add some cream or vegan alternative in to the end result.
One of the reasons I love the beetroot soup so much is the colour - just looking at it warms you up! - that and the spices are exactly what you need when it's grey & rainy outside.

BEETROOT SOUP
200g beetroot flesh  (if you're roasting the beets allow 300g raw weight)
100g potato (new potatoes or baked potato)
1 inch piece of fresh, peeled ginger,
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon curry powder
450ml vegetable stock. (from a cube or homemade. I used homemade. If you eat meat then chicken stock makes the tastiest soup.)
Tablespoonful of chopped coriander & some vegetable crisps to serve (optional)

I really recommend roasting your beets for this one. You could use pre packed cooked beetroot, but personally I don't think you can beat the flavour of roasted beets, and it's not hard, you just put them in the oven, leave them for about 90 mins and voila!

1. Preheat the oven to 180c. Place the whole beetroots into a baking dish. Prick them with a fork or a knife. Place them the oven and leave for approx 90 mins (cooking time will vary depending on your beetroot. You know they're ready when the skin is shrivelling up and they feel soft inside if you poke a knife in.
2. When the beets are cooled, peel off the skin and set to one side.
3. Chop the potato up and put into a saucepan with the stock, curry powder & the ginger. Bring to the boil, cover the saucepan with a lid and then simmer until the potatoes are cooked and tender (5- 10 mins).
4. Discard the ginger.
5. Put the potatoes, the stock they cooked in and the beetroots into a blender and blitz.
6. Add Dijon mustard. NB You may want more or less than the amount I've used - this is really down to personal taste, so start with less and taste as you go.  Same with salt and pepper.
This will last in the fridge for a few days.

LEEK & POTATO SOUP

100g leek (outer layers removed, white bits only, chopped)
150g potato (I used new potatoes) chopped
1 tablespoon light olive oil
2 garlic cloves from a garlic bulb
400ml vegetable stock
cream or soy cream to taste. (optional)
salt & pepper to taste.

chopped chives/ vegetable crisps to serve

1 Slice the leeks. Peel and slice the garlic. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add one tablespoon of water & then add the leeks & garlic. Stir fry over a medium heat until they have softened and started to brown.
2  Meanwhile put the potato in a saucepan with the stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add in the leeks & garlic. Put a lid on the pan and leave simmering for about 15 mins on a medium low heat. It's ready when the potatoes are soft and cooked.
3  Leave on one side with a lid on the pan to cool a little before blitzing.  Then transfer the mix to the blender and blend.
4  Add in cream or soy cream to taste. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Serve with chopped chives &vegetable crisps. (Shown here with Houmous on toast.)