MY BI-COLOUR SOUPS: PEA & WATERCRESS

Here’s how to create a stunning effect using two different soups in one bowl. The bright-green soup is Pea & Watercress and the paler one is Spiced Roasted Parsnip Soup (see recipe, below right). To play around with the look of the soups, as in our pictures, it’s vital they are super-smooth, with the texture of single cream, so liquidise them in a powerful blender. They must have flavours that will work together and be of exactly the same thickness. To serve, hold a jug of one soup in your right hand and a jug of the other in your left and pour them simultaneously into each soup bowl. You can change the patterns as you pour to get a yinyang shape, or fill each side of the bowl with contrasting soups then swirl with a spoon or knife to make feathery patterns. It’s so striking.

Serves 6

50g (2¾oz) butter

1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely sliced 2 celery sticks, finely chopped 1 floury potato, peeled and cubed 250g (9oz) frozen peas

300g (10½oz) watercress, destalked, washed and roughly chopped (about 250g destalked weight)

500ml (18fl oz) hot vegetable stock

500ml (18fl oz) whole milk

Salt and black pepper

To garnish (optional)

2tbsp chopped dill 2tbsp chopped mint 150ml (5fl oz) crème fraîche

Melt the butter in a deep, heavy-based saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add a splash of water. Fry the onion, garlic, celery and potato until the potato is soft but not brown.

Add the peas, watercress and stock. Bring to the boil. Remove from the heat. Stir in the milk. Purée, adding more milk or stock if needed to achieve a pourable, not too thick, absolutely smooth soup. Return to the heat to warm through, without boiling. Season and pour into bowls, using the bi-colour method described above, if desired. Otherwise, scatter with herbs, if using, followed by a dollop of crème fraîche.

Pea & Watercress Soup and Spiced Roasted Parsnip Soup in a feather pattern and (below left) a yin-yang design