Potato and Parsnip soup with chorizo!

This is a recipe that is mainly borrowed from Rachel Allen's book - Rachel's Favourite Food.

It seemed to be a tradition growing up that Saturday lunchtimes were made for soup and I like to carry it on. It's also handy for me to make a big batch of the soup so I can save some for weekday lunches so I usually double up on whatever I'm making.

This recipe was particularly convenient this week as I had made some beautiful homemade stock.

Stock I am soon realising tastes so much better fresh and homemade than out of a crumbled cube! It is very easy to make if you have time and you are staying in the house for the next couple of hours. Simply cut up any vegetables (not really potatoes) you have lying around, carrots, onions and celery are good stock staples, throw them in a large saucepan, cover in water, season and leave for a couple of hours. Drain and there you go! I found out last week that you can use the leftover chicken bones from the meat but a lot of fat got in. This is baaaaad, but luckily it all collects at the top so you can spoon it off. I put mine in the fridge for a day and then it was really easy to remove the fat as it rises and semi-solidifies on top of the stock. (Not as gross as it sounds!)

Anyhow on with the soup!

Serves 4-6

50g butter

225g potatoes (any), peeled and chopped

225g parsnips, peeled and chopped

1 large onion, chopped

salt and pepper

900ml chicken or vegetable stock

150ml milk

225g chorizo

1. Melt the butter in the saucepan.

2. Add the chopped potatoes, parsnips and onions, season with the salt and pepper and stir to coat them in the butter.

3. Put on the lid and sweat the veg over a gentle heat for 10 minutes.

4. Add the stock and bring to the boil and continue cooking until the vegetables are soft. This took me about another 10 minutes.

5. Meanwhile fry the chorizo in a tiny bit of olive oil in a frying pan. This won't take long to get crispy!

6. Liquidise the soup in 2 batches in the blender, bob back in the pan and add the milk and season to taste.

7. To serve, put a landleful into a warmed bowl and top with some of the chorizo.

Delicious! I found it was quite thick and creamy despite there being no cream! It kept really well in the fridge too for lunch at work.

Forgive the photograph of the boyf obviously very happy about eating his soup from the tray! (We'll get a table and chairs one day...)