Brussels sprouts soup recipe

A cosy, steaming bowl of this creamy Brussels sprouts soup is the perfect pick-me-up on a dank winter day.

If you find yourself with a bag of sprouts left in the bottom of your fridge, soup is the perfect way to use them up. Plus it makes a great lunch option in January, whether you’re heading to the office or working from home. Normally you can leave soup bubbling away on the stove for ages, but sprouts are best lightly cooked. For this reason, it's best to stick to the timings for this recipe. For a more traditional way to serve up these baby brassicas, try our Brussels sprouts recipe.

Ingredients

• 500g (1lb) Brussels sprouts
• 2tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 100ml (3½fl oz) crème fraîche
• Freshly ground nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 15g (½oz) butter

Method

1. Reserve 2-3 whole sprouts then trim and halve the rest.
2. Heat oil in a saucepan and add the onion. Cook over a medium heat for 8-10 mins, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to turn a light-golden colour. Add halved sprouts to pan and cook over medium heat for 4-5 mins.
3. Pour 600ml (1 pint) boiling water into the pan and stir in the stock cube. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15-20 mins, until the vegetables are tender. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the soup to cool slightly.
4. Purée the soup in a liquidiser, food processor, or with a hand blender, until smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan. Add crème fraîche and reheat soup until it's piping hot, then season it to taste with nutmeg and salt and pepper.
5. Melt the butter in a small pan and shred reserved sprouts. Add sprouts to pan and cook them for 2-3 mins. Pour soup into serving bowls and then top with sautéed sprouts and grind over extra black pepper, or nutmeg. (Not suitable for freezing).

Top tips for making Brussels sprouts soup

Did you over trim your sprouts for your roast? If you found yourself with a big pile of leaves that didn’t look discoloured or unhealthy, you can add them into soups like this one. A thrifty use of leftovers.

If you're not vegetarian, fry a few rashers chopped bacon and add to the top of the soup as a garnish along with the fried reserved sprouts. Vegetarians can add caramelised sliced onions, or crumbled blue cheese.

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