Somerset Cider and Vegetable Farmhouse Soup
A hearty West Country soup packed with tender root vegetables and leeks, gently simmered in dry Somerset cider and finished with mature Cheddar.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 295 kcal
Equipment
- •Large casserole dish
- •Chopping board
- •Chef's knife
- •Wooden spoon
- •Potato masher
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 295 kcal
- fat
- 16 g
- carbs
- 26 g
- fibre
- 6 g
- protein
- 8 g
- calories
- 295 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Melt the butter in a large casserole dish over medium heat on the hob.
- 2
Add the sliced leek and cook gently for 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
- 3
Add the diced carrots, parsnip, swede, and potatoes to the dish.
- 4
Cook the vegetables for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until they begin to soften.
- 5
Pour in the dry Somerset cider and bring to a simmer, scraping up any caramelised bits.
- 6
Simmer the cider uncovered for 3 minutes to reduce slightly.
- 7
Pour in the hot vegetable stock and thyme, then season with salt and black pepper.
- 8
Cover with a lid and simmer gently on low heat for 25 minutes until tender.
- 9
Crush a few vegetable chunks with a potato masher to thicken the broth naturally.
- 10
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the double cream and grated Cheddar.
- 11
Ladle the hot soup into warm bowls and serve immediately.
Chef's tips
Use a proper dry farmhouse cider rather than sweet commercial varieties to avoid an overly sugary broth. Lightly crushing some potato chunks against the side of the pot gives the soup a thick, velvety body without requiring added flour.
Ingredient substitutions
- dry Somerset farmhouse cider → cloudy unsweetened apple juice mixed with 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- swede → celeriac or turnip
- mature Somerset Cheddar cheese → mature English Cheddar or Double Gloucester
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat on the hob, stirring frequently without letting it boil.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Using sweetened commercial cider which makes the soup cloyingly sweet rather than tangy and savoury.
- •Boiling the soup vigorously after adding the cheese, which causes the dairy to split and become grainy.
- •Chopping the root vegetables unevenly, causing some pieces to turn mushy while others remain hard.
Serving suggestions
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