Bible Bashing

Every day at the cafe we get together and read The Bible.

As everyone who knows me picks themselves up off the floor, I'm referring to The Soup Bible, which has become an invaluable reference source for our regular search for tasty new soups for our specials board.

We must have tried getting on for half the 200+ recipes from this book now and - even though we are doubling or trebling-up each time, adding bits here and cutting corners there - every single one of them has been very well received, economical and simple to make and, most importantly, deliciously flavoursome.

Our policy is that all our soups are vegetarian and gluten free, which still leaves us with a vast choice. Whilst the most popular soups remain the classics such as Carrot and Coriander, Leek and Potato, Cream of Celery, Mushroom, Rustic Vegetable, we also experiment to use up surplus ingredients such as Wensleydale and Yorkshire Blue cheese, each of which go with any of several different vegetables - Broccoli, Cauliflower, Leek for example - to make lovely creamy combinations. Our soups are freshly made every day, and I always look forward to the mid-morning aroma of freshly chopped coriander or roasted tomatoes filling the air.

We started off making soups as a winter option only, but found that they are in demand all year round, and in the constant search for new ideas, The Soup Bible is where I turn for daily inspiration.