Anyone got a nice recipe for soup suitable for a dinner party, please?

[soapbox]

I have friends coming for the weekend next week and was thinking of doing a soup for starter. Saturdays are very busy days here, so I was looking for something I could make on Friday and store in the fridge overnight!

I'm still looking for a main course, so any ideas also welcome.

I'm doing melting chocie puds for desert, along with baked spiced plums and mascapone cheese.

One of the guests is pregnant so have to avoid any foods that pregnant ladies must not eat!

TIA

1. Buy one tin of fancy soup.

2. Open tin. 3. heat in a pan. 4. Serve with a sprig of something and claim it as your own.

Sorry not very helpful couldn't resist.

NOT what I was looking for - go to the back of hte cookery class please

Minted Pea Soup?

Buy one pack frozen minted peas (can get from most supermarkets)

Fry an onion till soft
add minted peas and vegetable stock and boil and season to taste
Blend well (in a mouli)
You may well have to pour through a seive to get rid of any pea skins

serve with cream swirled on top adn crusty bread

Cream of Celeriac soup is amazing particularly if you drizzle a little white truffle oil on the surface before you serve it. Google it.

How about a good mushroom soup ??

or

A tomato and orange soup ??

Thai pumpkin soup! Roast pumpkin flesh (or can use butternut squash) wihg olive oild and smatter of seasalt for 45 mins, bung in pan. Add tblespn of red thai curry paste, stir and sizzle a little. Add tin of coconut milk, simmer, liquidise and serve with fresh coriander,

Pea soup possibly a bit too summery for this time of year.

Celariac sounds nice, as does mushroom. I can't bear sweet and savory flaviours mixed together so tomato and orange doesn't hit the mark I'm afraid!

I have just found a recipe for french onion soup which I remember being nice - I wonder if it might be a little too heavy though?

I used to make a lovely tomato soup pre kids. I really should make it because the kids would probably love it. I can cook honest .

Thai pumpkin soup sounds lovely - all of my friends love thai food as well.

What main couse would work do you think?

Butternut squash and prawn? Tastes kind of like a lobster bisque but nicer - though unsure if you can eat prawns when pregnant nowadays - let me know if you want the recipe

Nah bu8ger it I will stick with heinz tomato and stir in a bit of pesto and a sprinkle of black pepper yummy!!!

Don't think prawns are on hte pregnancy menu these days!

Can you post the recipe anyway - I like trying new ideas and we often get squash in the veggie box!

Thanks

French onion soup can be hit and miss if the onions don't brown.

LGJ - a teaspoon of caster sugar seems to do the trick

courgette soup with boursin! it is gorgeous!

Watercress

Wild mushroom

Vietnamese beef and spinach soup

hi soapy.

how about this? i haven't tried it, but my mum sent it to me last week, she said it was delicious. the quantities in brackets are her adaptations.

1/2 (1) chopped onion
2 (3) sweet potatoes
6 carrots
1 lime
25g creamed coconut block (or 1 tin creamed coconut)
2 veg stock cubes dissolved in 1 pt water
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp chopped ginger (3 if from a jar)
1tsp coriander
1 tsp garam masala
1 (2) clove of garlic

Method:

1. Fry onions for 5 mins

2. Add ginger and garlic

3. Add cumin seeds, coriander and garam masala

4. Add chopped carrot and sweet potato (chop carrot smaller as cooks slower than sweet potatoes) and fry off gently for 5-10 mins

5. Add zest of lime

6. Add water and veg stock and juice of lime

7. Simmer for 30 mins or until veg are cooked

8. Blend and season as necessary

9. Add creamed coconut

10. Add coriander leaf if available

What main course to go with thai pumpkin soup? Now you're asking!! Haven't a clue - depends if you wanna go down the thai route further? I love cooking, but don't have the patience to do 'cordon bleu' or anything too fiddly. I have a lovely recipe for morrocan style chicken. Or Seared tuna with ginger, chilli and spinach noodles?

Gosh - this is great, so many fab ideas. I love making soup in the winter so I will definately try all of these out

Butternut squash and prawn

Roast 1 whole squash in oven until it goes brownish (I think this usually takes 1 1/2 hours) Peel and apple and cut into small chunks. Cook for 10 mins with a large mugful of milk (make sure it doesn't burn). Add scooped out flesh of squash and liquidise.
Seperately (I do this in ame liquidiser but before) puree 1 pack prawns with juice of 1 lemon. Mix prawns into squash, add approx 1 litre stock (I use Marigold) and simmer.
Serve with big drizzle of cream and lots of pepper

thai pumpkin soup
then salmon fillets wrapped in parma ham with puy lentils, spinach and herbs
then your puds

ooh Enid, sounds gorgeous1
So Soapy, what time should we come?