Please give me a simple but impressive recipe for soup to make for Xmas Day!!! I need to impress my MIL.

[RainRainGoAway]

I have been charged with making soup on Xmas day. Does anyone have an amazing recipe? My MIL is a guru in the kitchen and I would love to impress her as we have a deeply Freudian relationship when it comes to cooking. But lets not analyse now!

Thanks!

watercress? It's velverty and light at the same time and won't fill you all up too much before the main attraction.

I do a nice Asparagus and Watercress - but will have to go look for the recipe. Does that sound like the sort of thing?

Yes!
My MIL asked me to bring watercress salad as well so that might be just the thing.

Jerusalem artichokes, fab velvety texture and the whole family will fart like horses

Or this one - minted pea and watercress - looks very easy

1 tbsp olive oil
½ white onion
4 slices smoked streaky bacon
500g frozen peas, thoroughly defrosted
60g watercress
20g (or small bunch) fresh mint leaves
Approx 550ml boiling water
Approx 30ml double cream
Salt
Pepper

Heat the oil in a pan. Slice the onion and chop the bacon before frying together for 1-2 minutes.

1. Once the onion has softened and the bacon has browned use a pair of scissors to chop in the mint leaves. Allow to cook briefly before adding the peas.

1. Season with a little salt, then add the watercress and allow to sweat down for 30 seconds.

1. Pour in 550ml boiling water and allow the peas to cook - approximately a further 1-2 minutes.

1. Remove from the heat and transfer the soup to a liquidiser and blend. Alternatively, use a hand blender and blend in the pan until smooth. If the soup is a little too thick, add an extra splash of water.

1. Adjust the seasoning if necessary and pour the soup into serving bowls.

1. Drizzle with a swirl of cream to serve.

Farting always obligatory on Xmas day, but not sure want to provoke the situation!

Minted pea and watercress sounds lovely.
You are all great.

courgette soup with Boursin!

Nigella has a wondeful recipe in How to It for chestnut and lentil soup - velvety, delicious and very Christmassy. Have a look here.

Thank you ladies!!
I will give MIL those as options for her to choose.
Has anyone a 'winter vegetable' type soup as well they could recommend just in case that is what she had in mind? (although love that Nigella soup as well. Think I might do one of these also for new year)

Carrot & ginger - chop carrots & soften in butter. Add about a pint of veg stock. Grate 1/2 inch of fresh ginger & add (or add a good pinch of dried ginger). Simmer for about 20 minutes or until carrots are soft. Leave to cool then blitz in a blender until smooth.
Reheat and serve with a swirl of cream. Delicious with a slice of crusty bread topped with Brie

Winter veg - chop up carrots, swede, onion, parsnip. Add about 2 pints of stock - chicken would be best (use a stock cube - they are more tasty) and add a big handful or 2 of red lentils. Boil for 20-30 mins, when veg soft, whizz it all with teh ahnd blender. I did just this the other day, was yum

Then do some fancy croutons - ciabatta or something poncy, cut into cubes, fryu with herbs and garlic and butter until hard. Grate some posh cheese for sprinkling

Excellent idea with the croutons! And good simple winter veg recipe. Now I can offer her a range of things.

Not that I am frightened of looking inadequate with my cooking in front of her

Asparagus and Watercress:

1 bunch asparagus tips
1/2 bag watercress
2 onions
chicken stock
Creme fraiche or cream

Chop onions very small and fry till clear. Chop asparagus into little bits and add to onion (all but the teeny top bits, save for garnish).

Fry a wee bit more.

Add chicken stock. Bring back to boil and boil for about 10 mins, not too fast. Take off heat. Stir in watercress, leave for 5 mins to wilt.

Blend.

To serve, add a swirl of cream or creme fraiche to the centre of the bowl, garnish with a sprinkle of asparagus and a sprig of watercress.

Celeriac, saffron and orange with parsley gremolata looks beautiful, and is not much work at all. Recipe is in Leith's Vegetarian Bible and I can't find it online, but basically it's about half and half celeriac and potatoes, with some saffron and orange juice, then gremolata of mashed-up flat-leaf parsley, rock salt, garlic and olive oil, add a teaspoonful to each bowl as you serve and a bit of orange zest too.
Sorry this is a bit vague - perhaps someone is at home with the book and can supply more details if you want ...

Wonderful. Thank you so much. WIll email her this page and let her decide.

Sweet potato and pear. Delicious. Let me know if you fancy it and I'll type out the recipe (lazy emoticon)...

leek ,celery and stilton or my other favourite is smoked bacon and red lentil soup

Second the Nigella pea and pesto soup! Google it, it's out there. V easy and kids love it too.