Nigella Lawson has shared a three-ingredient vegetable soup recipe that uses leftover potato water as its base, which she describes as making the "best vegetable soup in the world."
The recipe centres on frozen petit pois as the standout ingredient, a freezer staple that is rarely used as the main component of a dish. According to the Great British Bake Off judge, the soup does not require a long list of extra ingredients.
The tip emerged alongside a recipe for garlic and parmesan mashed potatoes, in which Lawson recommended keeping the starchy water left over from boiling potatoes to make her pea soup.
What the recipe needs
Lawson said: "It would be criminal of me not to mention that the water potatoes are cooked in makes the best vegetable soup in the world."
While her favourite version uses frozen petit pois, other vegetables that soften quickly when boiled, such as squash, carrots or parsnips, can be substituted. The soup needs just one litre of stock made from the leftover potato water, garlic, and a 690g packet of frozen petit pois.
How to make the stock
To prepare the stock, peel and chop 8oz of floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper, into large, equal-sized chunks. Eight large fresh garlic cloves should be lightly bruised with the flat side of a wide-bladed knife, with a small slit cut at the ends to make peeling easier.
The potatoes and garlic go into a very large pan, covered with cold water and salt, then brought to a boil over high heat with the lid on. Once cooked, the potatoes are drained into a large bowl to reserve the water, which is then poured back into the pan.
Cooking and storing the soup
The potatoes can be used in another recipe, such as mash or crispy roasties, or added back to the stock and blended into the soup. Lawson noted that potatoes will thicken the liquid significantly when blended.
The peas, or chosen vegetables, are added to the stock and cooked until very soft, then blended until smooth with a stick blender. The finished soup can be stored in the fridge for up to five days in an airtight container once cooled.
