Creamy Winter Vegetable Soup

Choose your vegetables, preferably roots, such as celeriac, carrots, turnips, beetroot, black radishes, etc.

You should use a variety and aim for a balance with about the same weight of each, apart from strong-flavoured kinds, of which you will need less, or they are all you will taste. I am thinking in particular of celeriac and radishes.

Use pink rather than red beetroot if you can, otherwise the colour will be a strong reddish purple, which might not be very appealing - it's a matter of taste.

Prepare 2 leeks and chop. Then chop the cauliflower fairly small (a mandolin is ideal for this).

Peel and rinse the other vegetables and slice thinly (use a food processor) or cut into julienne sticks.

Prepare 1 onion and slice thinly.

Pour 5 tablespoons olive oil into a large saucepan or stockpot. When hot, add the onion, salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes without colouring.

Add all the other vegetables and mix well. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Cover with 2 cm (1 inch) of water and add 1 chicken stock cube.

Bring to the boil and cook on medium heat until the carrots are tender.

Remove from the heat and blend thoroughly.

Add 250 ml liquid cream, 1 tablespoon mustard and blend briefly once more. Your soup is ready.