From the Mrs: Raija's Vegetable and Blue Cheese Soup

Raija is Janne's step-mum. She doesn't speak English but I know that she understands me. Raija and Janne's dad Unto live out in the Finnish countryside. Life there is very different to what we are used to here. All of the toilets are compost, the water comes from a well and Raija bakes and cooks in a huge, old fashioned bread oven. It's like stepping back in time...until you walk into the living room and there's a big TV. At Raija and Unto's we always eat outside in the summer around a big wooden table. Raija cooks lots of food and we sit and eat, drink and talk (or in my case smile and nod). Last summer we sat and ate soup with dark rye bread, salads and cold meats, cheeses and ice cream for dessert. It's hard to restrain yourself from eating everything. I particularly liked the vegetable soup that she made, it's light enough to enjoy in the summer and warming in the winter, the blue cheese adds a great flavour and it's really simple to make...so simple that even I can make it!


Ingredients

Look out for a stew pack of vegetables in the supermarket - they usually come with carrots, parsnip, turnip and onion and cost £1 - fantastic!

1/2 pint of Chicken or vegetable stock

 

Small wedge of blue cheese such as stilton

Salt and pepper

How to Cook

Peel and chop all of your vegetables and place in a big pan. Make up 1/2 pint of chicken or vegetable stock and pour over the vegetables. You may need to top up with water to make sure all of the vegetables are covered with water.

Bring to the boil and cook the vegetables until completely soft.

Once the vegetables are cooked blitz the vegetables and stock in a blender or with a hand blender.

Janne in a silly hat with Unto

Chop the blue cheese and add pieces to the soup...this is where you need to keep tasting the soup, I like a hint of blue cheese so I usually just add just a few lumps, whereas Janne likes it to taste strong. Mess about with it and add as much as you like. Blend after each addition. The flavour will come through more once heated so don't go mad.

An even sillier hat with
Janne's step-brother Jussi

Season with salt and pepper.

Heat through but do not bring to the boil.