Brussel sprout soup with cheddar stuffed bread

Brussel sprout soup

• 25g butter
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 1 red onion, peeled and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 cm root ginger, finely diced
• 700g Brussel Sprouts, trimmed
• 700ml vegetable stock
• A handful thyme
• 100g cheddar, grated
• Salt and pepper
• 50ml cream

Stuffed bread

•  225g white bread flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 10g fresh yeast
• 110ml water, lukewarm
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 75g cheddar
• 25g chopped walnuts
• 2 rashers smoked bacon

Melt the butter in a saucepan with the oil. Add the onion, garlic and ginger. Fry for 5 minutes on a medium heat or until the onion is softening. Add the sprouts. Fry for a few minutes, stirring well. Add the stock and thyme. Simmer, with a lid on for 25 minutes. Blitz with a handheld blender or food processor until smooth. Add in the cheese. Stir well until melted. Add the cream and season to taste. Adjust with a little water if needed. 

• In a bowl sieve together the flour and salt. In a jug mix together the yeast, water and oil. Pour into the flour and form a dough. Knead on a floured surface for 10 minutes. Place a little oil into the bowl. Place the dough into the bowl and cover, leave to rise for 1 hour. Cut up the bacon and fry in a little oil. Knock back and roll the dough into a large oval. Dot with the cheese, and sprinkle with walnuts. Spoon on the bacon. Fold the bottom third up to the middle and the top third over the top. Roll out and refold as before, roll out again and repeat twice more. Cut three diagonal slashes across the middle and gently stretch the dough to form slashes in the dough. Place on the baking sheet and leave to rise for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/ Gas Mark 7. Brush the bread with a little oil and bake for 25 minutes or until golden and risen.

Brussel sprout soup

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan with the oil.

2. Add the onion, garlic and ginger. Fry for 5 minutes on a medium heat or until the onion is softening.

3. Add the sprouts. Fry for a few minutes, stirring well.

4. Add the stock and thyme. Simmer, with a lid on for 25 minutes.

5. Blitz with a handheld blender or food processor until smooth.

6. Add in the cheese. Stir well until melted.

7. Add the cream and season to taste. Adjust with a little water if needed. 

Stuffed bread

1. In a bowl sieve together the flour and salt. In a jug mix together the yeast, water and oil. Pour into the flour and form a dough.

2. Knead on a floured surface for 10 minutes. Place a little oil into the bowl. Place the dough into the bowl and cover, leave to rise for 1 hour. Cut up the bacon and fry in a little oil.

3. Knock back and roll the dough into a large oval. Dot with the cheese, and sprinkle with walnuts. Spoon on the bacon. Fold the bottom third up to the middle and the top third over the top. Roll out and refold as before, roll out again and repeat twice more.

4. Cut three diagonal slashes across the middle and gently stretch the dough to form slashes in the dough. Place on the baking sheet and leave to rise for 30 minutes.

5. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/ Gas Mark 7. Brush the bread with a little oil and bake for 25 minutes or until golden and risen.