Carrot and coriander

• Buy an onion. I didn't have one, which is illegal in my house, but I had a leek, so I used that. Chop it and fry it gently in butter with two or three heaped teaspoons of ground coriander, a bit of ground cumin and some chopped coriander stalks.

• After about five or ten, add three peeled, chopped carrots, a chopped pomme de terre and a minced garlic clove.

• Keep it gently sizzling for five, then add water - not too much, don't quite cover everything. Add a vegetable stock cube. Add black pepper if you so wish.

• Stir it and keep it simmering until 9.30pm, or until the carrot slips easily off a knife when poked and lifted out. Make sure your potato is on the same wavelength as your carrot.

• Whiz, then stir in some fresh coriander leaves.

• Taste, then shake your head in disbelief.

What did it taste like? Really, really good. If I had my own trumpet, I would blow it. This soup is the very destiny of the carrot. It should be eaten at least once a day. The fresh herbs provide a bite here and there, against the warmth of the spices and the sweetness of the carrots.

Tips: 

1. I didn't use any salt at all. The stock cube I used (which was one of those live ones (i.e. jelly in nature)) was enough. 
2. You can leave out the cumin, but I wanted a little more depth. I used a small teaspoon of it. 
3. Grate or slice your garlic if mincing is not your strong point. 
4. I kept my soup quite chunky, but you can purée it as you please. I needed to add a little water at the end to get the consistency I wanted.
5. Using coriander stalks is non-negotiable. They have lots of flavour and if you have bought fresh coriander for the soup, you might as well use the whole lot.