Loch-Ness Monster, Abominable Snowman & Pork Pie Soup

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  3 Bell Peppers – thickly sliced

• Baby sweet corn – 130g – Chopped into small round pieces
• 2 Large Onions – roughly chopped
• 1 Chilli – use fresh chilli finely chopped (seeds left in for extra heat.)
• 2 Celery Stalks – roughly chopped
• 2 large Carrots – roughly chopped
• 2 litres of vegetable stock
• Chilli Flakes – 1-2 tablespoons (depending on heat preference)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Vegetable Oil  – 2-6 tablespoons
• Left over Vale of Mowbray Pork Pie – meat and pastry separated (The amount to use is up to you, however much you have left. A little or a lot.)

Soup

• Heat the oven to 200c
• Put the chopped peppers and chopped baby sweet corn onto an oven tray. Sprinkle the veg’ with vegetable oil and chilli flakes and S & P (chilli flakes to your personal taste). Give it a mix to coat all the veg’.
• Place the tray into the heated oven and cook for approximately 20 min’s, stirring half way through. The veg should look slightly soft and  “caramelised” (the new word for what we used to call, slightly over cooked). When cooked, chop the peppers into medium sized pieces.
• While the vegetables are cooking, get a large pot and add your chopped onions, chopped celery, chopped carrots, and 2 litres of vegetable stock. Add S & P to taste and as much of the chopped chilli as you want. Bring the mixture to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to simmer and let it cook until the vegetables are soft.
• Once veg’ are soft, blend the mixture until smooth, and transfer back to the pot.
• Chop the pork pie meat into small chunks (the size of the chunks depends entirely up to your preference).
• Add the meat, sweet corn and chopped roasted peppers to the soup and heat on medium heat until meat is hot all the way through.
• Taste and adjust seasoning if needed
• Serve your Vale of Mowbray pork pie soup piping hot with your pastry croutons on the side.

Pastry Croutons

• Slice the pork pie pastry into squares of about ½ inch.
• On the same tray you roasted the vegetables (Adding flavour at every stage of cooking), add the sliced pastry and cook in 200c oven for approx. 15-20mins until golden brown. (Give it a stir to coat with all the amazing flavours left on the tray)
• Once cooked, take them off the tray and transfer them to a plate covered with kitchen paper to drain. Let them cool completely before using.

Tip Box

• I used peppers and baby sweet corn for this recipe, but I’ve used other veg too. If you have a lot of leftover cooked vegetables, don’t be afraid to use those instead. Just adjust the cooking time accordingly. Honest, cooked sprouts and parsnip in this soup taste incredible with a touch of chilli.
• Blending – When blending your soup, don’t over fill your blender. I blended in batches.
• Croutons – These pastry croutons are amazing. Don’t limit them to this soup. Pack them in your lunch box; have them as a snack while watching your favourite movie. Give them a go on a salad to add an extra dimension. Anything goes.
• Don’t waist all that yummy jelly surrounding the tasty meat of you pork pie. If there is any left over, put it into your soup when its time to blend.
• Vegetable stock – Use vegetable stock cubes, bullion powder, or if you have time make your own.