So soup season has come back around. I really like soup as you can chuck in whatever you have left in the fridge. I had a couple of parsnips left over that were starting to go soft so I chucked them in too. I added in some curry powder and turmeric to stop it being too sweet. I’m not the best bread maker but these sage grissini turned out really good. The sage really compliments the sweet soup and the bread sticks were lovely and airy inside.

Ingredients (serves 4)

For the grissini

• 200g strong white bread flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 180ml hand warm water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp chopped sage
• Around 20 small whole sage leaves
• Extra flour if needed
• Olive oil spray
• Sea salt for sprinkling

For the soup

• 3 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 parsnip, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 litre of vegetable stock
• Sprig of thyme
• Fresh pepper and sea salt
• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan
• Olive oil for frying

Directions

For the grissini

1. Put the yeast and sugar in a cup, add a splash of warm water and set aside for about 10 minutes to froth up.
2. Add the flour to a mixing bowl add the tsp of salt to one side, pour in the frothy yeast mixture to the other side. Add the chopped sage leaves. Measure out the warm water and add the olive oil. Pour into to flour and knead for about 10 minutes. I did mine in my machine and had to add a sprinkling of flour a couple of times to get the right consistency. It is a sticky dough.
3. Grease a bowl with olive oil put the dough inside, cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for an hour. (I made my soup at this stage).
4. Pre heat oven to 180 degrees fan. Once the dough has risen tip it on to a floured surface and knock out the air. Oil your hands, Take a piece of dough (I got 12 sticks out of mine) roll it between your hands to form a stick. Place it on a lined baking tray and push in a couple of sage leaves into the top. Repeat with the rest of the dough (I did 6 at a time). Spray with cooking oil and sprinkle over sea salt. Bake for 10 minutes. Place on a wire rack and bake the next batch.

For the soup

1. heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for around 4-5 minutes stirring occasionally. So they don’t catch after a couple of minutes I add a slash of water. Once softened add the garlic and cook for a further minute or until fragrant.
2. Stir in the curry powder and turmeric to coat the onions and cook out for another minute. Add in the potato and parsnip, give it a good stir to coat. Add in the stock, thyme leaves and season.
3. Bring to a boiling simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Remove the thyme sprig and blitz the soup. Serve with grated Parmesan and grissini. Enjoy.