Serves 6-8

A little cardamom in this soup gives it a lovely, warming fragrance without overpowering the flavour of the caramelised swede. If you like, serve the soup in coffee cups instead of bowls, as it can be quite filling and, after all, there are two more courses to come. You can substitute the swedes for turnips, which will work just as well.

3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
Few sprigs of thyme
30g unsalted butter, cut into
small pieces
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6-8 cardamom pods
2 swedes, peeled and chopped into
small pieces
2 tbsp honey
1.5-2l hot chicken stock
150ml double cream
Grating of nutmeg, to serve

1 Heat a large pan with the olive oil. Stir in the onion and celery and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the thyme and a few knobs of butter and seasoning.

2 Crush the cardamom pods with the back of a knife and add to the onions and celery. Sweat the onions for 5 more minutes until they are soft and translucent, but not browned.

3 Stir in the chopped swede, drizzle over the honey and cover the pan with a lid. This will encourage condensation and prevent the onions from burning. Cook over medium heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the swedes have softened and caramelised. If they do catch, simply add a little water.

4 Pour in enough hot chicken stock to cover the vegetables and let simmer for a few more minutes. Stir in the cream and
adjust the seasoning.

5 In batches, liquidise the soup in a blender until really smooth, adding a few knobs of butter for a velvety finish. (When liquidising the hot soup, fill the blender no more than halfway and release one corner of the lid. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth. This will prevent the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions). Pass the soup through a fine sieve, pushing down with the back of a ladle, and discard the solids.

6 Reheat the soup and adjust the consistency, adding more cream to thicken or more hot stock to thin it down. Season again to taste and serve in warm bowls with a drizzle of olive oil and a grating of nutmeg.

Times Recommends

• How to . . . carve a turkey
• 21 top tips for Christmas
• How to . . . cook for a Christmas crowd