Carrot tops; Chris Law, the head chef at Cottiers in Glasgow, with a soup recipe which uses the best veg grown in Scotland.

TV DINNERS

CARROT AND CORIANDER SOUP

Serves 6-8

8-10 large carrots 1 white onion 250ml white wine 100g butter Fresh coriander Vegetable stock cube Double cream Salt and pepper

Up until recently, I haven't been a great fan of carrot soup. I've always thought that it seems to lack a certain something.

However, after being shown this method, I've completely changed my mind about it.

The key is to make the basic soup first before adding the grated carrot to the fast-boiling liquid rather than cooking the carrots slowly from the beginning.

This means that the thin strands of grated carrot cook almost the instant they hit the hot stock, resulting in a soup that is packed with fresh carrot flavour rather than that not so tasty stewed flavour.

Start by peeling the onion and slicing it as finely as you can.

Add the sliced onion to a large soup pot, along with the butter, and place on a gentle heat.

Once the butter has melted, cook the onions while stirring constantly until they start to soften. Be careful at this stage not to burn the butter or the onions. If you think that the pan is a little too hot, turn the heat down a little.

Add the white wine, allowing it to reduce a little before finally adding around two litres of water, a vegetable stock cube, and some salt and pepper. Give the whole lot a good stir before turning the heat back up.

While you are waiting for the soup stock to boil, peel all the carrots before grating them into a large bowl.

Don't be tempted to squeeze the juice from the carrots, as this is where all the fresh flavour will come from.

Once the stock has reached a fast boil, add the grated carrot to the pot one handful at a time, and wait until the soup has returned to the boil before adding the next handful.

Once all the carrot has been added, turn the heat down to a gentle simmer and cook for a further 10-15 minutes.

Once cooked, check the consistency of the soup, adding a little more water if you think that it is too thick.

Add a good handful of freshly chopped coriander before pureeing through the blender or food processor.

Once blended, return the pan to the heat before finally adding a splash of double cream and a little more salt and pepper.

Serve immediately in some warm bowls with another sprinkling of coriander on top.

It's perfect with freshly-baked crusty bread.

ANOTHER WAY TO DO IT

This is a recipe for carrot soup in its simplest form and the addition of a few other ingredients can completely change the taste of the soup. Try adding a little smoked bacon or pancetta, or ground cumin - or try a combination of your favourite herbs.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Whenever you make yourself a pot of soup, it is always worth the extra effort to make double the recipe before freezing half of it. Soup will freeze well for up to six months and be ready to defrost at a moment's notice.

CAPTION(S):

MADE IN SCOTLAND... Fresh vegetables