CHEESE SOUP

This soup is probably the most expensive soup in the whole book but believe me it's worth every penny!

1 lb of onions finely chopped.
3 tablespoons of olive oil.
3 HEAPED tablespoons of parmesan cheese OR 4-5
   tablespoons of finely grated mature (strong!) cheddar.
4 tablespoonful of thick Greek yoghurt (do they
   produce anything else?).
4-5 cloves of garlic finely chopped.
1 teaspoonful of turmeric.
1 tablespoonful of Chinese mushroom sauce
[Not the soy-mushroom sauce but the creamy variety*]
4 ounces of chopped cashew nuts.
2 teaspoons of sea salt.
2 and a half pints of water.
1 teaspoonful of demerara sugar (optional. Taste
   first and see).
I heaped tablespoonful of gram flour (chickpea flour)
  mixed to a smooth paste with a little water or oil.
1 teaspoonful of dried basil (or one handful of fresh
   finely chopped).

METHOD

Put yoghurt, cashew nuts, cheese and basil into a bowl and blend with the good ol' hand blender. Then leave over night in the fridge to marinate.

THE NEXT DAY

After a sleepless night of wondering whether this soup will turn out and whether leaving the yoghurt mixture over night in the fridge was really worth it, you now heat the oil in your soup pan (the saucepan you usually use for making soup) and add the onions and garlic. Fry (you're ahead of me!) till softish. Add the water and sea salt and bring to the boil. Add turmeric and yoghurt mixture and simmer for 1 hour. Then add sugar and gram flour mix whilst stirring like a mad tulip. Use hand blender to mix to a really smooth consistency. Add mushroom sauce.* Simmer further 5 minutes.

SERVES 4

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