We are officially at a time of the year when we need soup. There’s nothing that will warm the body and soul like a good bowl of things that have been gently simmered in stock.

As the late, great chef Keith Floyd put it: “A home is a place where a pot of fresh soup simmers gently on the hob, filling the kitchen with soft aromas and filling your heart, and later your tummy, with joy.” Shin soup is something that played a big part in my childhood eating. The beef on the bone was cooked with carrots, turnip, leeks, barley, lentils, soup celery and parsley for hours. It sat on the stove for a couple of days, getting reheating as necessary. Nowadays we’re told to get everything in the fridge within an hour. It never did us any harm and never failed to warm and fill us up. Often a spud was placed in the middle – something I still love to do.

My first recipe takes inspiration from shin soup but with a few exotic ingredients added. Shin of beef is still relatively cheap and if you buy it with the bone in it will add extra flavour and the marrow will thicken the soup slightly. After sealing off the meat, onions, ginger and garlic are cooked in the pan and then stock, soy and turmeric added. Simmer until the meat is just about ready and then add lentils and coconut milk. Cook until the lentils are cooked. Rest the shin and then shred and add to the soup. I’ve suggested topping with scallions and chilli but that’s up to you.

Like shin, ham hock is excellent for making soup with. It has a bone that will add depth of flavour and you’ll end up with lots of shredded meat. The soup here starts with the ham hock being simmered with onion and celery until soft. In a separate pot leeks are cooked and the stock and soaked marrowfat peas are added. When they’ve cooked for a while potatoes and soup celery are added. Soup celery is an essential part of broth and also works so well here. The shredded meat of the ham is added to the soup along with some parsley. This is the kind of soup you can stand a spoon in and is a meal in itself. Both these soups will taste better the next day so make a good pot of it.

placeholder image — Soup and bread go so well together whether it’s a roll or some crusty bread.

Soup and bread go so well together whether it’s a roll or some crusty bread. I’ve added a recipe for walnut and linseed wheaten bread. You can form it into a cob or bake in a loaf tin – either way, slice it warm, slather it with butter and serve with the hot soup. And If that doesn’t warm the cockles of your heart then you might want to check your pulse.