On a day like this, my mind goes immediately to soup – something warm and comforting. It’s one of my favourite things to make, in all its many forms.

This one has the advantage of looking golden and bright, which is especially appealing on a cold, bleak day.

When the mood for soup comes upon me, and I have these four ingredients in the fridge, this is what I make. There is more in it than that, but the rest is negotiable.

What you end up with is something that is mellow, but with a bit of a warm, tangy kick.

Golden soup – pumpkin, cauliflower, ginger and goat’s cheese 

Heat a litre of chicken or vegetable stock and add:
½kg or more of chopped, peeled pumpkin

1 small leek, finely sliced

Let it cook for 10-15 minutes, until it’s breaking down. Mash it with a potato masher until it’s all in small bits.

Add a mix of diced vegetables. I prefer it it I have the ones that are on the golden/cream-coloured spectrum – swede, parsnip, carrot – and a tablespoon of grated ginger. I didn’t have swede, but did have chokoes from a friend’s garden, and celery, which goes in almost everything. I usually add each vegetable one at a time (starting with the root veg) and then bring the soup back to the boil  before adding the next.

Let that cook for 10-15 minutes.

Add cauliflower florets and the chopped stems. I used

about half a small cauli for this. Cook until they are just tender.

Serve with a lump of goat’s cheese (I used the magnificent Meredith marinated version) or any good feta. Stop it in and let it melt through.

If I’m having this as a 5:2 meal, I have just half a lump of the Meredith cheese, if not, I go go a whole one in each bowl.

Verdict: all golden warmth, with a bit of extra kick from the ginger and some delicious tang from the goat’s cheese.

Corinna Hente