Carrot and star anise soup

I’m really enjoying soups at the moment, not only because i’m trying to eat healthily, but also because the weather can’t make up its flipping mind about whether it’s summer yet or not.

I love how soups can be made so quickly and cheaply, and also how they can effortlessly fill the freezer for days when you just want to heat something nutritious up.

Carrot sits perfectly with fragrant star anise, and makes a change from the bog standard carrot and coriander we’re all used to in this house.

BRITA have created this delicious soup recipe to showcase how using filtered water can really enhance your cooking.

Jug filters can reduce the unwanted nasties found in tap water (like chlorine and heavy metals) than can often affect the flavour of ingredients. Why not try this recipe using filtered water and see if you can taste the difference.

Carrot and Star Anise Soup
Recipe by BRITA
Serves 4

Ingredients
25g butter
1 onion, chopped
3 star anise
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1kg carrots, chopped
900ml BRITA filtered water
Chicken stock cube
400ml milk
Pinch nutmeg
50g grated Parmesan

Method

1. Place the butter, onion, star anise and garlic in a pan on a low heat for 5-10 mins stirring continuously so the ingredients do not colour.

2. Add the carrots and cover with BRITA filtered water. Season to taste. Bring to the boil and simmer until the water has been absorbed, then remove the star anise.

3. Put the carrot mix into the blender until pureed. Heat the milk and in a separate pan make the stock using the BRITA filtered water. Combine the liquids equally with the puree until you have the desired consistency. Pour into bowls, grate nutmeg on top and sprinkle with parmesan.

Feeding Boys Tips: For vegetarians use a vegetable stock cube, and if you’re keeping it light replace the butter with a little rapeseed oil and use skimmed milk.

What about YOUR recipes using filtered water?

If you really are a committed foodie then BRITA and Delicious magazine would love to hear from you, as they’ve teamed up to find people who are making amazing food and drink in their own homes using filtered water and quality, local ingredients to create the best flavour.

Are you always in the kitchen coming up with new creations after a trip to the local farmer’s market? Perhaps your farm shop is a constant source of inspiration. Are you a keen baker who sources flour from their local mill and eggs from your own hens? Does this sound like you?

An expert judging panel will shortlist the entrants and invite them to London so they can cook their produce and then three deserving winners will be selected to sell their creations at the UK’s most popular food festival, The Big Feastival. That’s quite an opportunity if you’re waiting to be discovered!

If you’d like to enter the competition visit http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/betterwithbrita/

Competition entries must be received by the 30th June, so you’ve got until the end of the month. Voting closes on the 7th July 2014, when a shortlist of 10 will be chosen.

Disclosure: I have been selected to be a BRITA Ambassador to help promote their special competition with Delicious Magazine and have been compensated for the time spent on this project. I’ll be updating you on the larger competition as it progresses over the summer months. Good luck everyone!