I’d never heard of “carrot and coriander soup” until I moved to England, where it seems to appear on lots of gastropub menus during the autumn and winter months.

But it seems silly to order this soup at a restaurant when it’s stupidly easy to make at home. Fry some onion, boil it up with some carrots, potato and ground coriander, then blitz it in the blender with some fresh coriander (“cilantro” to my fellow Americans). It all comes together in less than 30 minutes.

Today I think I’ll have some leftovers, perhaps with a bit of spinach added to cut the sweetness of the carrot, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Am I the only one who is often compelled to add extras to soup? I especially enjoy pouring just about any soup, piping hot, over a bowlful of fresh spinach. The leaves warm and wilt without over cooking, and bring a bit of freshness to an otherwise cooked-to-hell bowl of liquid.