When the weather becomes miserable, or you’re feeling down, there is nothing so comforting as a bowl of soup with some good bread to dunk in it. I’m thinking rich and hearty, not thin and wishy-washy, so mulligatawny is a good place to start.

Anglo-Indian in origin, the name means pepper water in Tamil – although I thought Tamil people were from Sri Lanka, not India. Anyway, whatever the origin, it certainly comes under the heading ‘hearty’.

It’s made with lots of vegetables, curry powder and spices, and can be thickened with either red lentils or rice. It often contains meat, usually chicken.

Topped with plain yoghurt or crème fraîche and sprinkled with chopped coriander and served with naan bread, you really have a feast.

Les Halles market in Paris is famous for its onion soup and for the parisiens who go there in the early hours, believing that it will alleviate the after effects of overindulgence in too much juice of the vine.

Les Halles market in Paris is famous for its onion soup and for the parisiens who go there in the early hours

Fortunately, you don’t need a hangover to enjoy the soup! With its bubbling cheese topping, it’s one of our favourite winter warmers.

Jalapeño chillies (bottles of which you can buy in most supermarkets), are seriously hot, so I only use two teaspoons in my chilli bean, corn and avocado soup.

It’s more than enough for me, but if you’re a bit of a masochist, you can always add more. Served with some cheesy quesadillas, the soup is spicy, filling and perfect for a chilly evening. Finally, try my easy, creamy and delicious salmon and shrimp (prawn) chowder.

With a lighter main course to follow, it makes a perfect dinner party starter.

Salmon and shrimp chowder

(Serves 4)

30g butter
1 medium onion, chopped
4 rashers streaky bacon, chopped
250g potatoes, peeled and diced
1 heaped tbsp flour
750ml milk
2 tbsps chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper
300g salmon fillet
200g peeled cocktail prawns (defrosted weight if using frozen)
100ml cream
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

Melt the butter in a large pan and fry the onion, bacon and potatoes over low heat for about 10 minutes.

Stir in the flour, blend in the milk, add one tablespoon of dill and some salt and pepper and bring to the boil, then lower the heat again, cover and simmer for 15 minutes more.

Skin the salmon, cut the fish into 1cm chunks, remove any bones and add to the pan.

Reserve a few prawns for decoration, add the rest to the pan and simmer for about five minutes until the fish is just cooked.

Stir in the cream, lemon rind and a tablespoon of the juice. Taste and season as necessary, then ladle into soup bowls, top with the reserved prawns and sprinkle with the rest of the dill.

French onion soup

(Serves 4)

4 large onions, peeled
60g butter
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsps caster sugar
200ml dry white wine
1 tbsp flour
1.25l beef stock
2 bay leaves and 4 thyme sprigs, tied together
Salt and pepper
2 tbsps cognac (optional)
4 thick slices French bread
100g grated Gruyère or Emmental cheese

Cut the onions in half and slice them thinly. Melt the butter in a large pan, add the onions, garlic and caster sugar and give them a good stir, cover the pan and cook on a low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until they are very soft.

Pour in the wine and let it bubble until it’s almost evaporated. Stir in the flour and cook for two minutes, then blend in the stock and add the bay leaves and thyme.

Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Fish out and discard the herbs and stir in the cognac if using.

Lightly toast the slices of bread, sprinkle them with half the cheese and grill until the cheese is bubbling.

Stand four ovenproof soup bowls on a baking tray and put a slice of toast in each, ladle in the soup and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.

Put the bowls under the grill until the cheese is bubbling. Serve immediately.

Chilli bean, corn and avocado soup with quesadillas

(Serves 4)

2 tbsps olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsps bottled jalapeño peppers, finely chopped
1 tsp each ground coriander and cumin
Large pinch cinnamon
400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
600ml chicken or vegetable stock
500 ml passata
400g can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
200g canned or frozen sweetcorn
4 tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and diced
Salt and ground black pepper
2 small ripe avocados, peeled, stoned and diced
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper
Chopped fresh coriander and quesadillas to serve

Heat the olive oil in a large pan and fry the onion until soft but not coloured. Add the garlic, jalapeño and spices and fry gently for two minutes.

Add the cannellini beans and stock and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour it all into a blender, whizz until smooth, then return it to the pan. Stir in the passata, add the kidney beans, sweetcorn and tomatoes and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Sprinkle the avocados with the lime juice, then stir about two-thirds into the soup, season to taste with salt and pepper and reheat gently. Divide between warm bowls, sprinkle with the rest of the avocado and the coriander and serve with quesadilla wedges.

For the quesadillas, put one large tortilla into a very hot frying pan, sprinkle with jalapeño or strong cheddar cheese and top with a second tortilla. Heat until the cheese begins to melt and the underside is starting to brown, then flip it over and brown the other side. Cut into wedges to serve.

Mulligatawny soup

(Serves 4)

30g butter
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 chicken breast, diced
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 carrots and 2 celery sticks, diced
Salt and ground black pepper
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
2 tbsps mild curry powder
1 tsp each ground coriander, cumin and turmeric
2 tbsps tomato paste
100g red lentils
800ml chicken stock
400g can coconut milk
2 heaped tbsps mango chutney

Crème fraiche or plain yoghurt, fresh coriander and naan bread to serve

Heat the butter and oil in a large pan and fry the chicken until just cooked through, then transfer it to a plate.

Add the onion, garlic, carrots and celery to the pan, season with some salt and a grind of pepper and fry gently, stirring frequently until the vegetables start to soften.

Stir in the apple and spices and fry for two minutes more, then add the tomato paste and lentils and blend in the chicken stock.

Bring to the boil, lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the lentils have disintegrated, stirring from time to time.

Pour the soup into a blender and whizz until smooth, then return it to the pan. Stir in the coconut milk and chutney, return the chicken to the pan and reheat until almost boiling, then taste and season as necessary.

Ladle into warm bowls, top with a dollop of crème fraiche or yoghurt, a sprinkling of coriander leaves and a grind of black pepper, then serve with lots of warm naan bread for dunking.