For carrot soup, you will need:

1 tbsp oil
knob of butter
1 onion, sliced
1 lb (450g) carrots, cleaned and sliced
1 tsp ground coriander
1 liter (1 quart or 2 pints) vegetable stock
2 heaped tbsp chopped fresh coriander
salt and freshly ground black pepper

(serves 4)

Heat the butter and oil in a large pan. Fry the onion and carrots for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the ground coriander and season well. Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender. Allow to cool a little. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Warm up again in a clean pan, stir in the fresh coriander and serve.