Window sill soup

Not all of us have an allotment. Not all of us have a garden. But even a single solitary window ledge can  produce an astonishing array of vegetables – particularly during the colder winter months. Here are some simple window sill ideas that can be turned into fantastic warming soups in minutes.
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A few year’s ago the National Trust in the UK organised an initiative called ‘Ledge Veg’. They estimated that there were 600 acres of growing space available on window sills in the UK.

But most of us restrict our window box activities to a few herbs – great for flavouring but hardly likely to warm your tummy on a cold winter evening.

Instead try our recipe for raddish soup. Raddishes are incredibly easy to grow on a windowsill and while we traditionally use them for summer salads, they also cook into great soups. Raddishes can also be used as sprouting seeds.

Don’t restrict yourself to the little red, round ones. German Salad Radish is red but longer and more like a small carrot in shape. Very quick to grow. Radish Albena are white and quite hot. Both are suitable for growing indoors (and as a base for soups). Here are two of my favourite raddish soup recipes.

White spicy raddish soup

• 12 white radishes (save the leaves)
• 2 medium onions
• 1 stock cube (chicken or vegetable)
• 1 tablespo0n of  butter
• 1 tablespo0n of flour
• 3 cups of milk
• 1 cup of water (more or less to achieve a good soup-like consistency)
• 3 dried bay leaves
• salt and white pepper (you can use black pepper but ground white pepper really works for this recipe)

1. Dice the raddishes and onions and soften in half of the butter. Remove and reserve.
2. Melt the rest of the butter and stir in the flour. Then add the milk slowly to make a smooth paste. Keep adding the milk and then the water to achieve a soup-like consistency.
3. Reintroduce the raddishes and onions, stock cube and bay leaves. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Cook over a gentle heat for two minutes and serve with crusty bread.
5. Chop the leaves and use as garnish.

Red raddish soup

• 12 red radishes
• 1 medium onion
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 stock cube (chicken or vegetable)
• 3 cups of water
• small carton of greek yoghurt or sour cream
• salt and pepper

1. Dice the raddishes and onions and soften in the butter.
2. Add the water and the stock cube and cook over a low heat for about 15 minutes.
3. Put the mixture, along with two-thirds of the yoghurt or sour cream in a blender and make a completely smooth mixture.
4. Return to the pan, add the chopped green leaves and the remaining yoghurt or cream.
5. Heat through and serve.

This one works really well with crispy bacon or croutons as a garnish.

Top tips for growing window sill soup

• Choose your sunniest window sills
• Don’t just grow veg on kitchen window sills – you can use bright and interesting pots that will work well in other rooms
• Central heating dries the soil so be sure your plants have plenty of water

National Trust Top 5 vegetables to grow on window sills

Lettuce – Cut and Come Again varieties
Radishes – some of the easiest vegetables to look after and that take just 5 weeks to grow
Beetroot – not just the root, but its leaves and young shoots
Rainbow chard – stalks can be used in salads along with the young leaves, while mature chard makes a tasty steamed green
Creeping Rosemary – a fragrant herb that goes really well with Mediterranean flavours