On a recent trip to the Netherlands my husband and I visited his sister and husband in Groningen Province. It was our first time seeing the beauty of the northern part of the country and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit to their neck of the woods. They had recently discovered the delights of Mustard Soup so we had to try it one night and like them, fell in love with this delicious, filling “soep.”

So here is my version which I made for us last night, seeing as back home in Ontario, Canada, we found out winter wasn’t done with us yet!

Ingredients

3 shallots 2 green onions 2 large baking potatoes 3 large leeks, white and light green parts only 1 large celeriac 4 carrots 2 L chicken stock salt & pepper 4 tbsp grainy mustard (I used a whole grain Dijon) 1/2-1 cup 35% cream pre-cooked and crumbled bacon dried or fresh parsley

Method

Peel shallots, potatoes, celeriac and carrots. Trim ends of green onions and wash. Slice leeks open lengthwise then chop into small pieces and thoroughly wash them using a colander. Cut shallots and green onions into small pieces and in a large stock pot, heat 2 tbsp oil of your choice with 2 tbsp of butter. When heated add shallots and green onions and gently cook until tender. Meanwhile, dice potatoes, leeks, carrots and celeriac. Add to the pot and then add the chicken stock, and the salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil and then reduce to simmer/gently boil for about 35 minutes until vegetables are soft. Use an immersion blender to blend contents until smoothly pureed.

In a small bowl whisk together grainy mustard and the cream. Stir into blended soup. Serve with a bit of the bacon on the top and some of the parsley. Enjoy this soup with a bit of crusty bread or bread toasted then topped with cheese and toasted again until melty.

When You Feel Like You Have Been Pureed

A smoothly blended soup is wonderful to eat. But do you sometimes feel like life is blending you and you are feeling rougher and not smooth at all? Life is like that, isn’t it? Do you know you don’t have to go it alone? There is One who loves you so much that He gave His life for you. That One is Jesus Christ, the beloved Son of God our heavenly Father. He cares for every detail of your life. I asked Him to be my personal Saviour when I was thirteen and now, some four decades later, I can honestly say Jesus has never let me down. He comforts me, strengthens me and gets me through those rough times with His love, joy and peace. I cannot imagine doing life without Him. In John 14: 6, He tells us that “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” And that, my dear friend, is the sweet good news of the gospel message. Jesus has done all that is necessary for you to go to heaven. He died on the cross, He was buried, He rose again the third day. All we need to do is believe it! The Bible tells us after He rose from the dead He appeared to over 500 people, 1 Corinthians 15:6, and they all attested to His being alive again. This is the crux of the Easter celebrations we just enjoyed. He is alive and He is in heaven interceding for us! What a wonderful truth. We can rest in Him and trust Him to be with us no matter what we are going through. Life is rarely fair, yet He is completely fair. The next time you feel you are caught in the whirlwind of a crazy life, talk to Him about it. Believe Him and His word. Let Him be your strong tower, Proverbs 18:10, run to Him and be safe!