That was what my grandmother Helena would say to get me to eat another spoon. “I don’t need it, my eyes are already pretty”, I would reply without a hint of modesty.

Back then, I would make a big fuss to eat any soup. Nowadays, I want nothing other than a delicious and warming bowl of guilt-free comfort food to compensate for the cold weather and make it sunny inside. And while most of my soups are a random concoction of whatever veggies I have at hand, Avó Lena taught me the precise recipe for what is my favourite soup of all time, so now I can share it with the world.

Carrot Puree

1Kg potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
1Kg carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 big onion
5 garlic cloves
100 ml olive oil
Salt to taste (roughly a tablespoon)

Add all the ingredients in a big pot and cover with water. Boil for about an hour, until the potatoes and carrots are soft when we prod them with a knife. Liquefy with a hand held blender until velvety smooth, and then correct the seasoning.

I like it thick and creamy, but you can mix in some boiling water if it’s too thick for you.