Soup

[-pops-]

As there appear to be some home made soup fans here, let's read some of your recipes.

We have a soup at least once a week - not always different but always good and nourishing.

I'll start:

TUSCAN BEAN SOUP

Ingredients

2tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic

2 medium onions

2 medium leeks

2 medium carrots

2 bay leaves (preferably fresh ones)

4 sprigs thyme

1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes

2 x cans cannellini beans

1 litre (1¾ pints) vegetable stock

salt & pepper to taste

chopped parsley to finish

Method

Heat the oil in a pan (large enough to hold all the soup). Add the crushed garlic and the chopped onions, leeks and carrots. Cook gently for about five minutes. Add the thyme, bay leaves, tomatoes and vegetable stock. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the carrots are cooked. Add the beans, parsley, seasoning and simmer for about 10 minutes longer.

Note: you can use you own soaked and cooked dried beans if you want but canned ones are so much more convenient (also you can get 3 cans for £1 at Sainsbury's).

We have it sometimes with smoked sausage included (chopped Kabanos or similar) added at the same time as the beans

[andsome]

I have made a lot of soup, but rarely to a recipe. I just bung in whatever is to hand, but do frequently add loads of tomato puree, and or canned tomatoes, as we love a tomato flavour. I frequently make soup using onions, garlic, potatoes, stock and lentils, and add whatever else I fancy, adjusting to taste. I usually use a stick blender right at the end, to thicken it up, but like to leave a few lumps.

[-pops-]

I often use the "add and hope" system of cookery and it usually works out OK but there is always the problem then, if the end result is exceptionally good, of not remembering how it was achieved.

I am of an age now where I find that writing things down as I do them does a lot in helping me remember things - like making a particularly good soup.

[andsome]

I use the bung it in and hope method with lots of things, particularly for soups, stews and casseroles. I never use a recipe for Shepherds pie for instance. I bung in whatever left over lamb that we have, plus carrots, onions, garlic, frozen peas and a can of sweetcorn niblets. Plenty of creamy mash on top.

Back to soup, I particularly like carrot and corriander, but don't use a recipe for this, I usually bung in a few leaks or onion, and a couple of spuds, but absolutely LOADS of chopped fresh coriander.

[Irene]

Here is one of my tried and tested favourites:

Cream of Celery Soup

3/4lb (350g) trimmed celery (save the leaves)

1/4lb (110g) potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

2 medium-sized leeks (whites only), sliced and washed

1 (570 ml) pint chicken stock

1/4pint (150 ml) single cream

1/4pint (150 ml) milk

¼ teaspoon celery seeds

Salt and freshly-milled black pepper

1oz (25g) butter

In a large pan melt the butter over a low heat. Then chop the celery and add it to the pan with the potatoes and drained leeks. Stir well, coating the vegetables with butter, cover with a lid and cook for about 15 minutes.

Then add the stock with the celery seeds and some salt. Bring to simmering point, cover again and cook very gently for 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables are really tender. Puree the soup by liquidising or sieving, then return to the pan, stirring in the cream and the milk.

Bring the soup back to the boil, check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if necessary. Then just before serving, chop the reserved celery leaves and stir them into the soup to give it extra colour.

[rong]

I think pops should now be promoted to head chef and the old one sacked as he nether seems to give any recipes any more. (He could be demoted to sou (however it's spelt) chef)

[Irene]

This is one I tried the other day, when I had bought a very large box of tomatoes from Makro:

Roasted Tomato Soup

3lb (1.35 kg) ripe, red, firm tomatoes

Approx 1oz (25g) fresh basil

3 fat cloves garlic, (not peeled)

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for dipping

1 large potato, about 6 oz (175 g)

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5, 375°F (190°C). (You will need a solid, shallow roasting tray about 14 x 11 x ¾ inches deep)

First, skin the tomatoes by pouring boiling water on them, leave for 1 minute before slipping the skins off. Now, slice each tomato in half and arrange the halves on the baking tray, cut side uppermost. Place the garlic cloves on the tray as well, leaving their skins on. Then season everything with salt and pepper and sprinkle a few droplets of olive oil on each tomato half and some on the garlic – about 2 tablespoons in all. Then finally top each one with a piece of basil leaf (dipping the leaf in oil first to give it a good coating).

Now put the baking tray containing the tomatoes into the oven and roast for 1 hour or until the edges of the tomatoes are slightly blackened.

About 20 minutes before the end of the roasting time, peel and chop the potato, place it in a saucepan with some salt and 1 pint (570 ml) of boiling water. Add the tomato purée then simmer for about 20 minutes.

Scrape the tomatoes and all their juices into a food processor, take the garlic cloves from the tray, and then squeeze the pulp to join the tomatoes, discarding the clove skins. Then add the contents of the potato saucepan and whiz everything to a thick purée, not too smooth. The soup is now ready for reheating – very gently.

[-pops-]

Nice ones, Irene. I'd have to modify the celery and remove the milk and cream as I can't take dairy products but, I'll definitely give it a go - and the tomato when I've a glut of tomatoes around.

Here's one we have often:

Cabbage Soup

Sounds a bit wartime, perhaps it is but, good all the same.

100g (or more) chopped smoked streaky bacon.

1 large onion finely chopped

2 celery stalks finely chopped

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

2 cans beans (pinto, borlotti, cannellini, kidney, black eye, flageolet, even chick peas work in this)

2 litres vegetable stock

½ hard green cabbage very thinly shredded

teaspoon dried mixed herbs or tablespoon fresh mixed herbs + some chopped leaves from the celery

dsp smoked paprika

seasoning to taste

Dry fry the bacon to release the fat then gently fry the onion, garlic and celery to soften. Add the stock and simmer until the vegetables are softened. Add herbs, beans, paprika and seasoning. Bring to the boil then add the cabbage. Cook for a few minutes only and serve.

This is another one which goes well with smoked sausage - I think its origin is Polish and I was told once to put a whole large Polish sausage in the pot when cooking the soup. You then remove the sausage, have the soup then peel and eat the sausage served with boiled potatoes. The point of putting the sausage in the soup is twofold - to impart a smoked flavour to the soup and to heat the sausage ready for the main course.

[Irene]

Cabbage Soup

Sounds a bit wartime, perhaps it is but, good all the same.

Wartime or not, it certainly sounds delicious.

I'll definitely be trying that one. :)

[-pops-]

Like a lot of soups and stews - it's better the next day.

[andsome]

Here is one of my tried and tested favourites:

Cream of Celery Soup

3/4lb (350g) trimmed celery (save the leaves)

1/4lb (110g) potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

2 medium-sized leeks (whites only), sliced and washed

1 (570 ml) pint chicken stock

1/4pint (150 ml) single cream

1/4pint (150 ml) milk

¼ teaspoon celery seeds

Salt and freshly-milled black pepper

1oz (25g) butter

In a large pan melt the butter over a low heat. Then chop the celery and add it to the pan with the potatoes and drained leeks. Stir well, coating the vegetables with butter, cover with a lid and cook for about 15 minutes.

Then add the stock with the celery seeds and some salt. Bring to simmering point, cover again and cook very gently for 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables are really tender. Puree the soup by liquidising or sieving, then return to the pan, stirring in the cream and the milk.

Bring the soup back to the boil, check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if necessary. Then just before serving, chop the reserved celery leaves and stir them into the soup to give it extra colour.

To save dirtying a food mixer or liquidiser, try a small stick blender. They are very cheap, easy to use and easy and quick to clean. We bought one from Aldi for less than £10. Don't use the jug that is supplied, simply use it in the saucepan.