I've started making my soup

[blowy84]

As per title, I have been making my own soups, my god if I knew it was this easy I would have been doing it forever!

I use the same basic ingredients -

1 onion
2 small potatoes
1 and a 1/2 pints of chicken stock

+ whichever veg combination I fancy

once boiled and blended -

season to taste
some fresh grated ginger
a splash of milk to soften edge

So far I haven't failed! I've made 'butternut squash' soup, 'carrot and pepper' and tonight 'courgett (sp?) and asparagus'. It tastes even better the day after for lunch.
Has anyone got any other suggestions? I'm trying tomato tomorrow with a dash of curry powder (as advised by someone) and then a creamy mushroom peppary soup.
Does soup work as well with vegtable stock?
Any ideas welcomed.....

Edited by blowy84 on Wednesday 20th January 20:56

[grumbledoak]

Vegetable soups are best with Chicken stock, IMO- a vegetable stock can hide the flavour that you are trying to bring to the fore.

As for recipes:
- brocolli and blue cheese (you can near enough guess the recipe)
- cauliflower and cheese (ditto)
- French Onion (needs really good beef stock)


Less is more, generally; pick only a couple of ingredients that go well together, and try to really intensify the flavour.

[blowy84]

grumbledoak said:

Vegetable soups are best with Chicken stock, IMO- a vegetable stock can hide the flavour that you are trying to bring to the fore.

As for recipes:
- brocolli and blue cheese (you can near enough guess the recipe)
- cauliflower and cheese (ditto)
- French Onion (needs really good beef stock)


Less is more, generally; pick only a couple of ingredients that go well together, and try to really intensify the flavour.

brocolli and blue cheese sounds good, does the french onion and beef stock make a 'clear' soup?

[Lefty Two Drams]

French Onion soup is absolutely my favourite soup ever.

Needs a good splash of brandy and some grain mustard!

Give it a go, you need to brown the onions wll and, as has been said, use really good beef stock. Have a fore-rib roast the day before you want to make the soup, just to get some good stock! And it's a great excuse to have a big bit of cow for your dinner one night

[grumbledoak]

blowy84 said:

... does the french onion and beef stock make a 'clear' soup?

the soupy part is beef stock and white wine, no potatoes, so it is clear (ish).

Here is Delia's take: http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/so...

[missdiane]

Sweet Potato with a bit of cumin
Pasrnip with horseradish
Sweet Pepper and ginger- don't whizz that one

[Kneetrembler]

grumbledoak said:

Vegetable soups are best with Chicken stock, IMO- a vegetable stock can hide the flavour that you are trying to bring to the fore.

As for recipes:
- brocolli and blue cheese (you can near enough guess the recipe)
- cauliflower and cheese (ditto)
- French Onion (needs really good beef stock)


Less is more, generally; pick only a couple of ingredients that go well together, and try to really intensify the flavour.

French Onion with a good shot of Brandy in it

Leek & Potato as the name says made with chicken stock

Lentil soup, 500g green lentils,1 onion finely chopped 1 head of garlic softened under the grill and skinned, 1 green pepper finely chopped, 1 carrot finely chopped,2 litres of chicken or beef stock,2tbs Olive oil,4 Tomatoes skinned,a small piece of bacon cut into small cubes,1 small chorizo or similar.1Tsp smoked pimento,1 tsp cumin, salt & pepper to taste

Put the lentils into boiling water and set aside for 45 mins, fry the onion,carrot & green pepper until softened in the olive oil, peel the garlic.


Drain the lentils and then mix with the onion,carrot & pepper that have been softened,add the spices,garlic & stock, bacon, sausage & tomatoes,bring up to the boil and then simmer for approx 30mins when the lentils should have softened.

I always let it stand for 5 mins while I take out the Chorizo and cut into slices and put back in the soup at the same time I mash the garlic cloves mixed with a little of the stock and then add back, then serve.

A friend of mine adds some Tabasco & Worcester Sauce which is also good, sometime I also add either Cannelini beans or Chickpeas as well.

[blowy84]

Kneetrembler said:

grumbledoak said:

Vegetable soups are best with Chicken stock, IMO- a vegetable stock can hide the flavour that you are trying to bring to the fore.

As for recipes:
- brocolli and blue cheese (you can near enough guess the recipe)
- cauliflower and cheese (ditto)
- French Onion (needs really good beef stock)


Less is more, generally; pick only a couple of ingredients that go well together, and try to really intensify the flavour.

French Onion with a good shot of Brandy in it

Leek & Potato as the name says made with chicken stock

Lentil soup, 500g green lentils,1 onion finely chopped 1 head of garlic softened under the grill and skinned, 1 green pepper finely chopped, 1 carrot finely chopped,2 litres of chicken or beef stock,2tbs Olive oil,4 Tomatoes skinned,a small piece of bacon cut into small cubes,1 small chorizo or similar.1Tsp smoked pimento,1 tsp cumin, salt & pepper to taste

Put the lentils into boiling water and set aside for 45 mins, fry the onion,carrot & green pepper until softened in the olive oil, peel the garlic.


Drain the lentils and then mix with the onion,carrot & pepper that have been softened,add the spices,garlic & stock, bacon, sausage & tomatoes,bring up to the boil and then simmer for approx 30mins when the lentils should have softened.

I always let it stand for 5 mins while I take out the Chorizo and cut into slices and put back in the soup at the same time I mash the garlic cloves mixed with a little of the stock and then add back, then serve.

A friend of mine adds some Tabasco & Worcester Sauce which is also good, sometime I also add either Cannelini beans or Chickpeas as well.

I'll be trying that one when I have time of a weekend I think, many thanks

[Mobile Chicane]

I've just made a Moroccan style soup by sweating an onion, some garlic - and oddly enough a parsnip and a swede left over from a stewpack - in goose fat, whizzing these together with cooked chick peas, some dried red chillies, toasted ground coriander and cumin seeds, plus some paprika. Delicious.

Ingredient cost - less than £1 for 4 (large) servings.

ETA: in chicken stock, though vegetable stock (Marigold Low Salt) works equally well.

Edited by Mobile Chicane on Wednesday 20th January 21:20

[Cotty]

Try this interactive video. I have tried the tomato and pepper one nd it really good
http://redirectingat.com/?id=1044X509854&url=h...

[Plotloss]

I made a soup tonight.

Pleasing it was, crusty bread, eaten in front of the fire.

Jumpers for goalposts?

Isnt it? Wasnt it? Hmmm?

[blowy84]

Cotty said:

Try this interactive video. I have tried the tomato and pepper one nd it really good
http://redirectingat.com/?id=1044X509854&url=h...

What a fantastic concept! I'm going to try the brocolli and peanut butter! Gotta be worth a go...

[Cotty]

It came from a student cooking thread
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[BoRED S2upid]

Wheres the meat people! this is PH' after all.

Try slow cooking a piece of ham, have that for one meal with veg then the remains of the ham keep in the slow cooker add all your veg plus peas, beans, lentils any pulses you care really and stock leave the slow cooker on over night and in the morning hey presto pea/lentil/bean & Ham soup.

[Cotty]

BoRED S2upid said:

lentil

[TpdNotts]

Try Delia's Curried Parsnip Soup with Parsnip crisps. Really easy.

I use vegetable stock or bouillon (whichever you can get hold of). Celery always adds good flavour as does garlic.

A great, cheap meal. Especially if served with Delia's quick cheese, onion and sage bread!

[AndyAudi]

BoRED S2upid said:

Wheres the meat people! this is PH' after all.

Beef, Beer & Barley Broth

Quantity of Cubed Steak
Plenty of Onion (V Finely Chopped)
Carrot (diced to about 1/8th of the size of the beef)
1 leek
Fry all above until onions soft

Then add
Some water & some beef stock
Potato (diced)
Pearl Barley
And a bottle of a heavily Malted Beer (Orkney "Dark Island")
Boil & Simmer for best part of 2 hours.

[AndyAudi]

TpdNotts said:

Celery always adds good flavour ...

Each to their own I suppose, but that vile vegetable(?) is the one reason I will never use bought vegetable stock cubes/granules.