Soup Collection

Extra touches you can add to Soups

  • Parsley    Sage         Rosemary        Thyme           Oregano            Basil         Coriander      Mint         Kaffir Lime Leaves              Chervil              Chives
  • Single or Double Cream
  • Crème Fraiche
  • Yogurt
  • Sour Cream
  • Croutons – cube some bread and fry in butter
  • Croutes – French bread of slices of bread, brushed with olive oil and toasted in the oven
  • As above but rubbed with garlic
  • As above but covered in cheese and toasted
  • You can make your own stock, boiling up the carcass or bones of a roast dinner with some vegetables – but stock cubes are perfectly acceptable – there lots of good ones in the shops now
  • Canned Beans eg cannellini / pulses eg dried beans and lentils / grains eg rice, pearl barley and couscous can all be added to bulk out simple soups.

Stilton and walnut Soda Bread:

  • 500grams white flour
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 100 grams walnut pieces
  • 200 grams of Stilton, crumbled (look out for those shelves in the supermarket with discounted goods – you can usually find some bits of Stilton – keep it in the freezer and grate when you need it
  • 400 mls buttermilk (a substitute for this is to add 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to ordinary milk and let it stand for 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200oC

Put flour, 1teaspoon fine salt and the bicarb in a bowl and mix well. Add the walnuts and stilton and stir gently.  Make a well in the centre and pour in half the buttermilk.  Using one hand draw the flour into the milk. Continue to add the milk until all the flour has been incorporated and you have a sticky dough. Tip out onto a floured board, shape into a ball and flatten slightly. Place on a baking tray and make a deep cross with a sharp knife. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes until golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. It’s best eaten straight away – but freezes beautifully – and also makes lovely toast

Pea and Ham Soup

Prep 10 minutes               Cook 10 minutes

  • 1 litre of ham stock (either from bone or stock cube)
  • 2 cooked onions
  • 2 leftover cooked carrots
  • 300g frozen peas
  • 100g cooked ham cut into small chunks

Put ham stock in a large pan. Add chopped onions, carrots and peas. Bring to the boil and simmer until peas are tender. Blend together until smooth. Add ham chunks and warm through.

Classic Butternut squash soup

  • 25g butter
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 1 stalk celery chopped
  • 1 medium carrot chopped
  • 2 medium potatoes, cubed
  • 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
  • 500ml chicken stock
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large pot and cook the onion, celery, carrot, potatoes and squash for 5 mins. Pour in enough of the stock to cover vegetables and bring to boil Reduce heat to low, coverpot and simmer 40 mins or until all the vegetables are tender. Transfer to a blender (or use stick blender) and blend till smooth. Return to pot and mix in any remaining stock to desired consistency. Season and serve

Broccoli and Stilton Soup

  • 12oz broccoli, cut into small pieces
  • 14fl oz vegetable stock
  • 1 oz butter
  • 4 spring onions, sliced (or 1 leek)
  • 1 3/4oz Stilton, crumbled or to taste (did you know you can freeze stilton and then just grate straight from the freezer?)
  • 3 ½ fl.oz double cream
  • Salt and pepper
  • Pinch nutmeg

Put broccoli pieces into a glass bowl. Pour over stock. Cover the bowl with cling film and put in microwave. Cook for 4 minutes till tender. Heat a frying pan till hot and add butter. When it starts to foam, add onions and cook for 1 minute. Put cooked broccoli and stock in a bowl/blender. Add onions, stilton and cream and blend together. Transfer mixture to a pan and bring gently to a simmer.

Red Lentil and Chilli soup

  • 2 teaspoons cumin seed
  • pinch chilli flakes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1chopped red onion
  • 140g red lentils
  • 850ml vegetable stock
  • 400g can tomatoes
  • 200g can chickpeas (optional)
  • Small bunch of coriander chopped
  • Greek yogurt to serve

Heat a large saucepan and dry fry cumin seeds and chilli flakes for 1 minute. Add oil and onion and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the lentils, stock and tomatoes and bring to boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Whiz the soup with stick blender or food processor until rough puree. Put back in pan and add chickpeas if wanted. Heat and stir in coriander. Serve with a dollop of yogurt.

Carrot and Ginger Soup

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 2 tbsp coarsely grated ginger
  • 2 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 500 grams of carrots
  • 850ml vegetable stock
  • little nutmeg

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion, ginger and garlic, and fry for 5 mins until starting to soften. Stir in the nutmeg and cook for 1 min more. Pour in the stock, add the carrots then cover and simmer for 20-25 mins until the carrots are tender. Scoop a third of the mixture into a bowl and blitz the remainder with a hand blender or in a food processor until smooth. Return everything to the pan and heat until bubbling. Serve topped with a little nutmeg.

Classic French Onion Soup

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 large onions, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 dessertspoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 – 3/4 pint of beef stock  (you can make this up with some red wine if you have any)

Slowly melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onions.  Cook over a very low heat, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes until soft and lightly browned. Stir in the sugar and vinegar and cook for a further 5 minutes.  Add the stock and bring slowly to the boil and simmer, uncovered for about 15 minutes. Ladle into a bowl – and the nicest way to finish off is to toast some bread, top with grated cheese and float on the top!

Cheese broth

  • 1 onion chopped
  • butter
  • 1/2 pint milk
  • 1/2 pint boiling water
  • strong cheddar cheese
  • lots of pepper

Fry the onion in a wok or saucepan with a little butter.  When starting to colour add the milk.  Bring to the boil, add cheese (he just keeps adding until “it tastes right” but probably about 4 ozs should do.  Simmer, stirring all the time until the cheese has melted.  Now add some boiling water – about 1/2 pint again. Serve with lots of pepper.

Cullen Skink – a hearty soup made from leeks, onions, potatoes and smoked haddock

  • 50 grams butter
  • 1 small onion and 1 small leek, finely chopped
  • 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
  • 150 mls water
  • 200g (ish) smoked haddock
  • 200 mls milk

Melt butter and leek in a saucepan and cook for about 5 minutes without browning. Add potatoes and cook till soft. In another pan cover the haddock with the milk and cook gently till tender (you can also do this in the microwave).Remove from milk when cool and and flake gently into large pieces, removing bones. Drain the potatoes (keeping the water), take out some of them with some leeks and onions and mash the rest. Return the vegetables to the pan with the liquid and add the milk and haddock.  You may need more liquid – you can add some more milk, white wine and/or cream or creme fraiche – whichever takes your fancy! You can also add some chopped parsley and/or chives for a bit of colour. Serve with lots of crusty bread to mop up!

Chunky vegetable soup

  • 1 ½ tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 2 large onions roughly chopped
  • 2 large leeks, thinly sliced
  • 1 turnip, peeled and cut into small chunks
  • 2 parsnips, peeled and cut into small chunks
  • 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into small chunks
  • 1 large potato, peeled and cut into small chunks
  • 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • Salt and pepper

In a saucepan, melt butter with oil and add carrots, onions, leeks, turnips and parsnips can cook over a gentle heat till lightly browned. Add sweet potato, potato and stock. Slowly bring to the boil and simmer, covered, for about 20 mins or until tender. Remove from heat and place half of soup in blender and puree. Return to rest of soup in pan and gently reheat. Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped chives and/or parsley.