How to make soup

Easy to make and even easier to eat. I love to make soups with ingredients straight from the garden and these recipes can be adapted to fit what you have available  The leek and potato soup recipe can easily be changed to include chicken or mushroom, though you would have to include some potato so that the soup thickens. Homemade soups have another advantage, no additives. Please if you have time read the ingredients in a can of soup.  So many additives!  A lovely bowl of hot homemade soup with a big slice of homemade bread and I’m in heaven. Here are some of my well tried and tested favorite recipes.

This recipe is my new all time favorite. Great for cold evenings and so easy to make.

Ingredients

One butternut squash

2 medium leeks

2 medium onions

Root ginger

1 small chili pepper

Chicken stock

Salt and pepper

Method

· Wash and peel the leeks and onions.

· Peel and remove all the seeds from the squash.

· Dice all the vegetables and fry until brown.

· Add enough stock to cover the vegetables.

· Grate into the mix some of the ginger.

· Chop and add the chili

· Leave to simmer until all the vegetables are very soft

· Taste, then adjust seasoning and ginger to your preference.

· Pop into the blender and blend

· Put back into the saucepan and adjust consistency with any left over stock.

· Serve with a sprinkle of your favorite herb or a drizzle of crème fresh.

 First peel your tomatoes; this way is the best I’ve come across

Mark a small cross in the base of each tomato. Place tomatoes in boiling water for 1-2 mins, then plunge into cold water. Peel skin of each tomato downwards away from the cross.

1 kg tomatoes

I medium potato chopped
1 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp tomato paste
4 cups vegetable stock
salt and pepper, to taste
basil leaves chopped

Heat oil in a medium pan, add the onion garlic and chopped potato. Cook 5 mins, or until onion and potato are tender.

 Add tomato and tomato paste; simmer, covered, for 10 mins.

.Add stock, salt and pepper, and chopped basil. Simmer, covered, for another 5 mins.

  In a food processor or blender, process the soup in batches until mixture is smooth. Return soup to pan and heat through. Serve garnished with a sprig of fresh chervil, if you like thicker soup just add more potato.

Ingredients

6 medium potatoes chopped finely

4 leeks washed and chopped

2 medium onions, chopped

Garlic clove or two

Olive oil

Half a pint of chicken or vegetable stock

Milk or single cream

Salt

Method

Fry the potatoes, leeks, onion and garlic in the olive oil. When the potatoes are soft and the onions are just browning add the stock and simmer. When the mixture starts to thicken put into the blender and blend.  Return to the heat and add the milk or cream.  Heat through but do not boil. Keep adding milk or cream until it is at the consistency you like.  Add salt and serve.