How to make soup

Oh, how we love our soup! Cheap, warming, healthy, quick to make and eat, served with a big slice of brown bread… what’s not to love? Follow this guide to make delicious soup you can have as one meal, or that will carry you over for the week.

At the shop:

• Pick your vegetables. Some nice combinations: broccoli and cauliflower; leek and potato; tomato and mushroom; sweet potato and parsnip and butternut squash and lentils).
• Pick a fresh herb or spice you like – coriander goes well with carrot; basil goes well with tomato; cumin and sweet potato; rosemary, thyme and sage mingle nicely with everything.
• Get quality stock cubes.
• Get some nice bread (this will transform a bowl of a soup to a delicious meal).

On the hob:

• Gently heat some olive oil and a knob of butter in a decent sized pot (enough to coat all the veg you’ll be adding).
• When these guys get going, add some chopped garlic & onions.
• When these guys get going, add your veg (peeled, sliced and diced).
• When this gets going, add your herbs or spices (let your nose decide how much to add).
• Stir all this around for about 15 mins on a med heat, maybe a wee bit longer for root veggies.
• When your veggies are getting soft and it all smells lovely, it’s time to add the hot stock to your pot (see directions on the stock box).
• Bring the veggies and stock to a boil.
• When it comes to the boil, lower the heat to a simmer (wee gentle bubbles).
• Cook with lid almost covering the pot for about 15 mins.
• Turn the heat off, put the lid on.
• Blend all the ingredients and eat OR leave it sit for a few hours and then blend it up for especially tasty soup.

Tips:

• Use fresh herb instead of dried herbs if you can
• Adding potato to any flavor of soup gives it nice texture.
• Adding celery to any soup gives it a nice added flavour.
• A bit of shredded cheese or creme fraiche on top is a nice touch.
• If you have some vegetables laying around that’s starting to go off, save it by making a nice veg soup!
• If you don’t have a hand blender to blitz the veg, you can try using a potato masher. It will be a bit chunky, but just as lovely.