Having recently been on holiday, working hard at work, looking after the family, building a new website I felt I needed to return to soup making. Also soup is sometimes put on the back burner if the summer weather is too hot.

So to get myself back into it I thought I would go down the Soffrito / Italian Minestrone style route for today’s efforts. So after a summer of excess and hard work I am back on the soup trail.

Serves: 4

Approximate Calories: 588 (150 calories per serving – add about 150 calories if you have the bread) 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil (other types of oil will do)
• 25 grams of butter
• 1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium potato, roughly chopped
• 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 green pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 can of chopped tomatoes
• 1 handful of peas
• 1 handful of broad beans
• 2 teaspoons of Oregano

To make the base heat the oil in frying pan, add the butter, onions, garlic, potato, carrots and green pepper and soft fry for about 4 minutes. Then add the chopped tomatoes, peas and broad beans and continue to cook for about 10 more minutes on a low heat.

Then add the following to the soup maker or pan

• 6 splashes of Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Knorr beef stock pot (Chicken or Vegetable stockpots will do as well)
• Add hot water to (level 2 in the soup-maker the higher) or 750 ml into the pan

Method:

• Set the soup maker to smooth.
• Alternatively put all of the ingredients into a saucepan when ready and bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minute’s or so then blend when done until smooth.
• For a thinner soup add more water for a thicker soup add less water.
• Optional – Crusty bread as desired (I add a splash or two of hot sauce)

I was dared to make this soup after mentioning it in my last post. So I only went and did it, its a fairly simple soup and very filling.

As a test I bought a Cooks Pie and Mash carton from Sainsburys, purely to experiment with of course, and at £2.00 a carton if it failed I would not be too out of pocket.

I cooked the carton as per the instructions on the carton and was ready to go. I  put the Mash and Liquor in the soupmaker shown below.

I then chopped the Pie into small squares

and added it to the soupmaker as shown below

I also at this point added an extra potato, beef stock, vinegar, salt and pepper.

I have to say, surprisingly, it is a great tasting soup and I will try to make with the real thing next.

Serves: 4

Approximate Calories: 512 (128 –  calories per serving)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil (other types of oil will do)
• 1 carton Cookes frozen pie and mash, cook as per instructions.
  • Pie, chop small and add to soupmaker or pan when cooked
  • Mash, add straight to soupmaker or pan when cooked
  • Liquor, add straight to soupmaker or pan when cooked
• 1 Potato, chopped
• 4-5 splashes of vinegar (or to taste)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 chicken stockpots
• Add hot water to (level 2 in the soupmaker the lower one)

Method

• Put all ingredients in the soup maker and set to smooth.
• Alternatively put all of the ingredients into the pan and bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minute’s or so, then blend when done until smooth.
• For a thinner soup add more water, for a thicker soup add less water.

Its Saturday morning, the day before a big match afternoon game Liverpool. Its more for the Benefit of Arsenal fans I think, if we win of course but hey ho! The last thing on my mind was doing a soup with Asparagus in it. I Loved Gary Larson’s take on it, but its not my favourite.

Failed Marketing Ploys – ” I Cuss, You Cuss, We All Cuss for Asparagus…..”  

Spinach as well, what was I thinking of.  Probably this Larson cartoon as well.

Anyway this is what I came up with:

Serves: 4

Approximate Calories: 300 (75 –  calories per serving)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil (other types of oil will do)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 bunch of Asparagus (15 Spears or so), chopped (no woody ends)
• 2 handfuls of baby spinach
• 1 tsp of basil
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 chicken stockpots
• Add hot water to (level 2 in the soupmaker the lower one)

Method

• Put all ingredients in the soup maker and set to smooth.
• Alternatively put all of the ingredients into the pan and bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minute’s or so, then blend when done until smooth.
• For a thinner soup add more water, for a thicker soup add less water.
• (Optional – serve with crusty bread or a bagel, don’t forget to add the calories for these if you have them).

As I awoke this morning in the rosy glow of knowing that my team would not be relegated, my thoughts drifted to towards the east end of London. At that moment I knew I was going to enjoy an “Indian” tasting soup a, my sort of Mulligatawny Soup! Well a Pie Mash a Liquor soup would be ridiculous…… Wouldn’t it?

Anyway the main difference with my mulligatawny soup is that it smooth. Also I have made it with lovely wife in mind, coming with some good curry flavour but not a load of heat. I used medium curry powder here. however I would recommend, if you like a bit more heat or flavour, using at least 2 teaspoons of one of the fantastic curry pastes that are available like Pataks , or available in one of the Supermarkets. More if like hot!

Whatever you choose this is a nice Saturday afternoon light lunch.

Serves: 4

Approximate Calories: 693 (173 calories per serving) 

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp of rapeseed oil (olive oil will do)
• 1 medium potato (2 for a bit of a thicker soup)
• 1 medium leek, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 tsp of curry powder
• 1 handful of fine green beans, chopped
• 6-8 small cherry tomatoes
• 1 handful of red lentils
• 1 handful of pearl barley
• 1 clove of garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons of bouillon vegetable stock powder
• Add hot water to (level 2 in the soupmaker the lower one)

Method

• Put all ingredients in the soup maker and set to smooth
• Alternatively put all of the ingredients into the pan and bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minute’s or so, then blend when done until smooth.
• For a thinner soup add more water, for a thicker soup add less water or more chickpeas.
• Options (use your favourite Curry Paste instead of Curry powder, 2 potatoes instead of 1)