I like Pasta, I like Chickpeas, but which is better? There’s only one way to find out. Fight!

No of course not and in the end I put them both in the soup together. I then found some other vegetables that were in the fridge, they were shouting out to be souped up and then stored to be eaten. I proceeded to make a fairly simple soup recipe and squirreled it away in the fridge this morning, just before heading to work so it can warmed up and eaten with some crusty bread tonight if I can avoid the call of a Friday night relaxer…..

Serves: 4

Approximate Calories: 476 (119 calories per serving) 

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp of rapeseed oil (olive oil will do)
• 1 stick of celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 can of chickpeas (for a more substantial soup use 2 cans)
• 2 handfuls of orzo (or small pasta)
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp of rosemary
• 3 splashes of lemon juice
• 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 chunky
• 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 chunky.
• For a thinner soup add more water, for a thicker soup add less water or more chickpeas.

What to do? What to do? I found several vegetables squirreled away in the fridge this morning, all a few days out of their sell by date the poor things. I determined there and then to fashion them into a, you’ve guessed it, soup! I still wonder at the human condition as despite all of the controversy going on in the world at the moment, I still find articles in the news about what should and should not be kept in the fridge. Who really cares. When I was a lad we had to keep our milk on the window sill in the hope it wouldn’t go off. My dad even bought a special wire framed basket to keep it in.

Now I use anything that looks okay, doesn’t melt in your hand and does not give off a strange smell. With all the potatoes, leeks, carrots and other ingredients combined I give you my past its sell date soup. Enjoy, I did.

Serves: 4

Approximate Calories: 528 (132 calories per serving) 

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp of rapeseed oil (olive oil will do)
• 2 tomatoes finely chopped
• 2 small carrots chopped
• 2 medium leeks sliced
• 2 large potatoes chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp of chilli powder
• 1 tbsp of oregano
• 3 splashes of Worcester sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 chicken stockpots
• Add hot water to (level 1 in the soupmaker the higher 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.
• Optinal (I ate mine with a toasted bagel, and a splash of Encona hot pepper sauce)

Its now Sunday and looking forward to a very lazy day. This in itself is great but no good for the waistline as I tend to pick at food throughout the day! I had some left over liquor from last night dinner, see here, a Nigel Slater special which I used for my stock.

So my answer to this is a very thin soup that I call a cup of soup. If I get hungry I can simply fill a cup with this, put it the microwave or a small pan and heat it through hunger assuaged.

Serves: 4

Approximate Calories: 340 (85 calories per serving) 

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp of rapeseed oil (olive oil will do)
• 2 tomatoes finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 medium onion
• 1 handful of petit pois (or garden peas)
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tsp of chilli powder
• 1 celery stick
• 1 medium potato , chopped
• 3 splashes of Worcester sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 chicken stockpots (I did 1 stockpot plus liquor from last nights dinner)
• Add hot water to (level 1 in the soupmaker the higher 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.

It was a Friday again and I was going to prepare some lunch when I found a stray tin of mixed beans, helpfully already in a spicy tomato sauce. I know, I can already hear all of you Twickenhamites  saying yuck and bemoaning the use of tinned beans!

Anyway Just check this out! Yes indeed……

However the mighty mixed beans were a joy to the taste. Complimented as they were by several fresh ingredients this was a great Friday lunchtime soup with a smooth and creamy consistancy.

Serves: 4

Approximate Calories: 595 (149 calories per serving) 

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp of rapeseed oil (olive oil will do)
• 1 tin of mixed beans with spicy sauce
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 pepper (I used yellow)
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 medium onion
• 1 tbsp of tomato paste
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 celery stick
• 1 tbsp of mixed herbs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 vegetable stockpot
• Add hot water to (level 1 in the soupmaker the higher 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.

If you have read my previous post you will the story behind this soup, however all you have to is not read the following paragraph and then read the final one.

Whilst making my Italian Mash Up soup my Wife, Jane, “said hmm soup. I like Parsnips!” “That’s good” I said, “as I am not anywhere near making a parsnip soup”, I actually heard the look of disappointment from behind me. “After I have made this soup, would you like to help me to make some parsnip soup for you?” I continued. With a beaming smile she said “yes please”, but that’s a whole other other post.

Dealing with disappointment is what I do. I try to be nice to everyone, manage everyone’s expectations and give them what they want! We made the soup and then for some reason we went out for a drive before Lunch, this turned into shopping trip to M&S Kew where we had a coffee and a sandwich for lunch in M&S. The two soups are now cooling on the side for lunch tomorrow. So this was another one of my efforts to keep everyone happy.

Serves: 4

Approximate Calories: 505 (126 calories per serving) 

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp of rapeseed oil
• 1 tsp of ground coriander
• 1 tsp of ground cumin
• .5 tsp of ground tumeric
• .5 tsp of mustard seeds
• 3 large parsnips, peeled and chopped
• 3 tbsp of tinned plum tomato (or 2 plum tomato’s chopped)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 knorr vegetable stock pot
• Add hot water to (level 2 in the soupmaker the higher) or 1.2 litres in the pan

Method:

• Put all of the ingredients into the soup maker and set to smooth.
• Alternatively put all of the ingredients into the pan and bring to the boil, then simmer for 25 minute’s or so then blend when done until smooth.
• For a thinner soup add more water for a thicker soup add less water.