Tag Archives: celery

My Saturday Relaxer

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After a very busy week at work I fell into the pub at our Early Doors regular Friday meet up, to enjoy a few pints of Naked Ladies Ale, our local Twickenham brewery fare at the Three Kings.

I decided to make some soup on Saturday as a way to relax myself into the weekend proper. Lots of winter veg, chicken stock in good basic soup.  So my intention was to make it comforting and full of flavour, it also needs to be chunky to give us a warming texture to the soup. This approach alongside a New York Bagel, toasted or not, buttered or not its all up to you. Enjoy!

Twickenham Brewery Regular Ales

The Brewery

Twickenham Fine Ales was the first brewery in Twickenham since Cole’s Brewery closed in 1906. However it didn’t end there. Founded by Steve Brown in 2004, Twickenham has been at the forefront of the resurgence of breweries in London.  Using global hops from a early stage, and only the purest of ingredients, Twickenham produces a fine range of well hopped, award winning beers.

Serves: 4

Approximate Calories: 765 (192 calories per serving) 

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp of rapeseed oil (olive oil will do)
  • 3 potatoes
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 1 tbsp fresh fennel (2 tsp of dried fennel will do)
  • 3 small to medium onions
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 leeks
  • 1 celery stick
  • 1 tbsp of oregano (or to taste)
  • 1 tsp of sweet paprika
  • 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.
  • Optional – New York Bagel – 230 calories (with butter add 35 calories – for 456 for the whole serving)

My Vegetable Malarkey

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I like vegetable soups. There it is, its out there. However sometimes you just need the basics and rough and ready approach to soup making. Malarkey is meaningless or nonsense, the Americans use the word Bunkum to describe it and its just that “nonsense”. But I cant call a soup that so its called my Vegetable Malarkey.

Now the soup can contain any good veg however it still needs a balance to it, so I used a mix of my favourites, all good solid veg to create mine.

Serves: 4

Approximate Calories: 540 (135 calories per serving) 

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp of rapeseed oil (olive oil will do)
  • 1 tbsp of tomato paste
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 onion, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 medium leek
  • 1 celery stick
  • 1 tbsp of fresh fennel chopped
  • 2 potato medium, chopped
  • 1 carton of passata (tomatoes)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 chicken stockpots (any will do)
  • Add hot water to (level 1 in the soupmaker the higher 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.

 

Celery and Stilton Soup

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Looking through the fridge I noticed we had a lot of Celery left. I mean lots, four heads of Celery in fact! And while sifting through the cheese draw I found there was some still some Stilton cheese, with no port left there was only one thing to do. Go and get more port!

No, seriously, I thought that’s too easy lets make some soup for work. So, with a few more ingredients from the fridge I set about making a Celery and Stilton soup. All of this under the watchful gaze of the my other half. “Why are you making soup at 8:30pm in the evening while EastEnders is on” she said. “I wonder” was my whispered answer……

Serves: 4

Approximate Calories: 874 (219 calories per serving) 

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp of rapeseed oil
  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic (or more to taste if like garlic)
  • 1 head of celery chopped (about 5 to 6 medium sized sticks)
  • 1 potato medium, chopped
  • 2 vegetable stockpots (any will do)
  • 100g of stilton (or any other blue cheese) crumbled
  • salt and pepper to taste (remember the Stilton will be a little salty)
  • Add hot water to (level 2 in the soupmaker the lower one) or 1 litre in the pan

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.