best and simple soup recipies?

speedy2007

hi
i just got given a stick blender for xmas, so now i want to make soup. Ive never made my own soup before. Can anyone recommend some good recipies, but pref something without a really long list of ingredients. Also i dont eat red meat but i do eat chicken and fish


Thanks

cHaTbOx

do you mind using oxo cubes ?


I have loads of different ways , the best thing about sop is it doesn't have to be exact . I usually use what ever i have around , I love carrots and onions (whole pot full of them ) cooked in and oxo beef stock .Of course with a little salt , pepper and such.

Best time to make soup is using what you have left of from a cooking a meat .
If you have had a chicken , soak carcass and get bit of when it is easy to take off .

With a stick blender you can use anything as the texture is always the same , depending on how many vegetable and meat you have , it is as thick as you want .

what are you favourite vegetables?

Thoie

For real simplicity, Tesco, and other supermarkets probably, do packets of "soup mix" in the fridge near the vegetable aisle. It's usually just a bunch of random chopped veg. There's usually some carrots, celery, onion and often brocolli, cauliflower, other random veg. Throw in saucepan, cover with water, add a chicken stock cube and a spoon of red lentils. Boil until all the veg are soft. Blend in pot.

Alternatively, roughly chop some cabbage, potato and an onion, add water, chicken (or veg) stock cube, boil, blend.

speedy2007

cHaTbOx wrote: »

do you mind using oxo cubes ?

no i dont mind using those, but id probably only use the chicken and veg stock, not the beef

what are you favourite vegetables?

i like most veg to be honest, but some particular favourites would be aubergine (i dont know if they would work in a soup?), mushrooms, carrots, sweet potato and courgettes. Actually i cant really think of any veg i dont like, its just coming up with different ways to incorporate them into my food, so soup is ideal.


Anything with lentils and beans too, cos they would make it more filling

Dizzyblonde

Leek and potato soup
Four large leeks, rinsed well and diced (around 450g/1lb)
An equal weight of potatoes, diced
One onion, chopped
2 chicken stock cubes
2 pints of water
Half a pint of milk
A little butter
Salt and black pepper

Sweat the onion, potato and leeks in the butter for around 10 minutes. Add the other ingredients, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until the veg is soft. Stick the blender in and whizz until smooth. Check for seasoning.

The Hill Billy

Wrap a head of garlic in tinfoil & roast on a medium heat for around 35-40 minutes. Remove & allow to cool a bit before squuezing out the flesh from each clove.

In the meantime, boil 5 or 6 medium potatoes. When done, if you have a potato ricer - use this to "mash" the potatoes & garlic. If not, place them in a sieve & push through the sieve with the back of a ladle or wooden spoon to get a very fine mash.

You now have your basic ingredients.

In a pot sweat a very finely chopped onion & maybe a stick of celery in some oil until softened, but not coloured.
Then add a half litre of chicken or vegetable stock & a bay leaf if you have it.
Bring to a simmer, then add the garlic & potato mash. If the mix is too thick for your taste, just add more stock.

the beer revolu

As a base for pretty much any soup I cook in a pot with some butter, without browning, chopped leek, onion, celery. In with this put your featured vegetable (or vegetables). Some potato goes well with most soups and will thicken is a bit. A clove of garlic will add to most soups too.A bay leaf and some thyme give good flavour too. Allow to cook for a few minutes until the veg is just starting to soften and add your stock (homemade is better, cubes are ok).
Simmer until veg is soft and whizz with your blender.
Check for seasoning (remember stock cubes are very salty).
Add cream or milk, if you wish.


Example: Carrot Soup.

1 stick of celery
1 small leek
1 Onion
1 Large potato
1 Clove of garlic
5 large carrots
1 bay leaf and sprig of fresh thyme
Enough stock to cover

Cook all veg gently in some butter with herbs for 5 or 10 mins.
Add stock (I like chicken stock for most soups) simmer until veg is soft.
Remove herbs, blend, season, eat.

That is a stock recipe - change the veg as you wish, add lentils, barley, different herbs, try some wine, cream, pretty much anything you like.

I also like unblended soup - just chop all your veg very finely and don't blend it.

Above recipe will work for almost any veg:
Potato and leek, carrot and leek, mixed veg, pea and pumpkin, carrot and coriander (add a handful of fresh coriander just before you blend), potato and herb, Cabbage soup, etc, etc, etc.

Soups are so easy and recipes and amounts are only guide lines.
You can use up leftover cooked veg too.

Have fun

superficies

I make completely fat free delicious butternut squash soup that seriously couldn't be easier:

Chop an onion, fling in big pot
Chop up a butternut squash, fling in same big pot
If you want chop up two red peppers--fling in pot [optional but I find it adds a lot to it]
Salt and pepper
Add some nutmeg if you want; coriander also nice as an optional if you want
Make a pint of strong veg stock (2 stock cubes); put in same pot
Boil the mixture
Reduce and simmer until squash and peppers are soft
Blend
Voila, soup. That will make enough for 4 or 5 bowls of delicious soup and lasts in the fridge for about 3 days.

The Sweeper

Spicy parsnip soup is excellent - chop parsnips and fry them in a pan with some onion until they start to caramelise at the edges. Add some turmeric (1/2 tsp - gives the finished soup a fabulous golden colour) and a little cumin, then some chicken stock (to cover the parsnips). Now add a little chili - to taste, you can use fresh or dried - this is where the heat comes from. Simmer until everything is soft as butter. Blend with a stick blender and serve with crusty bread.

The biggest soup making tip I have is to pre-colour your vegetables in advance - so if you're using pumpkin or squash, roast it first; if you're using parsnips, roast them or grill them first; if you're using red pepper roast and skin it first. It contributes to the flavour of the dish - it's like the difference between roast chicken and boiled chicken.

the beer revolu

The Sweeper wrote: »

The biggest soup making tip I have is to pre-colour your vegetables in advance - so if you're using pumpkin or squash, roast it first; if you're using parsnips, roast them or grill them first; if you're using red pepper roast and skin it first. It contributes to the flavour of the dish - it's like the difference between roast chicken and boiled chicken.

I concurr;)

You should taste the difference between a roast ratatouille and a regular one!

muckety

One easy peasy soup with your stick blender! is carrot and orange. Simply cook your carrots in a good stock (and if you haven't made your own get something like Kallo or marigold) and blend, then add some freshly squeezed orange juice (to taste). Its very tasty and very quick.

tSubh Dearg

Not to plug my own blog or anything (ahem) but I just put a recipe for a simple soup: http://smorgasblog.ie/2009/12/21/chickenCarrotSweetPotatoSoup

It's totally modifiable too.

_blank_

Nice blog

In the Frikadellar recipe, there is a weird sign beside the flour amount, what is it?

thanks.

I think you put that recipe up somewhere before here on Boards too, I have to make them, I have a pound of sausage meat in the freezer doing nothing.

Do they freeze well?

speedy2007

the beer revolu wrote: »

You should taste the difference between a roast ratatouille and a regular one!

yeah i made a ratatouille before but it wasnt as tasty as i was expecting. I might try a roast version now

tSubh Dearg wrote: »

Not to plug my own blog or anything (ahem) but I just put a recipe for a simple soup: http://smorgasblog.ie/2009/12/21/chickenCarrotSweetPotatoSoup

It's totally modifiable too.

nice tip on there about peeling the ginger

sunshinegirl

Mushroom soup

1 Onion
Splash of wine
Stock
Mixed variety of mushrooms!wild mushrooms are the best
1 cooked potatoe to add thickness if you wish.
Herbs are optional, corriander,marojaram,herbs de provence

First add the wine and chopped onions leave the wine reduce.Add some optional herbs of corriander,marojoram, and herbs de provence.Add the chopped mushrooms and then add the stock. fill it up to just above the level of the mushrooms.Leave to simmer for 15mins
Blitz with a blender, add some cream or milk.

happy cooking

tSubh Dearg

Des wrote: »

Nice blog

Thanks!

Des wrote: »

In the Frikadellar recipe, there is a weird sign beside the flour amount, what is it?

thanks.

That's the old fashioned sign for ounce. Jon (who built the blog software for me) is fond of old timey signs and the like.

Des wrote: »

I think you put that recipe up somewhere before here on Boards too, I have to make them, I have a pound of sausage meat in the freezer doing nothing.

Do they freeze well?

They freeze really well. It's best to cook up the mix all at once and allow them to cool. They will then keep in the fridge for 3 - 4 days or you can freeze them for more than 6 months but check the notes that came with your freezer for more information.

Apologies for the slight off topicness there.

Little Alex

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

Leek and potato soup
Four large leeks, rinsed well and diced (around 450g/1lb)
An equal weight of potatoes, diced
One onion, chopped
2 chicken stock cubes
2 pints of water
Half a pint of milk
A little butter
Salt and black pepper

Sweat the onion, potato and leeks in the butter for around 10 minutes. Add the other ingredients, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until the veg is soft. Stick the blender in and whizz until smooth. Check for seasoning.

Nice.

Reserving a few slices of leek and adding it after blending and simmering for a few minutes more is a nice touch to add to this.

RollerGirl

I made this over the weekend and it turned out very well


Spicy Tomato and Red Pepper soup

Makes enough for 3 - 4 people

1 x 400g tin of sieved tomatoes
1 x Red bell pepper
1 x chopped hot red chilli
1 x sliced onion
1 x sliced small carrot
3 x garlic cloves
600ml of chicken stock
salt & pepper to taste.
splash of white or red wine (optional)
a little olive oil

1. Cut up and roast the bell pepper with the garlic and carrot in a hot oven for about 15 mins.
2. When roasting is complete sweat off the onion and chilli in a little olive oil.
3. When the onion is soft add the tomatoes, pepper, carrot, garlic and chicken stock.
4. Simmer for 20 mins.
5. Blend until smooth and return to heat.
6. Season to taste and add wine.
7. Eat.

Kingdomkerry

sunshinegirl wrote: »

Mushroom soup

1 Onion
Splash of wine
Stock
Mixed variety of mushrooms!wild mushrooms are the best
1 cooked potatoe to add thickness if you wish.
Herbs are optional, corriander,marojaram,herbs de provence

First add the wine and chopped onions leave the wine reduce.Add some optional herbs of corriander,marojoram, and herbs de provence.Add the chopped mushrooms and then add the stock. fill it up to just above the level of the mushrooms.Leave to simmer for 15mins
Blitz with a blender, add some cream or milk.

happy cooking

Im making two soups.

Mushroom: Chicken stock, potatoe, mushrooms and corrianader all put in to pot. Boiled then liquidised.

Carrot and Corriander: Chicken stock, potatoe, 5 Carrots and fresh corriander all put in to pot. Boiled and liquidised.

I'll let ye know how they turn out:cool:

Kingdomkerry

Kingdomkerry wrote: »

Im making two soups.

Mushroom: Chicken stock, potatoe, mushrooms and corrianader all put in to pot. Boiled then liquidised.

Carrot and Corriander: Chicken stock, potatoe, 5 Carrots and fresh corriander all put in to pot. Boiled and liquidised.

I'll let ye know how they turn out:cool:

Very nice on both counts:p

Dizzyblonde

Today I made lentil soup:

3 carrots, diced
2 sticks of celery, diced
A large onion, diced
A cup of red lentils, well rinsed
A tomato, chopped up
A crushed clove of garlic
2 chicken stock cubes
1.5 litres of hot water
Olive oil

Sautee the carrots, onions and celery in olive oil until they begin to soften. Add garlic,tomato, stock cubes and lentils and stir well. Add water, salt and black pepper and simmer for an hour. Blend until almost smooth.

Very hearty

Irishrossoblu

I always feel you cant go wrong with the spicy soup during winter

1 Teaspoon Thai Red Curry Paste
1 Large Onion chopped
1 Butternut squash, chopped
2 Chicken Stock Cubes
1 half tin Coconut Milk
1 Litre Boiling Water
Salt/Pepper

Fry Onion up, add curry paste, add squash and sautee for 5 mins. Add stock and allow to simmer for 20 mins or until squash is soft. Add half tin of Coconut Milk and liquidise.

Squash can be swapped for Sweet Potato also

Enjoy!

rantyface

Carrot and red lentil

Half a Knorr veg stock cube, garlic, onion, carrot and red lentils (washed a few times) boil for a while, blend. Adjust wateryness. I vary the quanitities and it's always nice. Blend for a bit longer than you'd think is necessary and it gets lovely and creamy.

Spicy carrot and red/yellow lentil (trying to make the one from chester beaty library)
Big onion, 2 carrots, 4 baby potato, teacup washed lentils.
garlic, tsp each of black mustard seeds, cumin, turmeric, chilli flakes. 2tsp chopped fresh ginger. Drop of oil. Half stock cube. Fennel/sugar/salt/coriander to taste.
Boil for 20 min, simmer til cooked, blend thoroughly. I think a drop of cream to serve would be nice in this but haven't tried it.


Usually I put the lentils on to boil in stock while I prep the rest of the veg just to save time.

molliesassy

Dizzyblonde,
I made your lentil soup for lunch today..Delish! Added a little chilli powder to spice it up. Lovely consistency when well blitzed.