Pub/hotel soup

Cork Boy

OK a few things....

I'd be shocked if using the leftovers from customer's plates was in anyway widespread. Food is scraped off plates by waiters, not the cooks. Do you know how high turnover is in that job? No way could you keep that any way quiet. There's special food waste bins that either get dumped or even collected by pig farmers.

The leftovers I speak of are what the cook on duty that morning finds in the walk in fridge. That includes leftover (read, unsold) meats that get reused in other dishes (chicken and bacon vol au vents, curry, etc). Veg can also be used for stuff other than soup (fish cakes are a classic) so you would be accusing a kitchen of taking food that would have saliva on it and putting it back onto another plate?

And before anyone gets pissy about "so I'm being sold yesterdays leftovers???" there's a reason the special is so cheap. And secondly, there's nothing wrong with yesterdays food for most things. And thirdly, some things need to be made in big batches well in advance (lamb shanks for example). And fourthly, a lot of dishes were invented as a way to use up leftovers.



Lastly, yes, the pub soups are mostly spuds, water, leek, onion and knorr chicken bullion powder (big catering tub).

Space Dog

Yyhhuuu wrote: »

Yes in your restaurant kitchen however, I'm quite sure unused food from customers plates is reused. In fact I was told by chefs I know that it was done but dont know how common it is. The same chefs told me they would not eat in lot of restaurants due to poor standards. Just look at reports on the Food Safety Authority website some of which is frightening, rodent activity etc. Remember that video of Rat popping up out of sliced pan in the deli of the Service station. There is/ was apparently a shortage of qualified chefs ( pre covid) and many in restaurants had limited or no training.

My OH used to be a chef and I know quite a few chefs and cooks who work/used to work in restaurants, cafes and industrial catering. I've never heard any of them say that restaurants are reusing leftover food from plates. Not saying it doesn't happen, I have no doubt that barely touched plates have been recycled on occasion, but it's not a done thing.
And btw, all those chefs and cooks I know enjoy eating out.

Back on topic: Soup in pubs and hotels is usually awful, sorry! And I'd be happy if if I never saw veg soup or potato and leek soup on a menu again.

Having said that, one of the nicest soup I've ever had was in a pub, it was a cauliflower and parmesan soup, just delicious.

Mystery Egg

So there's a soup on the hob that's 4 big spuds, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 stick of celery, 1 leek. Sweated in butter. Salt. 1 veggie Oxo cube and 1 Knorr jelly pot (because that's all I have).

Cream to serve later.

I've no white pepper and can't be arsed to get any.

We'll see!

CelticRambler

:eek: Oxo cubes and "soup powder" - youse are heretics, the lot of ye !

Dial Hard

CelticRambler wrote: »

:eek: Oxo cubes and "soup powder" - youse are heretics, the lot of ye !

Sounds about right for the "authentic" pub soup they're all after for some reason!

Don't forget the addition of a metric sh*t-tonne of salt at the end to truly recreate a pub soup, ME!

Faith

Dial Hard wrote: »

Yis are all mad. I don't think I've ever had a hotel/pub veg soup that wasn't over-salted mush.

CelticRambler wrote: »

:eek: Oxo cubes and "soup powder" - youse are heretics, the lot of ye !

Dial Hard wrote: »

Sounds about right for the "authentic" pub soup they're all after for some reason!

Don't forget the addition of a metric sh*t-tonne of salt at the end to truly recreate a pub soup, ME!

Ah jaysus, it’s not like we’re all claiming it’s haute cuisine. It’s just a tasty, comforting food that a lot of us remember fondly from years gone past. I’d wager there’s not a poster here who doesn’t have some kind of food guilty pleasure that would horrify other people!

Mystery Egg

CelticRambler wrote: »

:eek: Oxo cubes and "soup powder" - youse are heretics, the lot of ye !

Correct

Mystery Egg

I've no time for food snobbery and no shame about eating what tastes good :pac:

wandererz

Bought an electric soup maker a few years ago.
One of the best kitchen purchases we've made.
It gets used a couple of times times a week to make soup for the week.

Simply chop up vegetables, add in together with other ingredients, choose chunky or smooth and it's done in 20-30mins.

No slaving over a stove/pot.

Quick, easy, healthy soup.

https://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/4391911/Trail/searchtext%3ESOUP+MAKER.htm

We use it so much that we bought the same thing again when we accidentally washed the electric top bit.

Cheaper but just as good version from the same brand:
https://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/8355111/Trail/searchtext%3ESOUP+MAKER.htm

Looking at my Amazon purchases, I paid £30 18 months ago.
That thing is worth it's weight in gold.

Dempo1

Mystery Egg wrote: »

Anyone here worked as a chef in a pub or hotel?

The crappiest pub or hotel always seems to deliver a delicious cream of mixed vegetable soup that is wonderfully savoury.

My cream of veg homemade soups always seem to be sweet, or if I try to counter the sweetness with green veg, kind of bitter.

Can anyone share a recipe to replicate the kind of soup I'm looking for? You might just change my life!

The sweetness is more likely the over use of carrots and parsnips, onions too can develop sweetness if over cooked. I worked in hotels and food pubs for years and to be honest if vegetable soup was on, it was pretty much a mix of left over vegetables and mash potatoes.

Boullion is something not readily available outside catering circles but generally offers more flavour than stock cubes sold in retail. (it can be purchased in food cash & carrys, 1KG would last months and great for all sorts of sauces, casseroles etc.

I'd try less carrots & parsnips, Use leek instead of onion and use a good stock cube.

Basic ingredient - method. Think of 3 parts and water.

2/3 mix of preferred vegetables all cut to similar suze (Keep greens seperate until mix comes to boil)

1/3 diced peeled potatoes

Stock and seasoning of White pepoer/Salt and if you like, herbs.

Water ( amount to cover all ingredients & extra) if you think in terms of 1/2 all ingrients, 1/2 water as a guide.

Cream to finish (Pouring) whipped emulsifies causing greasyness.

Place all ingredients (except greens) into pot, seasoning and stock cubes.

Bring to boil, now add greens and simmer for 20 minutes.

If blending, allow to cool a litle and blend.

Return to heat and now add cream ( amount is up to you, pouring, not whipped), don't overly boil.

This is a gluten free method, using starch from potatoes to thicken, if too thick, you can add a little more water or cream. Crucially important as with all sauces and soups, season at the start, not at the end.

When serving, sprinkle a little sea salt and cracked black pepper & enjoy.

the beer revolu

I'm afraid no amount of testimonies will convince me that a soup maker is actually a useful thing.
If I have a saucepan, a hob and a stick blender, which all have multiple uses, why would I need a soup maker?

Don't get rice cookers either (despite almost every Asian household having one) even though we eat rice pretty much daily.
Had a rice cooker for a while but gave it away - I found no advantage over a saucepan and a timer.

Alun

the beer revolu wrote: »

I'm afraid no amount of testimonies will convince me that a soup maker is actually a useful thing.
If I have a saucepan, a hob and a stick blender, which all have multiple uses, why would I need a soup maker?

I agree. The time taken preparing all the ingredients, peeling and chopping, is the same either way so I can't see the point.

Mystery Egg

Mystery Egg wrote: »

So there's a soup on the hob that's 4 big spuds, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 stick of celery, 1 leek. Sweated in butter. Salt. 1 veggie Oxo cube and 1 Knorr jelly pot (because that's all I have).

Cream to serve later.

I've no white pepper and can't be arsed to get any.

We'll see!

Well folks who knew? The secret to a pub/hotel vegetable soup is the proportion of potatoes, and plenty of salt.

My soup is prepped for lunch and, even without cream, absolutely delicious and just what I was looking for. Extremely simple.

Thanks to all for your input! :pac:

Edited to say: to anyone who might be tempted to follow my above "recipe" (*cough* Faith) on reflection the potatoes would probably be classed as medium rather big. There were no baker-sized potatoes in there.

Mantis Toboggan

I've made soup most weeks during lockdown.

Soup maker has been a god send. I buy the packets of different veg. I don't peel any of it. Fire it into the soup maker with a stock cube fill with water and 20 minutes later I've enough soup for the entire week. Takes about 25 minutes including cleaning.

I've been making some lovely creamy mushroom soup recently which I'd recommend.

I good veg soup for me would be potatoes, carrots, parsnip, some broccoli, onion and some garlic, touch of salt and a decent shot of pepper and a stock cube. After 20 minutes in the maker add about 3 tablespoons of cream if you want and give it a quick stir. Lovely stuff. Bread Rolls are nice with it but I'd prefer some brown bread and butter as it's healthier.

CelticRambler

Faith wrote: »

Ah jaysus, it’s not like we’re all claiming it’s haute cuisine. It’s just a tasty, comforting food that a lot of us remember fondly from years gone past.

What's wrong with a chicken carcass? It's not like you can feed it to the dog, so you might as well eat it yourself!

All this talk has given me a craving for some carrot and potato soup, though. I have the potatoes and onions and dismembered chicken handy, but the carrots are still in the ground and it's raining ...

Mystery Egg

So lunch was had. And it was scrumptious!

wandererz

Mystery Egg wrote: »

So there's a soup on the hob that's 4 big spuds, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 stick of celery, 1 leek. Sweated in butter. Salt. 1 veggie Oxo cube and 1 Knorr jelly pot (because that's all I have).

Cream to serve later.

I've no white pepper and can't be arsed to get any.

We'll see!

Tried that just there.
Had just made some fresh mash as well, so threw a bit into the bowl.

Very good, even without the cream.

CelticRambler

No Oxo cubes where harmed in the making ... :rolleyes:



Many thanks to the OP for giving me something constructive to do with a wet'n'windy Sunday. 3 litres of carrot soup filed away for future use, and a loaf of fresh brown bread to see me through the week the next few days till tomorrow. It's just like being back in Ireland ... except there's no lock-down here!

Tree

if you have a pressure cooker lying around, that always elevates the "vegetable" soup. Also, nothing to lose by blending for a minute longer than you were comfortable with. It's the best. Oh, and a teaspoon of curry powder, not enough that you could identify it, but it's good.

Mervyn Skidmore

the beer revolu wrote: »

I'm afraid no amount of testimonies will convince me that a soup maker is actually a useful thing.
If I have a saucepan, a hob and a stick blender, which all have multiple uses, why would I need a soup maker?

Don't get rice cookers either (despite almost every Asian household having one) even though we eat rice pretty much daily.
Had a rice cooker for a while but gave it away - I found no advantage over a saucepan and a timer.

Agree with you about the soup maker but not the rice cooker. Rice cooker ensures perfect rice every time. A pot and a timer won't. Also, you can't accidentally overcook or burn rice with the rice cooker. There's a reason why every Asian family use one.

breezy1985

Faith wrote: »

YES! It's the eternal question. It tastes so good, and those little bread rolls are the stuff dreams are made of.

My husband worked in hotels donkeys years ago and I think he said there is a LOT of potato in the soup, so it's closer to potato soup than vegetable.

Yep lots of potato lots of cream and the best chef I worked with used put some bell peppers in too just enough to give a tiny hint of the flavour

CelticRambler

Mervyn Skidmore wrote: »

Rice cooker ensures perfect rice every time. A pot and a timer won't.

A pot, a timer and a fork will. :pac:

Mystery Egg

There's another pot of this deliciousness on the go right now. Gonna head out in that autumn sunshine shortly to get some bakery bread for a delicious sandwich to go with it.

Pinch Flat

Made a lovely carrot soup during the week. few onions, ginger, bit of coriander. Threw in the carrots and a chicken stock cube. Hand blender, into a bowl. Gorgeous. missed a bit of cream and a crusty roll - next time!.

angel eyes 2012

How long would you keep your standard vegetable soup in the fridge for, a couple of days?

Spanish Eyes

Carrots are sweet. So minimal inclusion is the way to go!

Spuds cubed, onions, cauli, broccoli and a little carrot lol. Then add the seasoning, Worcester Sauce is brilliant for this together with the lazy garlic and onion, and whatever else floats your boat. Blend and serve yum.

Spanish Eyes

angel eyes 2012 wrote: »

How long would you keep your standard vegetable soup in the fridge for, a couple of days?

Bottom of fridge covered at least a week. Never killed us yet :P

alig1234

I think the secret to a Hotel soup is to make what the French call a veloute (velvet texture soup). Fry veg in butter _ don't use oil. Add potato's or some drained chickpeas or red lentils to thick if required. Then add 2 tbsps flour to the veg (roux) thenadd some water some stock and simmer for half an hour. When veg soft blend and add some cream and heat gently (don't boil it) and you will have a thick creamy delicious hotel type soup. Veloute soups work great with any veg though a broccoli soup is fab with walnuts or almonds scattered in at end.

pockets3d

Oh garcon! What is the soup of the day?

Yesterday's veg and mash.

Yyhhuuu

Thanks so much for the tips. I really enjoy cooking my own vegetable soup with potatoe. It's so much better than those bought soups with so many additives and salt. I use reduced to clear veg and each portion/ serving of soup usually only costs me about 10c so delicious nutritious and cheap.

I'm afraid I'm a novice at this. I have ginger I bought reduced for 20c in the fridge a few weeks ago. I wonder what this might go with?