As we all know, given that it's beyond cold at the moment, winter has arrived. Meaning christmas is near. Meaning the weather, particularly in the UK, has become even more unpredictable with the sun and clouds going more in-out than the hokey kokey. So here is something quick, cheap and, more importantly, that heats you up all over.
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Soup, for me, is one of those dishes that remind me of home when I am away from home and remind me I am at home when I am around the table with my family. I still have to listen to my mum fuss over slurping (Cant be helped with soup...I heard in Japan it is rude not to slurp as it shows you enjoy the meal so there go mum!), and not to rush the food down your throat, again, this cant be helped, especially if its freezing and you are hungry (oddly enough both seem to go hand in hand). Also, in my opinion, soup, along with stews and salads, are the best way to eat vegetables especially (and this is a pure assumption) as I can imagine, if you either:
1) hate vegetables in general,
2) hate them overcooked, (im part of that group! )
3) prefer them differently to how your mum/dad/boyfriend/girlfriend, etc...cooks them...
I have fond memories growing up with hearty soups on winter days so much so that I have come to conclusion, having had a go at cooking a couple, that the best soups have the freshest ingredients (which isnt necessarily the most expensive so dont be forced to buy organic!, just go for quality ahead of quantity) which often means that a visit to your local market is needed if you want the freshest veg as well as the cheapest!
Vegetable soup: Serves 4+ (depending on how greedy you are!)
What you will need is:
3 tablespoons of Olive Oil (cheap olive oil is best here as all you are using it for is frying)
1 onion (chopped, not too fine as it will lose the flavour)
3 cloves of garlic (a clove being an individual piece of garlic) (chopped)
4 carrots
2 Parsnips ( If you are not sure-white carrot look-a-likes)
1-2 Leeks (If you are not sure-looks like a big spring onion!)
1 Sweet Potato
Half of a Butternut Squash (If you are not sure-Smaller version of a Pumpkin, pear shaped!) (*optional)
Salt and pepper (enough to suit your taste)
1 Litre of Vegetable stock (or my cheat, get a vegetable stock cube mix it with boiling water in a jug)
Equipment: (not to make you feel stupid, its there as a guide ¬¬!)
- Big Pot/ Relatively large saucepan
- Sharp Knife to cut
- Peeler
- Chopping board
- Blender/Hand Blender/Potato Masher
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Recipe:
Preparation should take 20 mins max: (peeling and chopping, etc...)
Cooking time is roughly about 15-20 mins max...(including the blending/mashing)
- Wash all your vegetables thouroughly under a running tap of cold water.
- On a medium heat, put in your olive oil into your pot and chuck in your chopped onion and chopped garlic , cook until the colour starts to go a tad golden. (Should take 2 to 5 mins)
- As that cooks, Peel all your vegetables (the Butternut Squash will need to be cut in half before peeling!) and chop into decent size chunks (too thin and your veg will cook super quick and too thick it will take longer! so about 1-2cm thickness approx, this is not strict!).
- Once chopped, add all your vegetables to your pot, where onion and garlic have been cooking, and cook until they are starting to become tender (so until they are halfway cooked, should take about 10 mins, check and stir every couple of minutes to prevent them burning).
- At this point, with a fork, prod some of the vegetables to see if they are tender (the veg should feel a tad raw in the middle), if so, add the 1 litre of Vegetable stock to the cooked vegetables and raise to a high heat so it boils.
- Boil for about 2 minutes then lower back to medium heat and cover with the pot with a lid and allow to cook until ALL veg is FULLY TENDER. (Should take about 10-15 mins max, check and stir every 3 to 5 minutes.)
- After 10-15mins, the vegetables should be tender so your soup is more or less done!
At this point, you have 3 options:
- i) You pour all of your soup into a blender and blitz it until its smooth (should have a puree-type texture) or using a hand blender, blitz the soup in the pot until smooth. (my preferred method, hand blender cost me £20 in Argos...well worth it)
- ii) OR You mash the vegetable soup in the pot using a potato masher until its smooth (I have tried this and it's tough, and guaranteed, unless you are mashing for hours, to have the odd bit un-mashed vegetable and it will have a chunky texture)
- iii) OR you can leave the vegetable soup as it is, and serve it as a broth!
Which ever way you choose, serve it hot in a massive bowl, topped with some salt and pepper, bread (sliced or baguette, does not really matter!) and some Parsley (to be a fancy!)
Now, put your feet up and tuck in!
*To conclude, don't be put off by the length of this...it is a quick and easy recipe, i have just added some tips and guides that have helped me, hope they are of use to you!
My advice to you, for this recipe, assuming you are busy all the time and you are short of money:
- Use your local fruit and veg market, as there you get the freshest veg and its cheaper..if not, buy loose veg from the supermarket to use on the day as vegetables 'die' (thought it would be a better choice of words instead of 'they go off') pretty quickly.
- This soup is better the next day or cooked overnight as the flavour stands out more but it will only last for 2 days max.
- If you are cooking in advanced for later on the week, Soup can be frozen.
- If you are, or if you become a fan, of making soups I recommend you invest in a hand blender, if you dont have a blender already, which can be used for baking and making smoothies etc...
