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It's Soup Weather
The weather turned on me this week. The warm, sunny days of autumn turned to cold, windy, wet overnight and boy did I feel it! That sudden cold snap had me chilled through and looking for ways to stay warm without turning on the heater or lighting the fire and a big pot of soup came to mind.
I love soup. It must be my Scottish and Welsh heritage coming through, but I really love soup. I've been known to have a bowl or two for breakfast, and it's a great quick lunch. And soup with toast or crumpets for a cosy weekend tea is perfect.
My mother taught me to make soup way back when. She made the best soup in the world, I can't quite get mine to be just like Mum's, but it's good all the same.
Soup is one of those meals you can put on in the morning and simmer all day long or put it in the crockpot and leave it overnight to bubble away. The aroma is tantalizing and warming, teasing and tempting taste buds on a cold, wintry day.
These are two of my favourite soup recipes, both of them hearty and filling. And really, really yummy.
I love soup. It must be my Scottish and Welsh heritage coming through, but I really love soup. I've been known to have a bowl or two for breakfast, and it's a great quick lunch. And soup with toast or crumpets for a cosy weekend tea is perfect.
My mother taught me to make soup way back when. She made the best soup in the world, I can't quite get mine to be just like Mum's, but it's good all the same.
Soup is one of those meals you can put on in the morning and simmer all day long or put it in the crockpot and leave it overnight to bubble away. The aroma is tantalizing and warming, teasing and tempting taste buds on a cold, wintry day.
These are two of my favourite soup recipes, both of them hearty and filling. And really, really yummy.
Minestrone Soup
¼ cup olive oil
1 med onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 (800g) can tomatoes
3 litres water
2 tbsp of Vegeta or Massell Chicken Stock powder or to taste
1 tbsp of fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried)
2 tsp dried basil leaves
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 tsp salt or to taste
2 (400g) cans beans drained – red kidney beans or use three bean mix for a change
2 cups shredded cabbage, red or green
1 medium zucchini sliced
½ cup uncooked elbow or small size shell macaroni
Method
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or heavy based saucepan. Add onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Sauté until onion is tender. Add tomatoes with liquid, breaking up tomatoes. Stir in water and Vegeta, parsley, basil, oregano and salt. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Stir in beans, cabbage, zucchini and macaroni. Simmer uncovered 20 minutes.
This is delicious served piping hot with grated parmesan cheese and hot, buttery garlic rolls.
Notes:
If you have fresh tomatoes, dice them up and use them instead of the tinned tomatoes. Or if you have home canned tomatoes, they will do too; I usually use a quart jar.
Instead of stock powder, which can be really salty, substitute 3 litres of MOO chicken stock for the water and stock powder.
If you have dried beans you can soak and cook them for this recipe, you don't need to use canned beans.
Cost: $6.30 for 16 serves or 40 cents per serve.
Potato and Cheese Soup
Ingredients
8 large potatoes
75g butter
1 large onion
2 Bay leaves
2 tbsp plain flour
2 cups milk
200g grated cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Peel potatoes and cut into small cubes. Cover with lightly salted water and cook until tender. Remove from heat. Don't throw out the cooking water, leave the potatoes n it, it becomes a base for the soup. While the potatoes are cooking melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a frying pan. Chop the onions, then sauté them in the melted butter along with the bay leaves, stirring often, until the onions just start to turn golden. Remove bay leaves. Add the onions to the pot of cooked potatoes and stir in. Melt the remaining butter in frying pan. Stir in 2 tablespoons of flour and cook a minute or two over low heat. In a separate saucepan heat the milk, and then stir it into the flour/butter mixture. Stir constantly with a whisk until the sauce has thickened and is completely smooth. Add the sauce mixture to the potatoes and stir in. Add the grated cheese and stir in. Add salt and pepper to taste.
To stretch this soup or just for variety, add a large can of creamed corn with the sauce. Yummy.
Cost: $5.20 for 12 serves or 43 cents per serve.
Soup is such a filling meal you don't really need dessert, but this Banana bread is one of our favourite endings to a soup meal. With bananas being so expensive, keep an eye out for over-ripe stock at your fruit market. These are generally cheaper and they are perfect for this recipe.
¼ cup olive oil
1 med onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 (800g) can tomatoes
3 litres water
2 tbsp of Vegeta or Massell Chicken Stock powder or to taste
1 tbsp of fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried)
2 tsp dried basil leaves
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 tsp salt or to taste
2 (400g) cans beans drained – red kidney beans or use three bean mix for a change
2 cups shredded cabbage, red or green
1 medium zucchini sliced
½ cup uncooked elbow or small size shell macaroni
Method
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or heavy based saucepan. Add onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Sauté until onion is tender. Add tomatoes with liquid, breaking up tomatoes. Stir in water and Vegeta, parsley, basil, oregano and salt. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Stir in beans, cabbage, zucchini and macaroni. Simmer uncovered 20 minutes.
This is delicious served piping hot with grated parmesan cheese and hot, buttery garlic rolls.
Notes:
If you have fresh tomatoes, dice them up and use them instead of the tinned tomatoes. Or if you have home canned tomatoes, they will do too; I usually use a quart jar.
Instead of stock powder, which can be really salty, substitute 3 litres of MOO chicken stock for the water and stock powder.
If you have dried beans you can soak and cook them for this recipe, you don't need to use canned beans.
Cost: $6.30 for 16 serves or 40 cents per serve.
Potato and Cheese Soup
Ingredients
8 large potatoes
75g butter
1 large onion
2 Bay leaves
2 tbsp plain flour
2 cups milk
200g grated cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Peel potatoes and cut into small cubes. Cover with lightly salted water and cook until tender. Remove from heat. Don't throw out the cooking water, leave the potatoes n it, it becomes a base for the soup. While the potatoes are cooking melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a frying pan. Chop the onions, then sauté them in the melted butter along with the bay leaves, stirring often, until the onions just start to turn golden. Remove bay leaves. Add the onions to the pot of cooked potatoes and stir in. Melt the remaining butter in frying pan. Stir in 2 tablespoons of flour and cook a minute or two over low heat. In a separate saucepan heat the milk, and then stir it into the flour/butter mixture. Stir constantly with a whisk until the sauce has thickened and is completely smooth. Add the sauce mixture to the potatoes and stir in. Add the grated cheese and stir in. Add salt and pepper to taste.
To stretch this soup or just for variety, add a large can of creamed corn with the sauce. Yummy.
Cost: $5.20 for 12 serves or 43 cents per serve.
Soup is such a filling meal you don't really need dessert, but this Banana bread is one of our favourite endings to a soup meal. With bananas being so expensive, keep an eye out for over-ripe stock at your fruit market. These are generally cheaper and they are perfect for this recipe.