Back to basics. Pumpkin soup (with variations.)
We are heading into colder weather and have only three weeks of Autumn left. Soup is warming, nutritious and delicious. My Nan and Mum made soup all the time and we grew up on it. I also realise now that both of them served soup often as a starter which made the main course (where meat was involved) go further. They did this with a desert as well. Actually with many things. A bread roll also slows down the hungry hoards before you get to the main part of the meal!
Other times soup was the main meal but usually a toasted sandwich, a roll, garlic bread or a scone would go along with it. I was always happy with this and still am!
Here is how I make pumpkin soup which is so good. I made a huge batch last week because pumpkin was $1 a kilo which made it the best deal by far.
I use my biggest slow cooker. I set it up the evening before and add about 2 inches of water (or stock in which case I add it the next day) one or two onions and as much cut up pumpkin as I can get cut up. In the morning I turn this on and keep adding more pumpkin as the day goes on because it sinks down as it cooks. I like to make it thick. If you think you might have too much liquid remove some with a small jug before you blend... you can always add it back in.
A potato, some carrots, sweet potato, a zucchini... whatever you have can go in. I am not specific about the type of pumpkin. I would say whatever you grew, were given or is on the best deal is the right kind!
To this I add either a stock cube... some pepper, some homemade cream of chicken dry mix... purchased cream of chicken soup mix or chicken noodle soup mix... or a can of chicken soup... any of these or any combination! The trick is to add a bit and blend your soup when everything is soft and taste it! If it is delicious you are done! If it needs more flavour add a little more. Taste again.
Another method is to fill a baking dish with chunks of pumpkin, an onion and one apple. Roast these until lovely and caramelised. Use these to make soup by adding stock and blending. This is really good but for me it is a smaller batch. You could do it and add this to your slow cooker with chunks of raw pumpkin... and get a bigger batch with a richer flavour this way... a kind of combining the two methods.
I like my soup to be blended until it is really smooth. I use a stick blender. This will be when I taste it... and decide if I am going to add some more soup mix or a stock cube.
If I want to make some pumpkin scones I lift out about a cup of cooked pumpkin before I add in any flavours. I set this aside and later add it plus some grated cheese to my scone mix. You either need less milk or more flour as obviously it is adding moisture. We all know what a nice scone dough is like... I don't measure anything I just get a nice soft dough and these are so delicious.
I use the same method for Zucchini soup. Also really nice.
Last week I gave Chloe a huge pot of soup and some cheese scones. Probably enough for a dinner and a lunch for her family. The boys can dip their scones into the soup but Chloe said to me their spoon skills are not that good with soup only. I told her to cook up some pasta shells or spirals and re brand the soup as a pasta sauce, add cheese.... because pasta will get a lot of soup into their tummies. This worked a treat and was gobbled up.
Some might find a cup of soup easier to manage. Also a thermos of soup is beautiful to take to work or school. So good on a really cold day.
People are hungrier in the cold weather. Soup is a big help to fill them up and slow them down, such a meal stretcher!
Do you have a favourite soup recipe that you make? Would you share it? We can help each other with good tried and tested family favourites. xxx
Annabel, your soups sound delicious. Love soup during the winter, so warming and filling.
ReplyDeleteI love making French Onion Soup when Onions are on sale.
3 to 5 lbs of onions, cooked down with a little butter.
1/2 lb of beef cut up small and browned.
1/2 cup of sherry
1/4 cup of worcestershire sauce
32 oz beef stock
32 oz water
3 to 4 beef bullion
parsley
Add all to pot and simmer for an hour.
Serve with french bread cut, toasted and a slice of cheese melted on top.
I usually double the liquid at times.
When there is leftover and tired of the soup, I transform it into Beef Barley soup by adding more cut up browned meat and barley.
Turkey Wedding Soup
1 turkey carcass cooked down and cleaned, water it cooked in is strained and used in soup with turkey or chicken broth added.
Celery
Carrots
Onion
Spinach
Parsley, Sage, Bay leaf
Chicken Bouillon cubes (4)
Tiny meatballs
Barley (it holds up better than rice)
(as many veggies as you like to add, I don't measure, just add till it looks good)
Simmer for around 2 hours tasting to see what may need to be added herb wise.
Serve with grated cheese on top.
Cream of yellow squash soup..
ReplyDeleteChop up yellow squash into chicken broth and simmer and then puree when soft. You can add instant mashed potatoes or leftover baked potatoes to thicken if you like. Season to taste, I like to add onion powder, garlic powder and parsley. You can add warm cream or milk, cheese and crumbled bacon. Or crumbled sausage if you like. This really is delicious and puts yellow squash to good use, and freezes beautifully.
ReplyDeleteAnnabel, thanks for the recipes.
Cream of Zucchini Soup
3/4 pounds of chunked up unpeeled zucchini
3/4 cup of water
Handful of fresh basil or 1 - 2 TBSP dried basil
3 TBSP chopped onion
3TBSP butter
3TBSP flour ( can use gluten free flour)
2 cups of dairy or non dairy milk
Cook the zucchini and basil in the water until soft. Pour the whole thing into a blender and puree.
In a pot melt the butter and sautee the onions until soft. Slowly add in the flour and make a roux. When the roux thickens, slowly add in the milk and stir until thick. Pour in the zucchini mixture and continue to stir until well combined . Season to taste with salt.
Hot and Sour soup
This can be made with left over stir fry or use a recipe for egg roll in a bowl . Add a quart or more of chicken stock to make the amount of servings you want. Add about a thumb size of grated fresh ginger and 2 or more cloves of fresh garlic and a small amount of soy sauce to the soup and simmer for about 10 minutes or so. Add some vinegar and siracha or hot sauce to taste. Sometimes I add in a handful of noodles to bulk it out.
Cookie
Hi Annabel
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough I made pumpkin soup on Monday as it was a public holiday here so we had it for lunch. The weather here is still warm but most days it has been overcast with a beautiful breeze.
Today I am once again making more pumpkin soup. I make mine in the Thermomix (yes I weighed up when DD13 was little that it would be very handy as I need to make most of her items from scratch due to allergies) mine has
1 onion
1 garlic clove
1 tsp of olive oil
600-700g pumpkin
chicken stock (make my own)
300 to 400ml water
cook onion garlic and olive oil for 2 mins then
cook for 30 mins and then let cool for 10 mins before
adding in a little cream and blitzing for 2 mins
Reading your post certainly has given me some fresh ideas so thanks for sharing
Take Care
Aly xxx
I too love pumpkin soup and tend to add both carrots, sweet potatoes and a good cup or two (depending on the size of the pot) of red lentils - they just melt right down but help to bulk out the soup. I have also added roasted red pepper and blended those through as well. I use cumin, coriander and paprika as my main spices so that it adds a bit of a kick and just a real warmth to the soup. Even though the weather is getting warmer here we are do for a few days of cooler temps with rain so a pot of pumpkin soup (I have sweet potatoes & carrots already) might just be on the menu!
ReplyDeleteWonderful! I need to process the last of my pumpkins and butternut squash. This is ideal.
ReplyDeleteHomemade Chicken Noodle soup
2 small onion diced
1 1/2 c. fresh carrots coined
1/2 c. celery diced
2c. chopped cooked chicken
10- 12 oz. wide egg noodles
2-3 qt chicken broth
garlic powder, salt, black pepper
In a large stock pot, saute onion, carrots and celery in 2Tb hot olive oil.
Once onion is clear and carrots are soft, add broth. Let come to a boil and add noodles. Cook noodles till soft (8 minutes). Add chicken and stir in seasonings. Enjoy.
I highly recommend using fresh carrots and not canned. It really makes the soup.
Love,
Leslie in Ohio
Hi Annabel
ReplyDeleteHave you tried using commercial bone broths in place of stock? They are not cheap per jar but you get plenty of batches from each jar. They make the soup taste very rich and reputedly very good for people who have little appetite or the elderly. You stir a couple of tablespoons worth through a batch of soup.
Kate
You can make home made bone broth very easily and nutritional in every way. I love soup ! Sonia in Australia
DeleteI am going to have to bookmark this page so I can go back and try these recipes! I've never had pumpkin soup before, but have eaten beef stew that was served in a pumpkin and it had a wonderful flavor.
ReplyDeleteOne of my family's favorite soups is the Ham & Potato soup from Cafe Delites blog. I use homemade chicken broth if I have it.
I often make 'Kitchen Sink' soup. That includes whatever bits and pieces of canned vegetables I have in the fridge, or have put in the freezer to keep. Then I add in onions, carrots, potatoes, broth cubes, tomatoes, spinach stems, shredded zucchini, etc. I never know what combination I'll have but it always turns out lovely and full of good vegetable. You can add mince or leftover roast, too. It's my favorite, with all the vegetables. I like a brothy soup but my husband likes it more substantial and thick. I've found if I serve myself first and then use a ladle to drain out his somewhat we both get what we want. When my daughter was home, she liked only the broth, but we were all three getting the 'perfect' bowl of soup, lol.
ReplyDeleteCurry Broccoli Soup
ReplyDelete1 pound broccoli pare the stem , separate broccoli and cut the stem in pieces.
1 large potato , peeled and cut into cubes.
1 large onion, chopped.
1 or 2 cloves of garlic chopped.
Sauté onion , garlic in butter about 2 Tablespoons . Until tender.
Add 3/4 teaspoons Curry powder , 1 can chicken broth and 1 cup water. Set to boil and Broccoli and potato. Cook until tender. Add salt and pepper. When cooler , mix with an immersion blender add a cup of heavy cream or half n half.
We love Curry so we are heavy handed with the Curry. It is the most delicious soup ever. If I have left over chicken I will add and usually sprinkle grated cheese on top before serving. I will make a double batch and then wait to add cream until I reheat on the stove top .
😊