It's cooling down... time for a soup thread!

[Sarasvati]

What are your favourite soup combos? I think my favourite would have to be potato and leek. I'm also quite partial to a good pumpkin soup, a pea soup (not pea and ham, I hated that even before I went vego), and a corn and leek soup that I made up (I guess it's a bit chowderish?). What other combos do people like? The great thing about blended soup is you can hide all sorts of veges in them :lol.

[zenifa]

Ah there are so many, I lurve soups!

One of my faves is to roast up all my fave vegies (kumara/sweet potato, potato, pumpkin, parsnip, capsicum, tomatoes, zucchini, carrot etc) and then blend them with a little bit of homemade veg stock and top with some toasted pine nuts and eat with crusty homemade bread!!

I'm also partial to my homemade zucchini soup, and to my pumpkin soup plus I do love a nice roasted tomato soup; yes potato and leek is yummo as well. Not as into corn and pea in soups but that is just me.

We often add split peas, lentils, chickpeas, barley quinoa and other pulses for variety. The possibilities are endless!!

[Sarasvati]

Ooh zucchini soup? Does it hide the zucchinis? :lol

[Ceres]

I do a lot of vegie and lentil soups in a sort of tomatoey base but my favourite is pumpkin. The secret is using roasted pumpkin or sizzling it in lots of butter in the pot. I do mine with celery and lots of onion and add cream at the end.

[Himalia]

I've just started writing soups into the weekly menu plan. We have a soup and scone night :) I love pumpkin and lentil. We had Minestrone this week. I'm also a fan of mushroom soup. Great thread.

[Wonder Woman]

I like pumpkin with coconut cream and garam masala, I like fruit soup and ginger lentil. mmmmmm.
TBH I prefer a stew type minestrone over a more soupy style, but the flavours I still like... I LOVE cooler weather!!!!!

[shaestar]

I've done soup in the slow cooker a few times-it's AWESOME.
Chuck in what you want while the kids are busy with breakfast and it's all delicious by dinnertime.:thumbup

[Butterfly]

Made Nigella's pea & moz soup last week ... yummmmm

[Sarasvati]

What's moz? Or don't I want to know? :lol

[Kris]

This is lentil and cabbage but it tastes far better than it sounds!

Elizabeth’s Green Lentil Soup

5 cardamom pods, crushed
1 tsp corainder seeds, crushed
½ tsp cumin seeds, crushed
200g carrots
100g green cabbage
100g celery
100ml olive oil
5 garlic cloves, chopped
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp fresh ginger, chopped
½ tsp chilli, chopped
3 litres of stock
250g green lentils

Heat the cardamom, coriander and cumin seeds in a small fry pan until the fragrance of their oils is released. Crush into a powder in a pestle and mortar. Dice the carrots, leeks and celery. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the diced vegies, give them a stir and add the garlic and all the spices. Mix well and add the stock and lentils. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for 90 mins.

Elizabeth substitutes spice powders for the pods and seeds. We leave out the chili for our kids at the moment.

[Ceres]

I think I need a slow cooker!

[zenifa]

Ooh zucchini soup? Does it hide the zucchinis? :lol

Yes it does, as you can add celery, potato, carrot, plus grated zucchini (gold or green) and some stock and seasoning and then put in blender/food processor, it is delicious and you can't tell what vegies are in there!!


I think I need a slow cooker!
Ooh yes!! Its a great investment, you can make wonderful soups, curries, casseroles and even desserts, I have a recipe for a delish self saucing choc pudding.....love the winter comfort foods........plus you can put it in the morning and its all done in time for dinner. Plus you can cook larger quantities so you cook less frequently!!

[Butterfly]

moz is my lazy shorthand for mozzarella :)

[Sarasvati]

Ooh yum! Can you share the recipe if you can remember it?

[~ Lu ~]

wonderwoman, I'd love to try ginger lentil, if you could post the recipe? :D

my favs are

chicken and veg (from previous night's roast)
lentil and veg
carrot and coriander

I generally make heaps and freeze in freezer bags in bowls. the soup freezes in the shape of the bowl, which is then removed. makes for easy defrosting in perfect portions :thumbup

[mummy2boys]

I like pumpkin best, I've recently made cream of mushroon and also potato & leek, and they were both yummy too.

[Butterfly]

It's just a cup of peas per person, enough vege stock of your choice to cover, then cook (my frozen peas I just boil for a few minutes) then blend it with cut bits of moz.

[zenifa]

DH made a lovely one this weekend, with fennel, arrowroot (?), celery, carrots, split peas and salt/pepper and blended it with a little raw milk for creaminess, it was a little peppery but the kids and I still lurved it!! yummo. He wants to try one next with Cumin, sounds good to me!!

[Janet]

I love soup too. I think you can blend just about anything and it's ace. :lol I also love adding barley, lentils, amaranth, rice, or anything else in that vein. Mmmm. Some utterly delish soups I've had included broccoli and cashew (just boil up in stock, garlic, onion, blend thoroughly till very smooth - I think it's a thermomix recipe originally), broccoli and cheese (cook in stock with onion, garlic, blend and add three cheeses of your choice and sour cream), carrot and ginger (same as before but no dairy), I do root vegie soups with whatever's at hand plus cumin and sour cream for serving. Oh yeah baby! :eager I've got some beetroots I want to make into Borscht so I'm looking for a recipe I like.

[Ceres]

The broccoli and cheese soup reminds me, a really great way to use up all your broccoli and cauliflower stems is to throw them in a bag in the freezer and when you have a bag full, whiz them into soup. Bit of stock, cream and cheese when it's cooked and blended.... yummy!

[Sarasvati]

Oh yes broccoli and cheese is yum (and Kira ate broccoli without compaining hehe).

[zenifa]

Hmm I'm feeling like some potato and leek today.....

[Beatrice]

I can testify that Kris' sister's soup is DELISH. My lentil-loathing big girl complained at the idea of being made to eat LENTILS and CABBAGE and why were all my friends weird hippy vegos and couldn't she have some Real Food, but then she ate three bowlfuls and finished the broth :lol

My favourite is pumpkin and red lentil. I usually make it with sweet potato for added sweetness, but now I'm trying to eat more seasonally I've discovered that it's a good way to use up all the apples which my kids take three bites of and then leave on the table and complain that they've gone manky :rolleyes

Spicy sweet potato and coconut milk is divine. I do like pea and ham, but I also like pea soups without ham :lol I do a lot of chuck-vegies-and-lentils-in-the-pot-and-see-how-it-turns-out soups, and I think the key to lentil and veg soups is the flavouring: heaps of cumin and coriander and garlic and ginger does it for me.

Oh, and dumplings are gorgeous in winter soups and stews! I love thick rich soups with barley and lotsa root veg and fluffy wholemeal dumplings on top :eager

[gecko]

I LOOOOOVE soups. Have not been feeling well the last couple of days so last night was a clean out of my fridge - hmmm - onions, celery coconut oil garlic and a few spices, home made chicken stock, cauliflower and mushrooms. was going to add a rasher of bacon but didn't - went for a little cream at the end. mmmmmm yummy.

another fav is red lentil and tomato and coriander - awesome soup!

[Kris]

I can testify that Kris' sister's soup is DELISH. My lentil-loathing big girl complained at the idea of being made to eat LENTILS and CABBAGE and why were all my friends weird hippy vegos and couldn't she have some Real Food, but then she ate three bowlfuls and finished the broth :lol

My favourite is pumpkin and red lentil. I usually make it with sweet potato for added sweetness, but now I'm trying to eat more seasonally I've discovered that it's a good way to use up all the apples which my kids take three bites of and then leave on the table and complain that they've gone manky :rolleyes

Spicy sweet potato and coconut milk is divine. I do like pea and ham, but I also like pea soups without ham :lol I do a lot of chuck-vegies-and-lentils-in-the-pot-and-see-how-it-turns-out soups, and I think the key to lentil and veg soups is the flavouring: heaps of cumin and coriander and garlic and ginger does it for me.

Oh, and dumplings are gorgeous in winter soups and stews! I love thick rich soups with barley and lotsa root veg and fluffy wholemeal dumplings on top :eager

Can you post HOW to make dumplings ploise? I have NFI and would rather a tried and true recipe than a gander at some googled methods. Ah, and the apples - get the "lunchbox" apples from the Steinholdts' orchards - tiny, perfect for small hands and usually get finished and if they don't it's only a grown up bite to finish them.

[zenifa]

I can post some recipes if you want re:dumplings. I have 2 types I make as per my mum's recipes - one involves egg and semolina and the other egg and plain flour - usually 1 egg and you gradually add the flour or semolina til you get the right texture, if you add too much flour then just add a little water til you get the right texture, then dip the teaspoon (metal) into the soup (so the dumpling mixture doesn't stick to the spoon) and using the spoon add small rounded portions in the soup (when its boiling, so the dumplings cook through, best to do just before serving) and let them cook for 5 or so minutes and then serve the soup!!

[Beatrice]

I'll find my recipe, Kris :) In fact, I have to find it, because I'm making a lentil and barley veg soup for tonight and I've been craving dumplings all day thanks to this thread :lol It's really simple, though, and never-fail so long as you make them small and don't take the lid off while they're steaming.

[Kris]

*taps fingers impatiently* :lol

[Beatrice]

Well I couldn't find my recipe book, so I made this one (http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/13093/dumplings), which sounded pretty similar. Except that I got confused by other recipes I'd read and added an egg to this one before I checked and realised it hadn't asked for one :lol The recipe made 12 HYOOGE but fluffy and light dumplings (I used 1c wholemeal and 1/4c white flour and added 1/2c grated cheese, pepper, salt and dried basil).

[Sarasvati]

Made the pea and moz soup last night and the girls didn't like it. WTF!? It was delicious, they are officially insane.

[Kris]

They're children S, of course they're insane :lol

:ty Beatrice, might just make that tonight because despite stuffing the house with food I have NFI what to cook.

[Janet]

My dd will chow down on miso but claims to dislike Soup. :uhh

[bella]

Oh, yum, this thread makes my mouth water. And I've already eaten. I am so having soup for tea next week when The Dad is on night shift. He's the main one who things that soup doesn't make an evening meal. :) He of course always eats it though, then rummages through the fridge for something more later. Me, I'm totally satisfied with some soup and bread or dumplings or cheese melted onto toast. Mmmmmm.

[Beatrice]

My DH used to claim that soup did not equal a meal, but that was because he wasn't eating soup cooked by someone who thinks legumes are an indispensable ingredient :lol

How did your dumplings go, Kris? And can we have the recipe of the Spanish chickpea soup? :eager My kids adore chickpeas.

[irishwillow]

Soup is a staple here...esp since it's been 1 1/2 years since I had an oven that works.
Some favourites of the girls' are: Pumpkin on its' own or with any other orange veg, tomato with heaps of rosemary and basil and a dash of cream,minestrone with kidney beans for all of us except 13 yr old ...pull some out for her before I add the beans(not big on bean seeds, but loves lentils and chick peas), potato and leek with yoghurt and cream, broths with noodles of any combo(did one the other night with browned parsnips,garlic, capsicum, broccoli, celery,snow peas, coriander, mint, balsamic and stock), vege curry with coconut milk. We usually have toast, crusty bread or a garlic or herb pizza bread with ricotta, tasty and parmesan.
That broccoli and moz soup sounds divine. might have to give that a whirl when bocconcini is on special. YUM!!
Susan

[Morph]

I love lazy vege soup. Throw in everything you've got, fill the pot to the top, add water & a stock cube or two & a big dollop of vegemite. Viola, beautiful vege soup.

Mmmm, think I'll go pick whatever I can from the garden & make some now.

[Sarasvati]

Vegemite! Interesting!

[Kris]

I made dumplings! :ty Beatrice For our spicy "Spanish" chickpea stew/soup. Obviously our family are such wusses that the tablespoon of paprika was too much but the dumplings were divine. An evening's entertainment was had watching DD3 try each chickpea individually and then make "my mouth is on fire" faces. But if we took the chickpeas away she howled with frustration. I think her philosophy was "there must be one good one in here".

[Beatrice]

I can just imagine her :lol Recipe ploise! Glad you liked the dumplings.

[zenifa]

Bump!!

Its getting to that time of year and I need to expand my soup repertoire.

[JKay]

Ooh - thanks for bumping this, Zenifa - i hadn't found it before. I make a massive pot of soup for my lunch each week - K sometimes eats it, sometimes not...Since we seem to have been in perpetual winter for nearly 18months after the move back from the US (Oh, and 'summer' up a freezing cold hill in Tassie in a La Nina year!)...i'm actually a bit worried about what i'll make for lunches should summer ever visit me again!

Anyway, i digress...aside from generally chucking a bunch of stuff in the pot (I also use the broccoli stems as someone else mentioned), a couple of 'real' recipes i've liked (and so has K, most importantly!) are Vata Calming Soup (vegan if you miss out the butter/ghee and use oil) http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=469549 - i'm frequently needing my Vata Calmed :lol

and also a potato and mushroom soup recipe i found in G Magazine. I don't have it anymore, but there are lots online, and basically it is onions, garlic, stock, a big load of mushies and some nice potato's cooked and blended :)

I am SO excited to try B's dumplings!!

[Kris]

That Vata Calming soup sounds really rather divine JKay - thank you for the link :)

And thank you to Z for bumping it; need to get my cooking mojo back and everyone here seems to want soup atm.

[zenifa]

You are welcome ladies!! :)

I find that soup is not only healthy (you can pack a lot of pulses, vegies in), but its great warming comfort food, easy to prepare, cheap and goes a long way but its also so delish. I found a few recipes yesterday in some old magazines so once I try them will post if they are any good

Thanks for your suggestions and links, keep em coming :)

[Beatrice]

Ooh yummy JKay!

I made a rather divine farmhouse soup the other night but of course I can't remember what I put in it :blueroll The kids nommed it down and I had it for breakfast the next two days.

I've decided that since I can't use potatoes any more I am going to learn to like turnip in soup, dammit. So far I think I like them best grated so I can't taste them :lol But they do bulk it up quite nicely, and using red lentils does the same thing.

[JKay]

Talking of turnips (well, sort of!?) - I've put parsnips in soup a couple of times and they seem to leave chewy, fibrous bits even when you've blended them? Any ideas on how to avoid this? (maybe i just bought old parsnips?)

[Beatrice]

I cut out the central core from the widest part of the root. If possible, choose ones which have a narrow leafy bit at the top in comparison to the thickness of the parsnip, because then you'll get more flesh and less stringiness.

[Belinda]

Any tips for getting children to eat soup. I love soup but my DS1 won't eat any soup. I don't think its a flavour thing, I think it's either texture or appearance.

[GreenGully]

Serve it with rice or pasta? That is how I got Ds to eat it when he was anti soup.

[JKay]

What GG said! I sometimes use the soup as a pasta sauce if K won't eat it on it's own. But recently he'll eat it if i put it in a mug and he can drink it, rather than putting it in a bowl. He can be a lazy eater, in that he can't be bothered to keep spooning/forking food into his mouth...so it's easier for him to drink it!

[Kris]

I'm going to try that Vata soup tonight. Couldn't find any butternuts so I'm using pumpkin. Will be lovely and warming after a swim this evening.

[zenifa]

Yes we've tried the rice and pasta as well, and even pouring it over cous cous

Plus having it with home made bread usually works a treat :)

[Belinda]

:bah Yes, DS eats all the bread and refuses the soup. And he actually doesn't like pasta stuff that much, although that is a little better. He's the same with stews, or casseroles or anything where it is all mixed up...

[Kris]

Made the Vata Calming soup suggested by JKay and :shock it was heavenly, my children devoured it, even the ones that normally hate soup and demand half a loaf of bread drowned in melted butter to force it down.

That's going on our permanent repertoire.

[mummy2boys]

This roast potato onion & garlic soup is SO good http://www.care2.com/greenliving/roasted-potato-onion-and-garlic-soup.html

[beingsimone]

This is my favourite soup now: http://drbenkim.com/how-make-buttercup-squash-soup.htm

[JKay]

Made the Vata Calming soup suggested by JKay and :shock it was heavenly, my children devoured it, even the ones that normally hate soup and demand half a loaf of bread drowned in melted butter to force it down.

That's going on our permanent repertoire.

That's great news Kris - it is a good one!

[JKay]

A friend on FB just posted a recipe for curried carrot coconut soup, it sounds delish, and i'm going to try it after my current pot of lentil and tomato is gone...here's the recipe http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/curried-carrot-coconut-soup-50400000110391/

I'll be using vego stock, and probably skip the yogurt and definitely be skipping the coriander (aka - cilantro - since it's a US recipe) b/c i can't stand coriander! If anyone makes this one before me, let me know how it is!

[Beatrice]

Glad to hear I'm not the only one who loathes coriander. I love the seeds, just can't be having with it fresh.

[Kirkie]

I loathe, hate, despise coriander! I'll only use the seeds...never ever use the leaves. Yuck yuck yuck!

I made a lovely chicken & veg soup last night. Super easy - chicken stock, a couple of breast fillets, spring onion, broccoli, potato, silverbeet & rice, seasoned with a little sea salt & a mix of fresh parsley & mint. Yummo! It was loosely based on a recipe from a book but I added a bunch of things to it...could really make it with any veg though...wish I'd had some carrot to put in it.

A few nights ago I made a coconut cream-based pumpkin soup with chopped up fried bacon in it. Also delish :D

[Ceres]

I think coriander is the most divisive herb in the world! It's a real love or hate flavour. Personally I love it.

[mummy2boys]

You know we'll never see eye to eye where coriander is concerned Ceres!

[mummy2boys]

I loathe, hate, despise coriander! I'll only use the seeds...never ever use the leaves. Yuck yuck yuck!

Yes! Yes! and YES!


I made a lovely chicken & veg soup last night.

That's what we have on the go at the moment. Am going to make a cauliflower and cheese soup in the next day or two (cheap cauliflower at the moment!) but I somehow underestimated my onion requirements this fortnight so I need to get more before I can do it.

[JKay]

:lol Who knew so many of us despise coriander! I can't even stand the smell!!

[Ceres]

Well you're all going to hate my cooking then - it's pretty coriander-heavy.

[Knitmadmum]

Pumpkin and leek soup :)

1kg of butternut pumpkin cooked
1 leek sliced
Chicken stock ( I use real stock salt reduced in the tetra packs)
Nutmeg
Cream

Cook pumpkin and fry off your leek in a bit of butter (yep has to be butter) till it's browned just a little. Combine pumpkin and leek in your food processor or blender till smooth and add chicken stock till desired consistency. (about 1-2 cups) Add a little ground nutmeg and some cream and chopped spring onions if you like to garnish. Serve in deep dishes or soup cups with fresh crusty bread. Mmmmmmmm

That's our fave here :)

[Knitmadmum]

Pumpkin and Leek soup

1kg butternut pumpkin
25g odd of butter
Chicken stock ( I use real stock salt free which comes in a tetra pack)
Nutmeg (ground)
Thickened cream
Spring Onions chopped

Cook pumpkin. Slice and fry leek in small frying pan in butter till slightly brown. Combine pumpkin and food processor till smooth and add stock till desired consistency. About 1-2 cups. Add a little nutmeg. (just a bit at a time to taste) Serve with thickened cream and spring onions for ganish and extra taste.

That's our fave here :)

[LouGrace]

I love coriander!

I've been making good old fashioned, fart inducing, Pea and Ham soup lately. Yum! DH makes awesome chicken soup all the time with homemade spelt noodles.

[beingsimone]

I LOOOOOOVE coriander. But I have never known something to be so "I love/hate" - never met anyone in-between :) My favourite meal is vegetarian stir-fry (or 'no fry' now that we are mainly raw food) - we have it 3-4 times a week. Nothing better than lots of fresh coriander in it.