Soupalicious

The basis of most soups is a stock, I usually use a chicken stock but you can use vegetable or beef stock instead.

My son, Ethan, absolutely loves soup. I don't even have to specify what kind of soup we're having, just that it's soup and he's happy.

Here are some of my favourites.

First things first, my chicken stock recipe:

CHICKEN STOCK

Place a chicken Carcass / bones from Chicken pieces in a pot, cover with water. Add 1 Onion and 2 Carrots, both finely chopped, salt and pepper and 10 ml mixed herbs.

Simmer for 2 hours, skim off foam that forms on surface. Strain, cool and freeze.

or if you prefer a bit more flavour:

2 roughly chopped celery stalks 5/6 peppercorns

2 roughly chopped carrots 10ml salt

5/6 cloves 250ml (1 cup) white wine

1 large onion, peeled 3 bay leaves / lemon leaves

1 chicken or 1kg chicken bones and skin

3 garlic cloves

Insert cloves into the onion. Put all the ingredients into a saucepan, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 hours, skimming off foam on surface. Strain, cool and freeze.

IF YOU WANT: instead of using raw chicken, you can use cooked chicken. Include all leftover meat and skin. Barbecued chicken will give the stock a lovely smoky flavour.

CHICKEN AND LEEK SOUP

250g (10oz) Chicken breast, cooked and deboned

200g (8oz) thinly sliced leeks

1.2L (2pt) Chicken Stock 100g (4oz) chopped, dried prunes

1tsp Dijon Mustard 4 tsp Corn flour

2 Bay Leaves

200g (8oz) diced potatoes

Place chicken, stock, mustard, bay leaves, salt and pepper in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 35 minutes.

Add potato, leeks and prunes and bring soup back to the boil and simmer until potato is cooked. Remove bay leaves. Mix corn flour with a bit of water to form a smooth paste and add to the soup. Bring soup to a boil and stir until thickened and serve. Serves 4

SWEETCORN AND BACON SOUP

250g chopped bacon410g creamed sweetcorn450ml milk1 chicken/vegetable stock cube40g packet of white onion soup powder30ml fresh parsley

Fry bacon until crispy, keep separate. Use same saucepan and mix the sweetcorn, milk, stock and soup powder together and bring to a boil. Add bacon and parsley and season to taste. Serves 4

BEAN SOUP

1 finely chopped onion 40g packet of brown onion soup powder

15ml margarine / oil 410g tinned sugar beans (drained)

3 grated carrots 410g tinned baked beans in tomato sauce

1 large, grated potato

410g tinned tomato and onion mix

Fry onion in margarine until soft - add carrots and fry for 4 - 5 minutes. Add tomato and onion mix and reduce heat. Add grated potato and simmer for 10 minutes. Mix soup powder with 400ml water, add to tomato mixture and simmer for a further 15 minutes. Add beans, heat through and season to taste. Serves 4

BUTTERNUT SOUP

This is my husband's absolute favourite soup.

4 Butternuts

1 chicken stock cube

1 finely chopped onion

2L of water

250ml cream

Peel butternut and cook all ingredients until butternut is cooked through. Liquidise soup and just before serving add cream. For extra flavour sprinkle a bit of cheese on top. Serves 4

Variations: can add crisp bacon bits or sweet potato

POTATO SOUP

This is my favourite, my mum used to make it and I can still see her in my mind's eye making it. (I miss her so very much)

1kg peeled and cubed potatoes

2 medium roughly chopped onions

2L of water

4 chicken stock cubes

90g streaky bacon - remove rind, chop and fry

125ml cream

250ml smeltena (cultured cream)

15ml chopped parsley

salt and pepper

Place potatoes, onion water and crumbled stock cubes in medium sized saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minute. Remove from heat and liquidise. Return to stove and add bacon and parsley. Simmer for a further 15 minutes. Add cream, smetena and salt and pepper. Cook till hot but not boiling. Serve and decorate with parsley. Serves 4

CHEESY VEGETABLE SOUP

30ml (2Tbsp) margarine 4 cups (1L) vegetable stock

15ml oil 15ml whole-grain mustard

1 chopped onion salt and pepper

2 chopped celery stalks 140g cheddar cheese

4 large, peeled and diced potatoes

3 medium, scraped and sliced carrots

Heat margarine and oil in a pan and sauté onion until translucent. Add remaining vegetables, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until vegetables are just tender. Add stock and simmer for a further 20 minutes until vegetables are soft. Liquidise and add mustard, salt and pepper and 3/4 of the cheese. Heat until cheese starts to melt and serve. Sprinkle rest of cheese on top. Serves 4

QUICK TOMATO SOUP

15ml oil 500ml chicken stock (2 cups)

1 finely chopped onion 200ml red lentils / 250ml uncooked pasta

2 crushed garlic cloves salt and pepper

125g chopped bacon 2 tins chopped tomatoes (410g each)

Heat the oil and fry the onion, garlic, paprika and bacon together. Add rest of the ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes or until lentils or pasta is cooked. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 4

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