The Last Soup Recipe You’ll Ever Need

On a cold winters day there is nothing more satisfying than a bowl of hot soup.

(Well, maybe chocolate brownies but that’s a story for a different website!)

If you’re following the Nutritional Responsibility program then tinned soups are out due to their processed nature and all the additives they contain. However, the good news is that it’s easy to make your own soups that will taste better than the tinned varieties! Soup is also something you can make while you cook your dinner, so you don’t need to worry about it taking too much time.  And you can freeze individual portions so you will have a great Nutritionally Responsible meal on hand for emergencies.

Before you start, you need just 3 key items:

1. A large heavy based saucepan, with a lid. Make sure you use something big enough so you don’t have your ingredients bubbling over and making a mess.
2. A hand blender or food processor. I’ve used both and my personal preference is the hand blender as I feel it gives me better control over the consistency.
3. The willingness to experiment! Once you’ve mastered the basics you can make any soup you like!

So, let’s get you started!

For all my soups I start with 2 leeks and an onion.

Slice and saute gently in a little butter or olive oil over a low heat. Season with sea salt & freshly ground pepper. You want the leeks and onion to be wilted and turning translucent, but not browned since this will affect the colour of your soup. Adding a splash of water will keep this from happening.

While the leeks and onions are cooking you can prepare the rest of your ingredients. At this stage you can basically add whatever you like! As an example I’m going to talk through my cauliflower and chickpea soup.

Chop half a cauliflower into florets. (The quantity is up to you, the beauty of making soup, and will determine the final flavour. This is where the willingness to experiment comes in!)

Mix the cauliflower florets with the leek and onion, then add enough water or stock to only just cover the ingredients. This is very important since too much liquid will result in a watery soup. Blah! It’s best to err on the side of caution as you can always add more to the finished soup if needed.

At this stage I also add half a tin of chickpeas. (You can add chickpeas to almost any soup, resulting in a deeper, creamy texture. Go on, experiment!)

Now season, pop the lid on and simmer gently for about 30 minutes or until the cauliflower is well cooked.

When cooked, just blend to your desired consistency, et voila!

Now either dive straight in or put in individual containers for freezing.