Thetownend.com

...anybody else a fan? If so any recommendations?

I like the creative thing of throwing some ingredients into a pot, and not quite knowing what you'll get.

Currently sat on the hob, is a saucepan of mushroom, spinach, watercress and rocket soup...

Lawnmower bucket soup?

Available at all good Government sanctioned Foodbanks...

a very simple one but tastey non the less.

Chuck a shit load of plum tomatos in the over to roast with loads of garlic for 30/45 minutes, once done, take them out, peel them, blitz in a blender with some salt and pepper (chilli optional) Sorted.

Interesting, I've only ever made tomato soup with bog standard toms, to slightly disappointing results. I'll give that a whirl Chubbs.

I was referring to your creation  :)

My favourite is red pepper and sweet potato.

My recipe changes pretty much each time I make it, as I just bung stuff in a pan, but here's a rough guide:

1 medium onion
500g sweet potato
2 red bell peppers
1 red chilli (optional)
3-4 garlic cloves
small piece of ginger
Cumin seeds (optional)
500ml veg stock

Fry the onion, garlic, ginger for a few mins in a little oil over a medium heat.
Add the rest of the ingredients and veg stock, simmer for 20 mins, then blitz in a food processor.

Very tasty and has as good kick to it too if you use chilli, which I always do.

^^ One of my favs, but I roast the red peppers. Stick them under a hot grill until the skins go black, then put them in a plastic bag for 10 mins to sweat, then simply pull/scrape the skins off and proceed as before.

I don't normally use ginger though and only occasionally cumin. Should the mood take me, I sometimes like to roast the garlic.

my mum was always a soup whiz but she's one of those cooks that has been cooking these things for so long she doesnt actually know the recipe.

Its just "a bit of this" "some of that" not very helpful :-)

 Definitely food for thought....never considered sweet potatoes.

pasta e fagioli -Italian

Cook some tomatoes (fresh or tinned) in some olive oil and crushed garlic (however much you garlic you like)

Add stock, meat or veggie, bring to the boil, add cooked beans, borlotti are the best, and then raw pasta. The very small pasta shapes are the best for this.

Important to remember if you use raw or dried beans to cook them thoroughly first.

Dont rinse the pasta before you add it, the starch thickens the soup. Add a bit more water if it's coming out too thick.

Easy and wonderful. Winter warmer.

Not made much recently.  Was always just whatever was down the veg shop on the cheap / just going out of date counter.  Broccoli + stilton is a favourite.  Love a bit of Cauli as well.  Goes well with cumin surprisingly.  Like a sweetcorn chowder as well.

I do still buy a lot of soups and have them for lunch.  Mushroom Risotto soup is very good indeed.

The way you're going it'll be lentil and mung bean broth before too long :)

My missus is the soup queen, but I would rather she didn't post on here!

Is she fit?

You could tell her you're collecting recipes for the parish magazine, and will pass them on  ;)

Does anyone else only eat soup as an excuse to eat loads of fresh bread?

its a good reason to eat soup yes.

But I don't even like soup. For some reason it seems absurd to eat loads of bread without soup

Croutons? Yes or no?

(http://i.imgur.com/YuI9E3a.gif)

Croutons can't be trusted. They make you think they're always going to be crunchy, but sometimes they're not.

I'm thinking of home made croutons...not the bought type.

Only on minestrone. And then with lots of grated Parmesan.

Otherwise I think that you will find that they are illegal in Wiltshire

Celeriac with Leek and Potato (onions as well, as they should be in any soup base).  I only got introduced to Celeriac a few years ago, really been missing out, a glorious veg.

Chicken broth is another easy good soup. Chicken (obviously), carrot, onion, celery and whatever seasoning/stock you like. Simmer for a couple of hours, thicken it up with cornflour or noodles/pasta etc.

Tinned soups and noodle pots seem to have killed stuff off like this.

 

Mrs NMH does a mighty fine Butternut Squash and Pea & Ham soup. Have a freezer full of the stuff.

This is one of our favourites -https://www.susiedavis.org/healthy-delicious-pinto-bean-soup/ ( I use tinned pinto beans)
Butter bean and Sweetcorn is another one. 

French onion soup with the bread and grueyer (sp) cheese is another easy one.

So you like it so much that it never gets eaten?

Anyone got a decent recipe for French onion soup? My Dad loves it (or did when he's had it in France) but whenever we've been out or something it's been disappointing. I don't eat it myself but I'd love to make him something decent if anyone can recommend.

Yeah, I have a genuine froggy recipe. I'll drop it off when I pick you up  :pint:

Nah actually I will go and photo it and upload. Give me five minutes x

(http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp99/swindon_alan/frog_soup1.jpg)

You can draw your own conclusions about bouillon. Use quick and dirty beef stock cubes if you wish but do it properly and you are into boiling joints of beef with loadsa veggies with herbs and seasoning. Up to you.

Cheers TT I'll definitely give it a go. Usually got time for proper stock to be honest, never goes to waste. I'll report back once I've tried it :)

 So took a few ideas from here....Chubbs' toms, Pete's pasta....added in a few thoughts of my own, namely carrots, onion, garlic and a few red lentils, boiled up with the toms in a stock, flavoured with coriander and basil.

Gave it a whizz et voila, although I say so myself, a success. Sweet pots and celeriac next in some form  :)

After struggling to find molasses anywhere, I recently discovered it's basically Black Treacle. I used it in a home made barbecue sauce I concocted the other week to go with some pulled pork and it was a revelation.