The Soup Recipes.


I do not use chilli, pepper &c as such spices can give me problems. Similarly, I don't use seasonings as individual tastes vary so much.
Just as quantities given are very much approximate, though, treat the recipes as a base to do your own thing as you like.


       Mushroom soup (makes 6 portions).

Ingredients: 120g butter; 4 small/medium onions peeled and chopped; 1kg chestnut mushrooms (more flavour than ordinary mushrooms), wiped and roughly chopped; 1 litre vegetable stock made from two Knorr vegetable stockpots.

Heat the butter in a large pan and fry the onions for 5 mins until softened but not brown.
Add the mushrooms and fry gently for 5 mins, stirring occasionally.
Pour in the stock and simmer for 10 mins until the mushrooms are very tender.
Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 5 mins, then puree the soup with a stick blender.

Peelings off the onions go into the compost bin so nothing wasted.
Leek & Potato Soup (makes 6 to 8 portions).

Ingredients: 4 leeks, chopped; 4 large (or equivalent smaller) potatoes, cubed; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1250ml vegetable stock (3 Knorr Vegetable Stock Pots dissolved in hot water).

Sweat the chopped leeks and cubed potatoes in the vegetable oil for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned.
Add the vegetable stock and simmer for about 15 minutes or so.
Leave to cool for 5 minutes or so and then blend with a stick blender.
Depending on the size of the leeks and potatoes, the soup may be too thick for your taste. Simply add sufficient hot water to thin it down.

Peelings go into the compost bin so nothing wasted. 		     
      Tomato and bacon soup (makes 8 portions).

Ingredients: 2 kilos of tomatoes, three small onions, about 1/3 of a kilo of cooking bacon, two Knorr Vegetable Stock Pots (mixed into about a litre of hot water).

If the bacon is on the salty side, put it in a bowl and pour freshly boiled water over it, leave to stand for a couple of minutes then stir and drain (repeat if necessary for your taste).

Roughly trim the fat off the bacon and cut it into bite-size pieces, dice the onions and cut the tomatoes into 8 pieces each.
Place bacon in a stock pot over medium-low heat; cook and stir until bacon begins to brown, about 5 minutes.
Stir onion into bacon; cook and stir until onion is tender, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until tomatoes are tender, about 40 minutes. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes then puree the soup with a stick blender.

Peelings off the onions go into the compost bin and the fat off the bacon out for the birds so nothing wasted.
Dried Pea soup (makes 8 portions).

Ingredients: 500g dried peas, two onions (3 if small), 3 or 4 carrots (depending on size), three Knorr Vegetable Stock Pots (added direct to the pot), 4 - 5 litres of water.

Soak the dried peas overnight, so that they swell, then rinse in a sieve/colander and place in a stock pot.
Chop the peeled carrots and onions into small pieces and add to the stock pot with about 3 litres or so of the water and the Stock Pots. The rest of the water can be added when the peas are almost cooked, or after pureeing, to make the finished soup a (thicker or thinner) consistency to suit.
Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until all is tender, which can take up to a couple of hours depending on the peas. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes then puree the soup with a stick blender.

Peelings off the carrots and onions go into the compost bin so nothing wasted. 		     
      Garden Pea soup (makes 6 portions).

Ingredients: 900g bag of frozen peas, two onions (3 if small), 3 or 4 carrots (depending on size), three Knorr Vegetable Stock Pots (added direct to the pot), 1 and a half litres of hot water.

Chop the peeled carrots and onions into small pieces and add to a stock pot with the peas (doesn't matter if still frozen), Stock Pots and the water
Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until all is tender, which takes about half an hour. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes then puree the soup with a stick blender.

Peelings off the carrots and onions go into the compost bin so nothing wasted.
Lentil soup (makes 6-8 portions).

Ingredients: 500g dried red lentils (green can be used but we prefer the colour of the red), two onions (3 if small), 2 or 3 carrots (depending on size), three Knorr Vegetable Stock Pots (added direct to the pot), 2 - 3 litres of water.

Rinse the lentils in a sieve and place in a stock pot.
Chop the peeled carrots and onions into small pieces and add to the stock pot with about 1.5 litres or so of the water and the Stock Pots. The rest of the water can be added when the lentils are almost cooked, or after pureeing, to make the finished soup a (thicker or thinner) consistency to suit.
Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until all is tender, which takes only about half an hour. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes then puree the soup with a stick blender.

Peelings off the carrots and onions go into the compost bin so nothing wasted. 		     
      Country Vegetable soup (makes 6-8 portions).

Ingredients: 500g bag of Morrisons Wholefoods Country Soup Mix, two onions (3 if small), 3 or 4 carrots (depending on size), three Knorr Vegetable Stock Pots (added direct to the pot), 1 and a half litres of hot water.

Soak the country soup mix in 2 and a half litres of cold water for 8-12 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse thoroughly. Place the soaked country soup mix into a large saucepan with 2 and a half litres of water. Place the pan on the medium hob ring over a high heat. Bring to the boil and boil for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 50 minutes, until the country soup mix has softened but is slightly firm to the bite.

Chop the peeled carrots and onions into small pieces and add to a stock pot with the cooked country soup mix, Stock Pots and the water (adjust the quantity of water depending how thick you want the soup).
Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until all is tender, which takes about half an hour. The soup can be pureed with a stick blender if you wish but we prefer it as a broth.

Peelings off the carrots and onions go into the compost bin so nothing wasted.
      Clear/Spring Vegetable soup (makes 6 portions).

Ingredients: Three onions (4 if small), 3 or 4 carrots (depending on size), 4 outside leaves from a Savoy cabbage, 1 handful or so of green beans, three Knorr Vegetable Stock Pots (added direct to the pot), 1 and a half litres of hot water.

This soup is great for using up left over veg (we used some left over spring onions in place of one of the onions). The beans can be fresh or frozen (we used frozen and put them in a little warm water for a minute to soften them for chopping).

Peel the carrots & onions, top/tail the beans if fresh and trim the cabbage leaves as necessary. Chop the veg into small pieces or used a food processor if you have one. Add the chopped veg to a large pan with the Stock Pots and the water (adjust the quantity of water depending how thick you want the soup).
Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until all is tender, which takes about half an hour. The soup can be pureed with a stick blender if you wish but we prefer it as a clear soup.

Peelings off the veg goes into the compost bin so nothing wasted.

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Last updated: 6 January 2023