RECIPE: How to make a base soup

Quick and cost effective, this base soup recipe is a great way to use up vegetables. Follow these three easy steps and achieve great results every time.

Simply add base vegetables and make the meal your own with any great tasting flavour combination.

Need some inspiration?  We’ve included our favourites below…

Total 35 minutes

400 g carrots, leeks and celery**

275 g potatoes

2 litres chicken or vegetable stock

100 g soft vegetables such as spinach and peas or roasted parsnips (more ideas in cooks notes)

*optional  **total weight in any combination

Method:

One – Prepare Vegetables

• Peel and finely slice onions.  Finely chop the garlic if using.
• Place a large saucepan over low heat.  Melt butter and add onions.  Cook very slowly to soften but not brown.
• Prepare potatoes and chop into dice size pieces.
• Stir onions and add vegetables in batches in order of which will require longest cooking time first.
• Add garlic last along with the potatoes.

Two – Cook

• Continue to cook without a lid, until the vegetables are beginning to soften.
• If using soft vegetables such as tomatoes and mushrooms can be added at this stage too.  Followed by half of the stock.  Add a lid or transfer pan to AGA simmering oven.

Three – Blend & Serve

• Continue to cook until base vegetables are soft.  Add any spinach or peas at this stage and use a stick blender to puree.  Adjust the seasoning and consistency with the remaining stock
• Warm through to serve with sour cream, creme fraiche or grated cheese and croutons.

Notes for Cooks:

• Chop or slice vegetables evenly to speed up cooking time
• Add the butter and vegetables to a warm pan
• Slowly cooking onions first creates more flavour but do not brown
• Always add garlic last to prevent it burning
• Do not brown the vegetables during softening stage
• Warm soup but do not boil when re-heating as this will destroy the flavour and catch the base of the pan too!
• Soups thicken when cold, so a chilled soup may require thinning with additional stock
• Roasting carrots, cauliflower, squash and parsnips seasoned with fresh ground spices will add a delicious depth of flavour to your soup.

Soup Ideas:

• Roasted Cauliflower & Blue Cheese
• Beetroot & Creme Fraiche
• Roasted Parsnip & Toasted Cumin
• Pearled Spelt with Carrot & Leek
• Watercress, Fresh Spinach & Pea with Goats Cheese
• Bacon, Chickpea & Leek

Be More Sustainable: 

• Wash the tops of leeks in cold water with a teaspoon of salt to clean and remove trapped dirt.  Shred and use for soup base. 
• Parsley stalks can also be added to base mix.
• Roast extra root vegetables at the weekend and to use in a midweek soup
• Left over ham or bacon can be added to soup or chopped finely sprinkled over
• Parmesan ‘ends’ add a delicious savoury note to base vegetables
• Save mushroom stalks and chop finely to add to soup or stock