0 #BoothsMakesSoup - Health + Value + Flavour

Recently those lovely people at Booths Supermarket sent us a parcel containing two of their new soup bags, each of which contain all the ingredients you need to make a delicious soup. We received a pasta and bean soup bag and Thai sweet potato and noodle soup bag.

They also sent a fab new shopping bag and yes "I flippin' love booths" as I have had the flu recently Mr LF followed the recipe for the Pasta and bean soup carefully, substituting gluten free pasta for the macaroni supplied and he created a great wholesome tasty soup, perfect sick bed food.

Like most soup recipes, its not really complicated, just chopped vegetables cooked in stock with added beans and pasta.

Finished by adding the beans and the pasta, all the ingredients are in the bag except a tiny amount of oil and water for the stock cube. 

Below are the ingredients for the Thai sweet potato noodle soup, again easily made gluten free by subbing the noodles for rice noodles.

The soup bags were supplied by Booths free of charge for review purposes, all opinions are my own.

Detail: #BoothsMakesSoup - Health + Value + Flavour

0 Potato, spinach, pea and basil soup - a tasty vegan feast

Another week has passed and we have another soup recipe for you, this one does have some reseamblence to shrek's swamp but trust me its very tasty and great for making when you hardly have anything in the cupboards. For the sake of economy I use frozen peas and spinach and there is no waste either.

                     

Vegan as it contains only vegetables, however if this isn't important to you then its delicious served topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese or swirled with creme fraiche or yogurt.

Thickened by blending half the ingredients in to the soup its low in fat and containes no flours or grains so its gluten free too.

What you need

• Onion - peeled and chopped
• 2 potatoes - peeled and diced
• 3 blobs of frozen spinach
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• Vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper
• A little olive or rapeseed oil
• Handful fresh basil

What you do

• Fry the onion and the potato in a little oil add the vegetable stock to the pan, simmer until softened
• Add the frozen peans and frozen spinach to the pan and bring back to the simmer and the spinach is defrosted. Add the basil 
• Now blitz half the pan with a stick blender until smooth and retaining some chunky vegetables for texture.
• Taste and season with salt and pepper as necessary.
• Serve piping hot

We are linking up to "Eat your Greens" over on Allotment 2 Kitchen , the challenge being to cook with a green vegetable and for the recipe to be vegeterian.

Detail: Potato, spinach, pea and basil soup - a tasty vegan feast

0 Spicy roots soup, a classic winter warmer

In the spirit of eating healthy I have been prepping some easy lunches that I can take to work, I love soup but only homemade hits the spot for me. By making your own soup you are in control of the ingredients, the level of spicing and also the portion size, and I don't know about anybody else but I can't eat a huge portion of soup (i.e can sized) so taking a packed portion works out great for me.

The clipping from my scrap book that the recipe is based on, I think its from a Tesco magazine.

Recently I noticed in Aldi they had some BPA free snap lockable soup containers on special buy so I took the plunge and purchased a set. I am hoping that this will encourage me to take my portions to work for a nutritious healthy lunch, so far so good.

My new soup container

Its an easy recipe and uses the odd root vegetable you have in your fridge or vegetable rack, the recipe also uses very little oil so its low fat and has lovely gentle spicing which enhances the sweet earthy vegetable flavours in the soup.

What you need

• 1 onion chopped (red or white)
• 2 cloves of garlic - crushed
• Couple of carrots, peeled and chopped ( I use organic if I can get them as I find they are sweeter)
• 1 small swede - peeled and chopped
• 1 large white potato, peeled and chopped
• 1 large parsnip - peeled and chopped
• A litre or so of vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• Pinch of dried red chilli (I used crumbled whole ones)
• A little yogurt to serve - optional or some omega 3 seeds
• A little rapeseed oil

What you do 

• Gently fry the onion and garlic in a little oil in a large saucepan, until softened slightly.
• Add the rest of the vegetables to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes until they are starting softened and very slightly caramelised.
• Add the spices to the pan and the vegetable stock and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft
• Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly
• Blitz with a hand blender or in a liquidiser until you reach your desired soup consistency, you may need to add water.
• Re heat to simmering point and serve swirled with natural yogurt or sprinkled with seeds
• Delicious.
• This recipe freezes beautifully

I am linking this recipe up to "Vegetable palette" over at A2K (Allotment to Kitchen), who's theme this month is Detox recipes. 

                               

Also to "Extra Veg" over on Utterly Scrummy Food and also Fuss Free Flavours as this soup contains lots of extra veg.

                                                     

And "No Croutons Required" hosted this month by Lisa's Kitchen a vegetarian challenge for soups and salads, co hosted by Tinned Tomatoes .

                                                           

And a new challenge "Recipe Clippings" as this is based on a recipe I have in my trusty soups scrapbook, this is hosted our on Farmers Girl Kitchen

                                    

And lastly Tea Time Treats, the theme this month being packed lunches and hosted this month over at Hedgecombers. A challenge jointly hosted by Lavender and Lovage.

                                                        

Detail: Spicy roots soup, a classic winter warmer

0 Roasted aubergine and tomato soup

We have another super easy soup recipe for you, this time using a bargain aubergine (eggplant for our American friends) unusually made in the oven, this recipe is based on a Hugh Fernley Whittingstall recipe.  Its frugal and very very tasty and the soup has a lovely comforting flavour, great for a cold winters day.

What you need

• 1 aubergine (chopped into chunky pieces)
• Olive oil or rapeseed oil
• 1 heaped tsp vegetable stock powder ( I use Essential Cuisine)
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• Couple of cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• Water
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh thyme or basil leaves to garnish

What you do

• Preheat your oven to 180c
• Place the chopped pieces of aubergine in a roasting dish and toss with a little oil
• Roast for 20 minutes or so until the aubergine is soft and starting to colour a little
• Add the contents of the tin of tomatoes to the dish, plus the garlic and thyme to the dish
• Also add 1 tin of warm water and your vegetable stock cube / powder to the roasting pan
• Return the roasting pan to the oven for another 20 minutes
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly, then blitz with a hand blender or in a liquidiser or food processor until you achieve your desired consistency
• Place the soup in a saucepan and warm gently until piping hot, taste for seasoning.

This dish would also make a perfect starter to any festive celebrations as its a no worry, no hassle and could be made a head and stored in the fridge. Vegan, gluten free and very healthy its a great contrast to the rich festive fare, but its equally suited to make at any time of year.

Detail: Roasted aubergine and tomato soup

0 Roasted red pepper and garlic soup

Recently I managed to snaffle a couple of beautiful sweet pointed red peppers at the local shop for a bargain price, so as we love roasted peppers I decided to make a warming soup.

I love roasting red peppers as its really enhances the flavour of the pepper and intensifies their sweetness, We love them in our household even using them on rustic bread as a sandwich filling with a splash of balsamic and a couple of basil leaves to create an amazing flavourful vegetarian snack.

This soups uses the roasted pepper flesh along with a couple of  roasted garlic bulbs as the basis of a tasty hearty soup which is rich in antioxidants and all things good for you. Its also an amazing colour as you can see from the photographs.

What you need

• 2 large red pointed peppers - split, seeds removed
• 2 bulbs garlic - sliced across
• Fresh rosemary and thyme
• A little olive oil or virgin rapeseed oil
• 1 white onion - peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 medium potato - peeled and diced
• Vegetable stock ( I used Essential Cuisine)
• Salt and Pepper - to taste
• Creme fraiche or yogurt - omit if you want diary free

What you do 

• Prepare the pepper and garlic and rub with a little oil before placing on a baking tray, strewn with some fresh herbs and a little salt and pepper
• Roast for 20 - 25 minutes at 180c until the pepper skin is slightly charred and blistering
• Remove from oven and cool fully on the tray
• Once fully cool remove the charred skin from the pepper flesh and squeeze the garlic cloves to remove the cloves from the papery skin
• In a large saucepan in a little oil saute the onion and the chopped potato for a few minutes, now add the roasted red pepper flesh and garlic cloves 
• Add enough vegetable stock to cover the vegetables and simmer until the potato is soft
• Blitz using a stick blender until you have a smooth consistency 
• Add as much additional vegetable stock or water to thin to your preferred soup thickness.
• Re heat and taste for seasoning
• Serve swirled with creme friache or yogurt 

We are linking up to No Croutons Required hosted this month over at Lisa's Kitchen 

Extra Veg challenge hosted this month over at Fuss Free Living

November's family foodies hosted over at Eat your Veg 

Credit Crunch Munch hosted this month by My Little Italian Kitchen 

Detail: Roasted red pepper and garlic soup

0 Chicken sweetcorn and tarragon chowder

For lunch on a blustery autumnal day this is the perfect soup, warming, comforting and frugal. I love chowder recipes as even though the resultant soup is creamy and rich there is actually no cream in the recipe.

The double addition of potatoes are the secret to a great rib sticking chowder and this recipe came about as I had some tinned sweetcorn and cooked chicken left in the fridge.I had recently cooked a whole chicken in the slow cooker so I also had a small quantity of rich chicken stock as well.

Easy to throw together so why not have a go at making this lovely soup....

What you need

• 1 large white potato - peeled and diced. Retain 1/3 for later
• 1 large white onion - peeled and finely diced. Retain 1/3 for later
• chicken stock 
• Milk or water
• Tarragon - fresh a few leaves, finely chopped
• 1/2 tin of sweetcorn, drained, you could use fresh or frozen also
• Cooked chicken - shredded
• Salt and Pepper
• A little oil or butter

What you do 

• Heat a little oil in a large sauce pan and gently saute the 2/3rd's onion and potatoes until softened slightly
• Add chicken stock and milk or water to the pan until the is about 1/3 rd full of liquid, simmer until the vegetables are tender and the potatoes break up easily.
• Cool slightly then blend with a stick blender until you have a smooth liquid, you can add more liquid if necessary if the soup is very thick.
• Add the retained onions and potatoes to the pan and bring back to simmer and cook until the potato chunks are tender, add the drained sweetcorn, shredded chicken and tarragon to the pan, simmer for a couple of minutes to warm the chicken through.
• Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste
• Serve with warm crusty bread or traditional New England style with saltine crackers.

Detail: Chicken sweetcorn and tarragon chowder

0 Spicy sweet potato, lentil and chipotle soup

Its starting to feel a little autumnal here in Lancashire so my thoughts as usual move from salads to soups, I love homemade soup and often knock up a soup for a weekend lunch using seasonal vegetables or something from the garden, luckily for us we were recently given a number of products from Some Like it Hot to try, so I thought the addition of chipotle sauce to a sweet potato soup would make an interesting addition.

This Chipotle sauce is made from Ancho chili for depth of flavour and Guajilla for the intense red colour they bring to the sauce and of course chipotle for the smoky notes. Its a delicious addition to the store cupboard and can be used in place of normal ketchup or as addition to many dishes, as well as this soup we have also tried it in a slow cooker BBQ ribs recipe, which frankly were amazing. In fact so much so that photography was planned for a post but they disappeared so quickly, we didn't take any of the shots !

What you need

• 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 large onion - peeled and finely sliced
• 2 handfuls red lentils
• Vegetable stock - I always use Essential Cuisine
• 1 tbsp or more (if you like it more spicy) Some Like it Hot Chipotle Sauce
• Additional water if required to thin soup to desired consistency
• A little rapeseed oil or butter
• Yogurt to serve

What you do

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan
• Add the onion and sweet potatoes to the pan and cook over a low heat until the onion is starting to soften slightly.
• Add the lentils to the pan, along with enough vegetable stock to cover the vegetables and simmer until the vegetable are softened and the lentils cooked.
• Add the chipotle sauce and blend with a stick blender until smooth, taste and season to taste
• Serve hot, swirled with yogurt and sprinkled with a little fresh coriander

Some like it hot is a sister brand to Fatjax chutneys, so you can purchase their sauces and rubs range were every you can pick up the Fatjax range, which is many quality outlets across the north west, plus at various farmers markets.

We are linking up to No Croutons required hosted alternatively by Tinned Tomatoes and Herbs and Spice, a vegetaerian blooging challenge for Soups and Salads.

And also My Legume Love affair (MLLA) over at Ammaji Kitchen

                           

Detail: Spicy sweet potato, lentil and chipotle soup

0 Surprise turnip soup

A couple of weeks ago I instagrammed a piccie of a surprise turnip I had found growing in the garden, amongst our pak choi plants and I asked for suggestions for utilising our surprise addition to the larder. With ideas ranging from turnip cake (!), turnip gratin (much better) I decided to take up the suggestion of Irwin Kraus from Massachusetts of a turnip soup.

Based on a recipe from About.com this soup provided a quick and easy supper dish which used up our surprise turnip. The recipe is easy and quick to come together just watch the amount of pepper you add as the turnip has a little heat already.

What you need

• 1 surprise turnip (or 4 small white turnips) - peeled and chopped into cubes
• 1 large white potato - peeled and chopped into cubes
• Butter or vegetable oil - about a tbsp
• 1 large onion - peeled and chopped
• 1 clove of garlic - peeled and crushed
• About 1/2 cup of white wine
• Vegetable stock - about 500ml may be more
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Chopped chives for decoration

What you do

• Heat the oil / butter in a large sauce pan and add the onion, garlic and turnips, cook gently for 2 -3 minutes until the onion starts to soften a little and go see through.
• Add the wine to the pan and simmer for a few minutes until a little reduced
• Next add the potato and vegetable stock to the pan
• Bring to the boil and simmer until the vegetables are softened
• Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly, add more stock or water if required.
• Puree with a stick blender to the desired consistency.
• Taste and  season with salt and pepper
• Bring back to a simmer and serve sprinkled with chopped chives

The bread pictured is gluten free and is from a fantastic bakery in Scotland - Wheat Free Bakery Direct, there bakes are amazing.

I'm linking up this to this months Credit Crunch Munch hosted this month by Maison cupcake, created by Fuss Free Flavours and Fab Food 4All.

                                           

Also to No Waste Food Challenge hosted this month by Anne's Kitchen and created by Tangoraindrop.

                                                         
And also to Simple and In Season this month hosted by My custard Pie and created by Ren Behan.

                                                          

Detail: Surprise turnip soup

0 Pea and gammon soup, a true winter warmer

I have fond memories of my childhood that involve homemade pea and ham soup, If I recall rightly it wasn't even strictly pea and ham, more like pea and bacon bones soup. I  think now a days I would probably struggle to get hold of bacon bones but channelling a similar frugal vibe and finding myself with a quantity of gammon stock and left over cooked gammon, I decided to try to recreate a taste of my youth.

Dried marrowfat peas are available in most supermarkets and also in your local health food store there are  pretty cheap too, as well as being the main ingredient for fabulous homemade mushy peas they are also great added to soups. They are also very frugal and bulk up into a satisfying soup which has that essential rib sticking winter quality that you are aiming for in a pea and ham soup.

All you need to do is soak them overnight (ideally) with a little bicarbonate of soda before cooking until soft with water or stock. They store well in an airtight jar for ages and also have the added benefit of being able to be germinated in a pot for pea shoots for salads in summer if the mood so take you.

What you need

• Soaked marrowfat peas
• Stock, ideally from cooking your gammon
• Leftover gammon, shredded

What you do

• Rinse your soaked marrowfat peas
• Simmer them with stock until softened and the peas have started to fall
• Thin your soup to your desired consistency , add the shredded gammon and simmer until the gammon is warmed through.
• Season and serve with crusty bread

Delicious and very comforting, the equivalent of a hug but in soup form......

Given that this recipe is made using leftovers and frugal marrowfat peas I am entering this post in Credit Crunch munch created by Helen over at Fussfreeflavours and Camilla at Fab food for all, this month hosted by My Golden Pear.

                       

I am also including it in Elizabeth's Kitchen diary "Shop local" blogging challenge as the  gammon was bought from the local butcher and the peas from Booths the amazing north west supermarket chain which has a great passion for local regional produce.

                                

And last but no means least the No Waste Food Challenge over at London unattached and Elizabeth Kitchen diary.

                                            

Detail: Pea and gammon soup, a true winter warmer

0 Lentil and vegetable potage in the slow cooker

I love making home made soup, its so comforting and ideal for a weekend lunch or for packing and taking to work. This recipe is so simple and so delicious and is so healthy too, what ever your diet this soup is for you. Potage was a medieval staple and even though I have taken some "poetic" license in including ingredients that were not available at that time, such as potatoes, onions, etc,  I think its can still be called a potage.

Lentils are used to give a smooth rib sticking velvety feel to the soup supplemented with seasonal local vegetables. I slow cooked this soup  in my slow cooker but this is not absolutely necessary and you would get the same great results on the hob.

What you need

• 1 cup red/orange lentils
• 1 large onion, peeled and  chopped 
• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
• 2 sticks of celery, chopped
• 1 large potato, peeled and chopped
• A little oil / butter
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• Sprig of fresh rosemary
• Small piece of pared lemon rind 
• About 1 litre vegetable stock - this needs to be hot / boiling
• Salt and Pepper

What you do

• Switch on your slow cooker to pre heat
• Heat a little oil or butter in a large pan and add the vegetables, cook for a few minutes until slightly softened
• Place the vegetables along with the lentils, stock, herbs and lemon rind in the slow cooker
• Cook on high for about 2 - 3 hours, until the vegetables are soft and the lentils mushy
• Remove the bay leaves, rosemary and lemon rind
• Process to a smooth velvety texture with a hand held blender, taste and season as appropriate, you may also want to add a little hot water or stock to thin the soup to your desired consistency.

I am using this recipe for  entry into several related blogging challenges.

Slow cooker challenge - this months theme is soup.The challenge was created and is hosted by Janice over at Farmersgirl Kitchen, I used my slow cooker to create my soup so it more than qualifies.

                                         

Cooking with herbs (theme this month is citrus) - January 2014 created and hosted by Karen over at Lavender and Lovage, the recipe features bay leaves, rosemary and lemon peel.

                                              

Simple and in Season - January 2014 created and hosted by Ren over at Renbehan.com . The recipe is a simple seasonal soup using local winter vegetables and herbs from the garden.

                                               

No croutons required Vegetarian Soup and Salad challenge hosted this month by Lisa at Food and Spice, the recipe is suitable for vegetarians and could easily be made vegan by using vegetable oil rather than butter.

                                                        

My Legume Love affair hosted this month by Briggishome , as the recipe uses lentils it qualifies for this challenge. The rules of which you can find here , a lovely blogging challenge created by Sue at the well seasoned cook.

                                                             

Detail: Lentil and vegetable potage in the slow cooker