Soup!

Oh yay, a post I'll be following with interest.

I make a vege soup out of the Kings soup mix and a bacon hock. I normally hack the meat off the bacon hock as I sometimes find it goes a bit fatty or salty if I just put the whole lot in.

Then I add a couple or three potatoes grated and finely chopped, the same with carrots, onion, celery if I can be bothered and some salt and pepper.

Can be done in crock pot or on the stove top, I usually simmer it really low for three or four hours... and it's always nicer the next day or after being frozen.

My Mum sent me this recipe for kumara and lentil soup.
It is absolutely amazing, so hearty and flavoursome.

Chunky kumara, lentil and ginger soup.

The chilli is not essential but will add a lovely contrast to the sweet creaminess of the soup. Serve with plenty of crusty bread.

½ cup green lentils, washed, then boiled for 5 minutes in water, drained and set aside
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 red onions, chopped
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 large golden kumara, peeled and diced in 1cm chunks
1.5 litres vegetable or chicken stock
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt and ground black pepper 150ml cream
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon manuka honey
½ cup thick Greek yoghurt
zest and juice of 2 limes
Optional: 1 small chilli, deseeded and
   finely chopped
Garnish: flat-leafed parsley
Gently heat oil in a deep saucepan. Add onions and ginger and sweat over a medium heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid browning too much. Add the partly cooked lentils, diced kumara and stock and simmer for 20 minutes or until the kumara is very tender and able to be mashed with a fork. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

With a stick blender, purée a quarter of the mixture in a separate bowl then return to the rest of the soup.

To serve, reheat the soup; add cream, soy sauce and honey. Check seasoning. Mix the yoghurt, lime zest and juice and chilli together and dollop on top of the soup. Garnish with parsley leaves and serve immediately.

Im a bit the same as Peachy too, chuck in what ever
I dont really follow a recipe as such but this is generally what goes in my regular batches (Vege Soup)

Chicken Stock (if I am feeling too lazy to do it off a carcase or bone and to make a broth)
Potato
Pumpkin
Kumara
Carrots
Celery
Silverbeat
Onion
Garlic
Tiny pasta shells (to bulk it up)
Oats (to thicken it)
Barley (pre cooked, washed and drained)
Red Lentils (pre cooked, washed and drained)
Split Peas (not all the time if I forget to soak them)
Salt and Pepper

Cut all veges to desired size and shape
Put all veges and stock into a BIG pot
Add water to cover veges plus a tad more to allow for absorption
Bring to the boil then simmer for approx 1 hour

Serve with Garlic bread and eat - Yummmo

I make vege soup using kings soup mix too - add in what ever vege I have on hand a couple of spoon fuls of soup mix and 2 litres of stock - yummo instant soup for the two of us.

This is my pumpkin recipe

chop leeks, onions, garlic and ginger add to pot with 50gm of butter, cook until onions are soft.
Add 600gm peeled, seeded and chopped pumpkin - cook until almost tender - add 1tsp tumeric and 2 litres vege stock (I buy the campbells one) simmer until pumpkin is cooked. - Add salt and pepper to taste.
Either puree till smooth or I use a potato masher and serve it chunky - with grated strong cheddar or parmesan on top to serve.

Corned Beef & Cabbage Soup

Use leftover cooked corned beef or deli corned beef in this flavorful soup. Serve this soup with a salad and hot buttered biscuits for a delicious meal.

Ingredients:
•2 tablespoons butter
•1 1/2 cups chopped onion
•1 cup sliced celery
•2 cloves garlic, minced
•2 quarts chicken broth
•1 1/2 cups chopped or julienne-cut carrots
•1/2 small head cabbage, coarsely chopped, about 4 to 5 cups
•1/4 cup pearled barley
•1 small bay leaf
•1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley, or 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
•1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
•1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
•2 to 2 1/2 cups diced cooked corned beef, about 10 to 12 ounces
•1 can (14.5 ounces) tomatoes, diced, undrained
•salt, to taste

Preparation:
Heat butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and celery; sauté, stirring frequently, until tender. Add garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth, carrots, cabbage, and barley. Add the bay leaf, parsley, thyme, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir in corned beef and tomatoes; increase heat and return to the boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Taste and add salt.

Serves 6 to 8.

havent tried this but want to give it a go, sounds yummy!

That looks like some great recipes

How many of you puree your vege soups and how many leave it chunky? I noticed one recipe mentions it.

bumpity bump! seeing as it is soup season

keep the recipes coming ladies!

oh, and another super easy one:

Taco soup

Puree one can of tomatoes, one can corn, one can chilli beans, add chicken stock until soup is the right thickness.  Heat. 

To serve crush some corn chips into the bottom of a bowl (weird I know but it is delicious!), fill with soup and top with grated cheese.

Got to be the easiest soup in the world!

oh how I LOVE soup!!  I think I could eat it all winter long with the occasional bit of garlic bread thrown in on the side.