Quick -how to make basic veg soup please?

[Grendle]

OK, thick question.

I went to my friend's house recently and she gave me yummy homemade soup. She said her dh had just whacked it together from the veg they had in. How do I do this?

I feel so stupid asking this as my general cooking skills are actually pretty good, but I'm just not a soup expert. I can make stock, or have stock cubes.

Really want some wholesome vegetably soup tonight.

Thank you !

[notnowbernard]

fry an onion, add the veg you want, add stock and bring to boil, then simmer for 20mins or so

that's my easy version, anyway!

[gigglewitch]

pretty much ditto notnowbernard - throw some veg in small amount of oil, usually onion and a bit of garlic to start with, then the veg you want to make the soup of - mushroom or leek and potato or carrot or whatever, boil it as you would if you were going to make it your veg with the roast dinner, then blitz it with whatever sort of blender or processor you have,voila - soup if you are putting herbs in, I tend to stick them in halfway through or at the end, so that they still taste of something.

[gigglewitch]

durr, I should have said put water in the pan when you put the main amount of veg in.

what sort of soup are you thinking of doing?

[TheMadHouse]

IMHO - good veg soup is all down to the stock, so if you have any home-made chicken stock in the freezer that will work well.

Sweat off some onion or leek, garlic if you want, celery is also good. Add any veg you have or fancy together and then just simmer.

You can add pearl barley if you want and you can either leave it chunky or blitz it. you can add creme fresh or yogurt to make it creamy.

[Grendle]

Thank you , I knew it would be simple . I'd like some sort of mixed veg soup, but prob not blended.

Normally I only do blitzed soups of basically one veg and with a recipe (carrot & lentil, broccoli, spicy cauliflower, leek & potato). Tonight I fancy a real veg hit. I have onions, garlic, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, aubergine, carrots, spring onions (tonnes of them!), fresh spinach, potatoes, mushrooms, tinned sweetcorn, frozen peas, tinned tomatoes...

Obviously not going to use all of them, and peas and carrots are probably my least favourite. Not sure aubergine would add much . Any suggestions?

[gigglewitch]

oooh all that veg sounds lovely- as does madhouse's suggestion of the pearl barley. Forgot that we put a stick of celery in pretty much all our soups, thankyou for the reminderGet the crusty bread
can I come to your soup party please??

[StirlingTheStrong]

If you want a recipe to follow, I have made this Leek and Potato Soup a few times and it is very tasty. I haven't made the mustard toasts though!

And here is a good Use up what you have in the fridge kinda soup

Once you have made one you will realise how easy it is.

[Grendle]

Soup now bubbling away and should be ready in just under 20 mins . I've also made some slices of garlic bread. Hungry now...