I need your best soup recipes (ideally that freeze well)

[pregnantncnc]

I am looking ahead to meal prep (and also get a stock of recipes) for after baby arrives. I know my eating habits, and when I'm feeling tired, rushed, sad or overwhelmed, my go-to is always soup... but usually the expensive pre-made "fresh" soups from the supermarket. I want to avoid buying these as much as possible, so please hit me with your favourite/best soup recipes. As much as I'm doing this to save money and eat healthier, the recipes don't need to be particularly low cost or especially healthy - but rather really need to taste good!

Following as I tend to make them up as I go.
I love making a kind of minestrone with the odds and ends I usually end up with in my fridge, usually peppers, courgette, celery, carrot and green beans, obviously onion and garlic too.
I use boullion stock too as it gives a lovely flavour, then add a tin of tomatoes and spaghetti. Serve with Parmesan shavings and crusty bread 🤤

Also did a broccoli & Stilton soup last week that freezer really well.
I boiled broccoli and cauliflower, added stock and plenty of salt and pepper. Crumble Stilton in and whizz up until smooth.

Oooooh @BloodyCats I think I'm going to have to make a kind of minestrone with my veg leftovers. (The problem when I make up my own recipes is that I am fairly rubbish when guessing seasonings so tend to panic and chuck in the 'wrong' herbs/spices)

Leek and potato: cut up 2 leeks into rounds and 3 medium potatoes into small chunks. Fry leeks in butter or olive oil until glossy and green, then add potatoes until coated. Cover with veg or chicken stock or water and one of those stock pots so that the water comes about 1-1.5cm above the veg. Boil for about 15 mins until the potato cubes squash easily with a wooden spoon, then blitz with a stick blender until smooth. If a bit thin and you like it creamier, stir in an egg yolk. If a bit thick, add water and blend it in. Add salt and pepper at this stage rather than earlier.

That's enough for four adults.

This Delia soup is very good and a good meal by itself, I usually puree it rather than leave it whole as in the recipe www.deliaonline.com/recipes/occasions/christmas/christmas-starters/smoked-bacon-and-lentil-soup

Head over to the Jamie Oliver web site. His classic minestrone freezes well, as does his tomato soup, google roasted butternut squash soup that too freezes well. Pol Martin as a yellow pea soup I always have available in the freezer, along with hamburger and cabbage soup.

This Jamie Oliver lentil, spinach and ginger soup is very soup is very good too www.google.com/amp/s/www.bigoven.com/recipe/lentil-and-spinach-soup/197696/amp

This one is another favourite foodmusings.ca/recipes/entrees/jamie-olivers-sweet-potato-and-chorizo-soup/

I like this bacon and lentil one. I use passata instead of chopped toms and then don’t bother to purée, I like texture in a soup.

www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/lentil-and-bacon-soup

My mother taught me to peel and chop an onion and leave it frying gently in a small amount of butter or lard while investigating the 'fridge for ingredients.

Making home made stock from a chicken carcass (slow cooker ideal) will elevate the taste of any soup.

My favourites include

French onion: caramelise onions with a few grains of sugar. Use beef stock and a dash of red wine. Float toasted cheese toast on top just before serving.

Split red onion, dash of curry powder, stick of celery and a carrot, with the remains of gammon and cooking liquid )

Potato and leek.

Chicken stock, handful of rice and finely chopped celery and carrot

Any veg can really be turned into a very palatable soup. Enjoy

Two that I have frozen well and that get a good reception. Sorry, they are as I remember.

1 bag of Morrisons frozen butternut squash chunks, 1 bag of Morrisons frozen sweet potato chunks, 1 bag of frozen chopped onion and some lentils (large handful here) spiced with lots of garlic, cumin, turmeric and chili, lots of stock. Bring to boil, simmer, blend, serve. I fall back on this when unexpectedly feeding lots. With fancy bread, it's awesome.

'some' potato, carrot, parsnip, onion. Can include other root veggies. Add loads of garlic, plenty of cumin, tumeric, ginger or even just curry powder, with 'some' lentils. Bring to boil, simmer, blend, serve.

Hope these help. All are full of nutrition (especially if you use frozen veggies) and not too expensive. The one with the bags of Morrisons veg costs maybe £4-5 at most and I can usually get a dozen decent bowls out of it. I usually serve four of us, with seconds for DH, then freeze the rest in portions.

Butternut squash and lentil - hack a squash in half, take out the seeds, drizzle on some oil and chili flakes if you like them, roast at about 180 for about 45 mins (or cheat and buy ready chopped squash or squash/sweet potato mix)

Chop and fry an onion in a soup pan

When squash is cooked scoop out the flesh, add to the onion, add a cup full of lentils, add around a litre of whatever stock you have to hand, cook until lentils are mush. Whizz, season, add chili and cumin if you like them.

Dont forget to add a batch of frozen nice bread rolls to have with your soup.

Butternut squash and chilli

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/12808/butternut-squash-soup-with-chilli-and-crme-frache

I have made 4 vats of soup already this Christmas holiday, all eaten before i get chance to bloody freeze it. Leek and potato recipe similar to pp but i add garlic, and variations of lentil, lentil and bacon, lentil and carrot.

Cauliflower, coconut milk and Thai curry paste is lovely.

Pea and ham

Bacon broccoli and chilli

Leek and canellinni bean

Mexican bean

Bacon and lentil

Butternut squash with chilli and ginger

Chicken, celeriac and sweetcorn

All freezer well. I love soup!

Beetroot soup.

2 beetroot (freshly boiled or from a vacuum pack) and a boiled or microwaved potato. Add a stock cube, boiling water, a splash of vinegar from a jar of pickled beetroot and some dill. Blitz. Season well and add some soured cream if you like.

If you feel like it, you can chuck in a carrot, some softened onion, garlic, bits of ham/sausage or anything else you fancy.

Wow these all sound fabulous - thank you!

I've never cooked a butternut squash before (I seem to remember my mother really struggling to cut one once and it has put me off) but I will try (or buy frozen/pre-chopped!).

My standard recipe is leeks fried until softened, any veg (frozen is great and so many types), cover with bouillon then simmer til all soft. Blend til smooth or leave chunky. My sweet potato and butternut squash is always a winner, just done a leek, potato and ham with Christmas left overs and a mixed veg with some random bags of frozen casserole veg I discovered in the chest freezer!

Dont bother with a fresh butternut squash, buy frozen everytime!

Winter ham and root vegetable soup, no real measurements and things just added and changed depending on what I have available but always goes down well.

Ham boiled with an onion a bay leaf and some black pepper. Take out shred or bake and then slice.

Boil red lentils and split yellow peas in ham stock and bay leaves with a combination of these veg: carrots, celery, leeks, swede/turnip, butternut squash sweet potato parsnips. Fry an onion and garlic (or use the powdered types) add to pot and boil till everything is soft and then blend. Add veg stock cube if needed add water or simmer to reduce depending on how thick you like soup. I usually add rosemary, sage and parsley, tumeric, a little ginger and chilli or sriracha, salt and black pepper. I like things over spiced so add a little at a time. Add cream, creme fraiche or sour cream for extra indulgence. Serve with shredded or sliced ham and crusty bread and butter.

Can be made and served with chicken or veg stock cube if you don't want to use a ham joint.

Curried lentil is my favourite. With butternut , sweet potato, chickpeas- depending what I have.

Curried parsnip is nice.

Scotch broth very filling

Tomatoe and Basil soup here. Fry celery, onions and carrots add 4 tins of chopped tomatoes . Four Big vine tomatoes with vine tops still on chicken stock and water . Georgous.

My go to quick and easy soup that tastes really good is-

Tesco frozen casserole veg
Frozen butternut squash
Stock pot

I sometimes add lentils and/or tin of tomatoes depending on mood.

It takes seconds to prepare the leave on the hob to cook then blend with stick blender.

This is the only soup I make, it's delicious. I buy pre chopped squash.

www.nigella.com/recipes/members/kaffacakess-spicy-butternut-squash-soup