To think that Soup is a meal?

[StrawberryTraveller]

As in a decent, homemade Minestone soup we are planning to eat tonight

I was merrily chopping ingredients for dinner tonight, when my mother facetime called us.

Mother: oh sorry, didn't mean to disturb you
Me: thats fine, im only chopping ingredients for dinner tonight
Mother: ooh what are you having?
Me: Minestone soup
Mother: what? soup? for dinner?
Me: erm yep, why not? we like Minestone soup
Mother: (still gobsmacked) what, all of you?

And so on and so on for about 5 minutes. Its a Jamie Oliver recipe, with lots of vegetables in, bacon, harricot beans, and pasta. Hearty, and filling after a day of diy and walking.

If I had called it Minestrone casserole, containing the same ingredients, im sure she would have declared in a marvellous idea. Its just because it contained the word 'soup'

So, is 'soup' dinner for you also?

Yes, it's a meal - with baguette and cheese!

Lots of people in the past survived very well on pottage. Which is a filling soup.

Does this mean if soup isnt classed as tea, I cant call my super pot noodle and bread tea either.
My whole life feels like a lie

I think of potage as being a sort of vegetable/oat stew rather than a soup. I’m going to google it.

Ok pottage is mush.

woolly - is pottage where someone basically makes a casserole soup type of thing which whatever is around, then eats half. next days adds a few more random things in.etc etc. the Pot bascially never gets completely empty (or washed)?

My Minestrone, of Italian heritage, is definitely a meal. Two chicken legs, cooked with carrots and onions to make the stock. Stripped then simmered with additional tinned tomatoes and added pasta. Sprinkle with parmesan and serve with ciabatta for soaking up the left over juices. Hearty winter fayre. (Should have celery, but I HATE celery).

Not dinner to me whatsoever. Fine as a starter or light lunch.

Yes, it is effectively a one pot stew but can be quite soupy. It was made with whatever you had available.
You can eat it all - I don't think it is compulsory to keep it and top it up, but I have heard of people doing that. I'm not sure how healthy that would be....

I had two bowls of fish soup today. White fish, vegetables, tomatoes, stock, butter beans, garlic. Delicious. But I'm bloody starving.

As I said - if your plate has similar amounts of protein, carbs and veg as it would if you were having a main meal that wasn't soup, with the addition of liquid (more than a sauce, gravy or jus), how can it not be a main meal?

@Urbanbeetler - you are absolutely right about tinned tomato soup - and now I need some!

We have that for dinner regularly, it's a favourite in this house, especially in winter. Some nice warm bread, perfect.

With crusty white bread and salty butter of course.

I must admit that I don't like pottage with barley or grain in it. That is mush. I prefer it more soupy.

Filled pasta like Tortelloni in broth is also a thing in Italy, but I don't think it is very common here. We have that quite often too.

If I served up soup for the main meal even with bread I would be met with expectant faces for the rest of the meal.

Same if I served a sandwich or a roll. All perfectly fine for lunch or tea but not as the main meal of the day which in our house is dinner at around 6/7. Noone is overweight either and all quite active.

I remember having tinned tomato soup at my grandparent's house often. Your right, it had a distinctive taste compared to homemade tomato. I used to love it with cubes of cheddar dropped in. I don't think I can get it where I live now.

Whenever there are threads about: 'What words do you hate?' I can never remember.

But this has reminded me. Hearty. I fucking hate the word 'hearty'. It's Mumsnet shorthand for: 'Ooh! I make wholesome things from scratch while lovingly chopping vegetables for my family because I am so wonderful.'

The other one is 'meal'. I hate the word 'meal'. 'Homemade' and 'gifted' are others.

OP has used most of them.

Why? If you are happy with your choices @StrawberryTraveller, and they seem okay to me, why are you asking for validation?

A soupy stew or stewy soup is welcome in this house any day or time of the week.
I love that Jamie recipe and make/freeze it regularly.

Depends how much protein is in there. Loads of beans and bacon - fine. No protein- it needs some, in the form of a sandwich/cheese on toast to go with it. Just veg with bread - however crusty or big - then no. Just not filling enough and unbalanced. You will be hungry again soon after.

@limitedperiodonly - I don’t think that hearty is shorthand for home made - I think it means a soup with big chunks of meat, vegetables and plenty of carbs in it (big chunks, if it is potato).

You can get hearty tinned soups.

Minestrone is a whole meal in a bowl. As is a ramen. I love them both (but prefer minestrone as eat very little meat).

we're having homemade type soup like that but its got chicken in it

nothing wrong with it we have crusty rolls aswell

Definitely not a main meal. Even with pasta. Fine for lunch or as a starter but not as a main meal. If I had soup for dinner at 6pm I'd be ravenous by 8pm.

'Hearty' to me means filling and chunky. Its a description so everyone knew it wasn't a watery broth type soup. It wasn't meant to be offensive