You know what makes a really nice soup?

[allhailtheaubergine]

Carrot and cauliflower.

Just lightly boil them in a pan with a bit of seasoning and blitz when done. Tastes all buttery and comforting but it's really low calorie. Sometimes I start by sweating a chopped onion. Sometimes I chuck a spoon of bouillon powder in. Serve with black pepper or a splodge of creme Fraiche if you fancy. Or just eat as it comes.

Surprisingly good.

Got any good soups to share?

lettuce soup is v delicate

two heads of lettuce (bolted ones from your allotment are good)
an onion diced quite finely
about a pint of chicken stock (that jellylike one from Knorr is remarkably good )
peas
sprig of mint

sweat down the onion in a blob of butter, add the lettuce, wilt then add hot stock. Simmer for ten mins or so, remove from heat, blitz, add a handful of cooked peas, re-warm, serve with a swirl of creme fraiche (sp) and scatter chopped mint on top

nom nom nom

Oh yum that sounds good. I'd have to go with a veggie stock but am sure would still be nice.

Pea soup... Dd made it at school, simple and yummy

Fennel and chickpea.

Chop a medium bulb fennel, a stick or so of celery, half an onion, two cloves garlic (more or less as you like), one can chickpeas.

Sweat all the veg together except the garlic.

Add water and a stock cube, vegetable or chicken plus the garlic, whole.

Simmer half an hour or so, bung in chickpeas, cook til the whole lot is soft. It doesn't really need more cooking at this and puree.

Season and adjust liquid. Eat.

I sometimes finish with a swirl of olive oil if I have a good peppery one.

It's really good, trust me.

I love watercress soup - I just do 1 large potato, a couple of slices of bacon and a couple of bags of watercress, plus chicken stock. Much as I love onion (and I do) it just doesn't suit watercress soup (nor any of the subtler alternatives). I don't bother putting in milk or swirling cream on the top - just detracts from the loveliness.

Simmered for a while and then blitzed. Made nice and thick.

mmm

Might make some next week for work lunches as haven't had it in a while. With homemade bread (but alas not homemade stock).

the secret ingredient?

Butternut squash and chilli soup.
Cut butternut in half, anoint with oil, roast til soft, sweat onion and garlic and chilli til soft, tip in roasted squash sans skin, add a pint of stock or water. Whizz and add a large tablespoon or two of creme fraiche. Yum.

Nigel Slater's split pea soup with spiced butter is also proper gorgeous.

If you're veggie and want a replacement for the bacon in TheArmadillo's watercress soup, try grilling some bits of halloumi cheese and throwing that in instead...

Also, I've discovered that a smallish amount of quinoa makes a good soup thickener instead of potato - adds extra, low-fat healthy protein, too.

Yum, I love soup.

What a great thread, thanks.

I made carrot and apple soup the other night - I thought it would probably be too sweet but I had some carrots and apples that needed using and already have a chutney glut. It was delicious - velvety and creamy and just yum. I fried an onion in olive (or maybe rapeseed?) oil, chucked in and fried the carrots for a bit, then stuck in some chicken stock and the apple (didn't bother peeling). Simmered for probay an hour or so then blended it. Was fab.

yellow split pea and ham is my favourite, and goes some way to explaining the 7 x 500g bags of yellow split peas I found when I sorted out the cupboards.

Lentil is also yummy and Minestrone too....ooh and

but mostly I like random soup, where you start with the bendy veg from the veg drawer and any odd bits of gravy/stock/leftovers/odd tins from the cupboards and it miraculously turns into bowls of hot deliciousness. ...Ribollita stylee :D

sorry...about the random "and" .....I was rambling and then did a new paragraph! :b

mmmmmmmmmnooodlesoup

My favourite has to be good old leek and potato, made with a healthy amount of thick cream and lots of black pepper. Yum!

Hmm... actually, Waitrose makes nice soups!

Mmmmm to all the above and agree that soup is a great way to use up left over and bum ends of vegetables.

Cauliflower and Almond Soup,

Cauli cut into florets, chopped onion and celery and a few garlic cloves (as you like), ground almonds, stock.

Sweat all veg apart from garlic.
Add stock or water and stock cube more than coves veg. Add garlic cloves.

Simmer half an hour. Add about 1-2 tbs ground almonds.

Remove from the heat and blitz til smooth.
Adjust seasoning. Eat.

Cauli and almond eh? Intriguing!

Could quite fancy watercress too.

And ooooh yes to butternut squash in soup. With sweetcorn, and then topped with roasted, highly seasoned buttery corn kernals. Mmmm.

I do this soup I call green soup.

Basically, all the bits of green vegetables left in the fridge, not enough for a dish on their own. Saute leeks, then add celery, courgette, half a bag of spinach, etc etc you get the picture. If it is green and left in your fridge chuck it in. Go easy on the brassicas, they can make things bitter things bit if added with a heavy hand. Add a single small potato as a thickener. Simmer in water or stock to cover generously till everything is soft. Season not with regular salt, but celery salt, it keeps the green theme going. Add a drop of milk. Blitz, but dont just stop when you think it is smooth, blitz on high speed for at least 5 mins, and it will start to thicken as it aerates.

It is creamy, airy, complex. I was amazed that a soup as good as any veloute from a Michelin restaurant could be concocted from the scrag ends of the end of the week.

OOH a brill thread i've got a fennel in the fridge and some carrots and now the temperature has gone down i'm going to make a nice soup with them this evening!! you great mumsnetters have inspired me thanks

My all time favourite is parsnip soup and pretty much live of it during the winter. Here's the recipe -

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3198/spicy-roasted-parsnip-soup

Chestnut and bacon. Looks a bit muddy but a lovely flavour.

Chop and fry an onion, garlic and small peeled chopped potatoe. Add small chopped bacon or pancetta, then good chicken stock or ham stock if you have it. Simmer til potatoes just tender then add in a tin of unsweatened chestnut puree (or whole cooked chestnuts if you have a superbrilliant blender). Simmer for a minute or two to heat the chestnuts. Grate in a wee bit of nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Blend til very smooth then add a smidge of cream. If you want it super velvety and sophis, pass through a seive. Not a beauty contest winner, but tastes great. Might look pretty with a cream swirl and some chopped chives on top?

fond of spicy butternut squash at the moment.

Roast tomato soup served with baguette and a baked camembert

Carrot & red lentil made with Swiss veg bouillon is my favourite. The DC appear to prefer a tin of Asda's Beef & Veg though

What do you think is the best stock to make soup with? I often use bouillion but I wondered if there were better stocks to use. I love this thread.

Leek and chickpea soup is nice and I don't blend it just eat it nice and chunky.