Broccoli soup - nice and thick please! And veggie soup!

[shoobaloo]

Did Gordon Ramsey have an incredibly simple recipe for broccoli soup that was just broccoli and water or something similar? Does anyone have a simple recipe for broccoli soup? Also for a veggie soup that I can make thick and creamy in the blender?
Thanks - my future smaller waistline thanks you in advance!

I make mine with a chopped onion, broccoli and a veg stock cube in 1 3/4 pints. Boil for 45mins then blitz.

Broccoli, potato, onion, stock boil boil boil then blitz and add cream. Season to taste.
The potato helps thicken it.

don't have recipes but you can make soups by

fry chopped onion (in a couple of tbsp water .. no oil if slimming) till soft

add veg chopped up (I use whatevers about to go off)

add veg stock .. season .. herbs of choice

cook for about an hour then blitz

for creamy when you do the onion add a few handfuls of red lentils

try to stick to veg that go together ... eg carrot and brocolli go well .. and leek and potato go well .. celery goes with just about anything .. peppers only in a tomato based soup etc

I think ramsey's recipe you are thinking of was watercress soup?

Agree with most recipes here, but think a good size potato in there is important for thickness, and dont think it needs cream. I boil for only about 20 to 25 minutes, long enough for the potato to be soft, and yet you keep the colour of the brocoli.

also think veg soups are the best - so much flavour you dont need meat. Made a really nice butternut squash and sweetcorn one yesterday. In winter really like doing hearty bean soups, italian style with pasta in and rosemary. Can write up recipes if these sound interesting.

Carrot soup is SO easy...
Melt some butter in a pan (olive oil if slimming). Add a couple of diced carits & saute for 5 mins. Pour in a pint of veg stock (or chicken stock for extra flavour). Bring to boil, then simmer for 15-20 mins then blitz.
Add cream or creme fraiche when serving.

You can also put chopped coriander or 1/4 inch finely grated ginger in when you're simmering the carrots for a different flavour.

PLEASE put on the hearty bean soup recipe!!!

aDadonmumsnet, I'd like the recipe to your hearty bean soup please.

TIA

Ok just been trying to find which cookbook it came out of! It's from Delia's vegetarian collection...

Tuscan Bean and Pasta soup with rosemary:
serves 4

One tin borlotti beans [delia recommended dried but they need boiling for 10 hours! tin worked fine]
110g short cut macaroni [or any small pasta]
1 heaped tbs fresh rosemary bruised in pestle and mortar then chopped v finely
2 tbs olive oil
1 large onion chopped finely
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 1/2 tbs tomato puree
parmesan shavings to serve
salt and pepper
1.75 litres light veg stock

-

Heat oil in large pan, add onion and cook without colouring 10 mins. add garlic cook 1 min, add tom puree and rosemary, stir for 1 minute then pour in beans and the 1.75l of liquid and some salt. Simmer partially covered for an hour or less if you can't wait. season with s + p, then pour half the soup into a blender and blend until totally smooth. Now return that pureed half to the pan, bring up to simmer and add pasta, simmer for 10 to 12 mins with occasional stir or until past cooked. serve with parmesan shavings on top.

Hope it's nice!

Oh if anyone did want to stick to dried beans as HRH delia suggests, it's 225g dried borlottis. I made a mistake about the 10 hours bit. Either soak overnight in 4 pints of cold water or boil for 10 MINUTES then leave to soak for 2 hours. Sorry! Then you drain them, keeping the soaking liquid and you use that as your stock.

fab minestrone

chopped onion, 3 chopped carrot .. soften (in oil or water) with 2 cloves garlic

add chopped celery (2 sticks), chopped green pepper ... can chopped tomatoes, veg stock (about 2 - 3 pints) ... tbsp basil, 1/2 tbsp oregano, pinch rosemary and bay leaf .. simmer for 45 mins with lid on

take lid off add big splash worcestershire sauce and handful dried pasta .. simmer 15 mins and serve

yum .. tis very thick and very filling

That sounds nice Twiglett! I love worcerstershire sauce in soups too.

Thanks for these. I know it sounds dim but how much broccoli would you use for a broccoli soup for two people? Last time I tried to make it it turned into a watery mess with no flavour at all!

Ooh, these recipes sound lovely.
Please can you write out the butternut quash and sweetcorn soup for me adadonmumsnet. Thanks

FYI I use barley to thicken my soups, you'll need to cook for an hour and half though!

Smiling - I reckon just one large head of broccoli is fine, but make sure you use the stalk too, and I guess liquid-wise it's best to use less than more, as you can always add more stock if you need it to stretch further.

makealist - will post that recipe this morning!

squash and sweetcorn soup

Had forgotten it's another delia recipe! And I'm not even much of a fan of hers. I made it without the milk and it was really nice.