Homemade Soup - What's your recipe?

[Zebraa]

I want something really hearty that will feed the 5,000. I love soup but all the recipes I try end up a little bit bland.

I like everything so all ingredients welcome

I just told DP we're having a soup week! Can't wait to start practicing! I love cooking but never tackled a soup before!

I make the following recipe for 4 people, so adapt to suit your circumstances.

Chop up about 4 large potatoes and start boiling in a pan with a little water. Add 1 pint of stock (I use chicken stock cubes), a few leeks, some carrots, and then throw in any other veg you have lying around. Simmer until the veg are soft, then whizz with a stick blender and enjoy.

This makes quite a thick hearty soup, add more water if you like it thinnner. Good as a meal with crusty bread.

I did squash and chilli today

Fry off, leek, carrot, red pepper in a little oil, add diced butternut squash, and red chilli( to taste, I added a whole one for one squash)
Add chicken stock to cover, simmer for 20 mins, blitz

Serve with a little creme fraiche, homemade rolls and loads of butter

my soups seem v boring in comparison with all these, it's whatever-veg-has-not-turned-into-liquid-in-the-bottom-of-the-fridge with a stock cube and water, sometimes lentils too sometimes not

most adventurous soup have ever made as a grown-up (to exclude chilled watercress soup made in domestic science) was nigella's pea and pesto

Lentil soup is my standard:

Saute leek, carrots and potato in butter. Add red lentils and chicken stock. Heat for about 45 minutes. Whizz with blender.

What a great thread. Was feeling v uninspired about my soups til I read this.

I have a theory that carrots go with any herb or spice beginning with a 'c'. Have had success with coriander, cumin, chili and caraway.

Nigella's beetroot (How to Eat) is doing it for me ATM.
3 or 4 beetroots, trimmed, but don't peel or anytyhing, just cover with water and boil slowly for 1-2 hrs. Peel off skin. Pulverise in blender with s+p, a tablespoon Dijon mustard, 2 tbs balsamic vinegar. Use cooking water to slacken it if it's too thick.
Dollop of creme fraiche, bob's yer proverbial. The colour is sublime. Tastes good too.

squash and bacon: fry 200g of diced smoky bacon in butter until turns golden; add one large chopped onion and 2 cloves chopped garlic until onion very soft; add 700g chopped squash and one chopped potato and cook for ten minutes; add 500ml stock and 100ml cream, bring to boil; add milk, flat leaf parsley and blitz.

sweetcorn chowder: fry 200g smoky bacon in butter; add 4 chopped shallots and soften; add corn from four cobs; sweat for five minutes then add 500ml stock; cook for 30 mins then add parsley and 100ml cream. Put half the soup in a blender, whizz it up and pour it back into remaining soup so you have slightly lumpy texture.

*fry onion in oil for 5 mins
*add 125g red lentils, chopped garlic, teaspoon of cumin and tin of tomatoes and continue to cook for 4mins
*add 1.2 litres of stock, bring to boil and then simmer for 35-40mins
*add some pepper and blend it all up (I then sieve it for the kids but wouldn't bother for myself)
yum