Anyone got any good soup recipes?

[Wiebke]

I would like to make soup but find some of the ingredients too expensive and we are not VERY big veg eaters in our house, the main veggies we buy are for the pigs lol!
Wonder what kind of veg I could buy to make a soup with that the pigs could actually eat some of (Before it's cooked obviously!), so I wouldn't be buying the ingredients 'purely' to make a soup for hubby and myself. We don't like things like parsnips, peas or 'too much' cruciferous because it causes a lot of gas!
Also I like to add some protein & fats to my soups really, because that is more filling and satiating, but any meat we eat 'has' to be free range (At the very least) which again makes it more expensive!

Would you like to think about a hearty goulash soup?
Main ingredients are plenty of onions and potatoes with some cheaper cut slow cook beef (which is usually fattier) - you can change the ratio of potatoes to beef if needed; you can also add a tin of beans if you want to replace more meat - the beans are another source of protein and fibre.
The piggy-friendly ingredient are diced peppers, so the rest of a bag can go to them. It's a good soup for batch cooking.

Here is the recipe:

Goulash Soup, serves 4-6

600-800g casserole beef, cut into cubes (reduce amount if wished)
3 tbsp oil or cooking butter
Brown in portions and reserve.

400g onions, sliced or diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp oil
Saute in the same pot until the onions have softened.

1-2 tbsp mild paprika (start with 1 tbsp and adjust before serving if you like it mild)
½ -1 tsp hot paprika (optional, to taste)
4 tbsp tomato puree
ground white pepper, to taste
Add and mix in, let cook for a minute.

400ml chopped tomatoes
1200ml beef or vegetable stock
Add with the beef cubes and let gently simmer for about 1 ½ - 2 hours.

600g potatoes, skinned and cut into cubes
3 peppers, all red or different colours, cut into cubes
Add and let simmer for another ¾-1 hour.

handful parsley, finely chopped, add shortly before serving
Cornflour, mixed with a little cold water.
Adjust the consistency of the soup to your liking.

1 tbsp soured cream (optional)
Add a dollop to each bowl when serving as an extra indulgence.
If wished, serve with soda or crusty bread.


Vegetarian option:
Replace the beef cubes with 800g (1 tin each) of two varieties of beans of your choice (kidney, butter etc.) and use veg stock.

Add the beans together with the potatoes and peppers and shorten the initial cooking time to 15 minutes, as you do not need to soften the meat. Bring the soup to boil and then simmer. Cooking time in this case is about 1 hour.

 

[Wiebke]

Here is the recipe for red lentils and coconut soup.
Lentils: Spiced Red Lentils and Coconut Soup
(serves 4)

2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 red onions, finely chopped
1 bird’s eye chilli, deseeded and finely sliced (replace with milder chilli if wished)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
(optional: 2 red or green peppers, chopped)
1 inch lemon grass, finely sliced (I prefer zest of 1 lemon)

Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the ingredients and cook for 5 mins. Stir occasionally until the onions have softened.

200 g red lentils, rinsed
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp paprika
1 tin coconut milk
900 ml water

Add, stir occasionally and bring to the boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 40-45 mins or until the lentils are soft and mushy.

1 lime, juice (or 2-3 tbsp lime juice)
3 spring onions, chopped
20 g fresh coriander, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Pour in the lime juice, add the spring onions and fresh coriander (reserving a little for garnish).
Adjust seasoning and serve with flatbread of your choice.

Optional: Leave out or up the chilli heat to taste.

 

[Ramia]

Butternut squash tagine:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into half inch cubes
1 lg yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic
Half preserved lemon peel only, finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
Half tsp ground cinnamon
Half tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
2 cups veggie stock
1 14 oz can chickpeas, drained
Half cup dried apricot, chopped
Half cup pitted green olives
Fourth cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a large skillet with lid over medium high heat, olive oil. Add squash and onion, cook and stir five minutes

Add garlic, lemon peel tomato paste and spices, stir 1 minutes

Add salt veggie stock, chickpea and apricot. Cover and reduce heat to medium low, cook 15 to 20 minutes until squash is tender but not mushy

Add olives, garnish with cilantro and serve

Note: of you can't find preserved lemon, add 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice when you add veggie stock.

@Merab

 

[Merab]

Butternut squash tagine:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into half inch cubes
1 lg yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic
Half preserved lemon peel only, finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
Half tsp ground cinnamon
Half tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
2 cups veggie stock
1 14 oz can chickpeas, drained
Half cup dried apricot, chopped
Half cup pitted green olives
Fourth cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a large skillet with lid over medium high heat, olive oil. Add squash and onion, cook and stir five minutes

Add garlic, lemon peel tomato paste and spices, stir 1 minutes

Add salt veggie stock, chickpea and apricot. Cover and reduce heat to medium low, cook 15 to 20 minutes until squash is tender but not mushy

Add olives, garnish with cilantro and serve

Note: of you can't find preserved lemon, add 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice when you add veggie stock.

@Merab

Thank you.
I look forward to trying it out

 

[piggieminder]

This carrot and cumin soup is one of my favourite home made soups.
60g butter
2 onions chopped
1 large stick celery chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped (I cannot eat garlic so leave it out!)
2tsp cumin seeds
900g carrots peeled and chopped
pinch cayenne (I sometimes use black pepper)
6fl oz white wine (we no longer drink so I rarely have wine handy and just add a bit more water if mixture is too thick)
1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
Salt to taste
Melt the butter and sweat onions and celery for a few mins. Add garlic, cumin, carrots, cayenne, pinch of salt to taste. (I don't use salt unless I use home made stock, I find stock cubes salty enough).
Cover and cook for approx 20 min. Add wine, bring to boil for a few mins. Boil stock in another pan then pour over carrot mixture and simmer for 15 mins or until the carrots are soft. Liquidise the soup and adjust seasoning.