Soups – 11December IT Services

Pearl Barley Soup

Iconic family recipe. Remember to boil it up for several minutes each day to keep it healthy

Dried mixed herbs
One roasted carcass with a bit of meat left on it
Pearl barley
Chopped onion
Salt to taste.

Cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer for about 3 hours. Cool and de-bone.

Quantities vary according to the size of the carcass.
Chicken: 1 medium onion, 2 handfuls of pearl barley, 1 tablespoon of herbs.
Turkey: double the above.

Add the salt before the simmer, but not too much, so you can salt to taste at the end.

If you reboil for at least 3 mins each day it’ll last for ages without going in the fridge. Kind of like a hunter’s pot.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Cheap, cheerful, easy, tasty and filling. What’s not to like? Oh, and quick.

Chicken stock, made with Knorr style stock cubes at the rate of 1 per litre of water. Add half a teaspoon of garlic granules and half a teaspoon of ginger.

Chicken. Used to be breast strips, but drop in a leg portion or two and allow to cook through, then strip the meat off and the extra flavour from the bones will have gone into the stock.

Pasta. Could use 5 nests of tagliatelle, but linguine holds its consistency better. Aim for as much as you would use to feed two. Add to the pot when the bones have been removed and simmer until tender.

When the pasta is ready, stir in 100g washed spinach, heat just long enough for it to wilt. You can add as much spinach as you like – 100g is just a guideline.

Parsnip & Pear Soup

I have no idea why this is on the list, but I had it once and it must have been delicious…

1 oz butter
12 oz parsnips
1 onion, chopped
2 large Conference pears, peeled cored and chopped.
1 pint light stock
Half pint milk
Salt and pepper
Chopped parsley, to garnish
Melt the butter in a large saucepan on the hotplate.

Add the parsnips, onion and pears and fry gently until the onion is transparent.

Add the stock and milk and bring slowly to the boil.

Season with salt and pepper, cover and simmer gently on the coolest part of the hotplate for approximately 20 – 30 mins, until the vegetables are tender.

Puree the soup in a blender or a food processor and check the seasoning.

Garnish with the chopped parsley and serve with oven baked croutons.

Stilton & Cauliflower Soup

This is delicious, especially in the winter months. Just remember that the stilton has a tendency to sink to the bottom, so keep stirring while eating

Half oz butter
1 onion, chopped
1 cauliflower broken into florets
1 pint light stock
1 bouquet garni
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon cornflour
Half pint milk
4 oz blue Stilton, crumbled
Chopped parsley to garnish
Melt the butter in a pan, add the onion and fry until soft. Add the cauliflower, stock, bouquet garni and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes; cool slightly.

Remove the bouquet garni. Sieve or process in an electric blender until smooth.

Blend the cornflour with 2 tablespoons of the milk. Add to the puree with the remaining milk. Bring to the boil again, stirring.

Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese.

Pour into warmed individual soup bowls and garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.