How To Make the Basis For Soup

Great ideas for soup

Soup is one of the tastiest meals that is easy to prepare. Tastier if you cook the broth in a slow heat for a long duration of time until all the ingredients just mix and blend together giving you full nutritions. I picked up a few tips on how to make the basics of soups that I found on the telegraph uk and would like to share it with you.

Just remember that starchy vegetables can be substituted for the potato, but non-starchy ones, such as spinach or mushrooms, should be added as well as the potato in the basic recipe, unless it's a very thin soup you are after.
Beetroot and cardamom Cook the seeds from 3 cardamon pods with the leeks, and use peeled beetroot (350g) instead of the potato. A squeeze of lemon juice at the end improves the flavour of beetroot soup.
Sweet potato soup with Angostura bitters Sounds unlikely but it's a magic flavour combination. Use about 350g sweet potato instead of the regular potato and finish the soup with a few drops of Angostura bitters.
Butternut squash and harissa Cook the leeks as above, then stir in half a teaspoon of harissa (Moroccan spice paste). Cook for a minute, then add 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed (seeds removed) instead of the potato. Add more harissa to the finished soup if you like.
Jerusalem artichoke and hazelnut Use Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and cubed, instead of the potatoes. Liquidise the soup with 1 tbsp hazelnuts (toast them lightly first in a dry frying pan).

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Soup Basics

A simple basis for countless soups.

Ingredients
2 fat leeks, sliced and washed
2oz/60g butter
Salt and pepper
2 medium floury potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
1½ pints/850ml pints water (or stock)

Methods
1. Cook the leeks slowly in butter until soft, but without letting them colour. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
2. Add the potatoes, stir until they are well coated in butter and cook for a minute or two longer.
3. Pour in the water (or use a light stock if you prefer) and simmer for 20 minutes or so, until the potatoes are soft.
4. Purée the soup. Liquidise, pass through a mouli-légumes, or leave it chunky if you prefer.
5. Taste and check the seasoning. Reheat and add a little cream, chopped herbs or a dollop of pesto before serving, if you like.

*Serves 2-4 people

ideas from xanthe clay, telegraph uk