What is it about soup? As soon as the days and nights reach
that autumn point of equilibrium, my thoughts turn inexorably to the
delights of the stockpot and the soup pan and I start to flick through my
mental file of favourite recipes. DH and I are great fans of casseroles and
stews, chilli and pasta, all the warm and comforting winter fillers, but for variety, economy and unfailing moreishness, there is simply nothing to beat soup.
I love it for its range of colour and taste and texture -
the way it can be smooth and voluptuously creamy, or thin and delicate, or
thick, chunky and satisfyingly filling. I love the fact that depending on the
ingredients I have to hand, it can be simple and economical or luxuriously
expensive. I love the knowledge that soup is forgiving, and difficult (though not
impossible) to ruin completely, and that at its best it rises to a peak of
perfection which is a joy to savour.
Like everyone I have my collection of tried-and-tested
recipes, but one of the many wonderful things about soup is how inventive you
can be with it, how easily you can take what you happen to have to hand and make
something reassuringly familiar or deliciously different. The possible
permutation of ingredients and flavours is vast and the resulting variety means
DH and I are never bored when soup is on the menu.
Just think of the thick, slightly tart sweetness of parsnip
and apple, or the luxurious creaminess of broccoli and Stilton, the warming earthiness
of carrot and lentil or the savoury simplicity of French onion.
On a cold winter’s day, what could be better than
satisfyingly tasty and filling ham and pea, made of course with a ham bone and
proper marrowfat peas, and topped with dumplings? Split pea soup is lovely too,
but not in the same league in my book. To be slightly more exotic, you could
try the spicy richness of red bean and bacon, one of our longstanding
favourites, crammed with tomatoes, onions and red peppers and tangy with
paprika.
And whenever DH or I are under the weather and need
cheering-up, we turn to the creamy comfort of chicken and rice, in our house
made with the stock from a traditional
French poule au pot (chicken simmered with vegetables, herbs and garlic).
Of course, for the true soup addict there is no such thing
as having enough recipes and I’m always open to new suggestions. These are a
few of my favourites. Will you share some
of yours?
Image via Wylio
Now that you've made my mouth water, I'm looking around for what ingredients I have on hand for a nice pot of soup. I think I'll give my favorite borscht a go...just need the sour cream from the store first...yum.
ReplyDeleteBorscht, now there's an idea. Thanks, Astrid. I've never tried it and DH loves beetroot. I'm going shopping this afternoon so will see what I find....
DeleteI've been a lifelong fan of soup. I honestly could live on it. Although perhaps not so much in the summer months here. I have fond memories of my grandmother's oxtail soup when I was a child, in the days when oxtails were cheap and readily available.
ReplyDeleteOur favourite is mercimek (lentil soup). I don't measure ingredients but even if they vary each time, it always turns out well. I use a fresh chicken stock but you could use stock cubes. I add red lentils to the stock in a large pan. Boil and simmer until they are very soft. In another pan I melt butter or margarine and add finely chopped onions and cook until soft, then add flour to make a paste. This I add to the lentils and stock and simmer until the soup is thick. I find a liberal amount of black pepper and salt is enough seasoning but I guess you could add stock cubes if you want more flavour. We don't need it as soup here is served with lemon wedges squeezed into the bowls and a sprinkling of crushed red pepper (chilli flakes).
Serve with lots of fresh crusty bread...cheap and delicious.
You and me both, Ayak, and I've often told DH the same. Here in the UK, soup can even be welcome in summer, especially this year. Oxtail soup - yum!
DeleteThe mercimek sounds delicious and my recipe file is about get thicker. This sounds like another dish to make with my poule au pot stock and I would never have thought of serving it with lemon wedges. :-)
Soup is a great standby I must say, but, since I am a vegetarian I tend to stick to only two or three favourites.
ReplyDeleteLike Ayak, lentil is my favourite too, but I prefer garlic to onion.
These days I seem to buy everything, not worth cooking for one, so the excellent range of Covent Garden soups find their way into my trolley.
Also, I know I should whisper such a shameful secret, I have a sneaking regard for H.... tomato soup.
Terrible plebeian tastes haven't I?
There are lots of vegetarian soup recipes about nowadays, Ray, but as you (and my mother-in-law) say, it often doesn't seem worth cooking for one. Even though I'm cooking for two, I usually double up the amounts and make a big pan of soup so that I can freeze enough for another meal. I think almost all soups taste better second time around.
DeleteHeinz tomato soup takes me right back to childhood, when we were invariably given it when we were ill as a special treat.:-)
Minestrone! The minute the weather begins to change, I start with a pot of cannellini beans, and then add whatever vegetables I have, celery, carrots, potatoes, zucchini, savoy cabbage...
ReplyDeleteThe secret ingredient is a can of stewed tomatoes, crushed before being added to the soup.
Final touch, shards of parmigiano with crusty bread.
Thanks, Rosaria. Minestrone is another I've never tried to make at home and I really don't know why, as DH and I both love beans and vegetables. Definitely another one for the recipe file. I can see that shopping list getting longer and longer.:-)
DeleteFor some reason soup sounds really good right now. I think it was reading about all those lentils and garlic and onions. I've never made a soup and that's because I don't usually care for it, but I tell you, right now I could certainly scarf down a bowl.
ReplyDeleteIt's an autumn thing, I think, Rubye, something to do with the approach of winter and need for comfort. Sorry to have whetted your appetite for something you don't make, but it's never too late to have a go, you know, and soup freezes really well. :-)
DeleteFrom a good friend in France when green beans are past the snap stage...
ReplyDeleteSweat onions...add beans cut into pieces...sweat further...add tomatoes roughly chopped...chicken stock and cook out.
Sieve...preferably with a mouli legumes...and serve.
I added cumin to that...after sieving..which improves it to my taste.
Otherwise, butternut soup with prawns.
Cook the prawns...make stock with the shells.
Sweat off the butternut, let down with the prawn stock and cook out.
Sieve
Before serving add prawns, creme fraiche and chopped sage.
Or chick pea and chicken...great for leftover chicken.
Soak and cook chickpeas in good chicken stock.
Add cooked chicken dice and add a little hot pepper.
Or if you have really good consomme...toast a slice of good white bread with crust....put in bottom of bowl...break a fresh raw egg over it and cover with grated parmesan. Pour boiling consomme over and allow the egg white to 'veil'.
Wonderful if you have no appetite but need nourishment.
Oh wow, Fly, thanks so much! Not just one suggestion but four, and all completely new to me too. :-) I think I'll make a start with the chicken and chickpea and move on to the more exotic ones afterwards. DH is in for some treats.....
DeleteThe wonderful thing about soup is that you don't actually need to give quantities. The combination of ingredients is what really matters.
A good thick yellow pear or green pea soup made from a ham bone, or stock from our own hens turned into a stew-ish soup with whatever veggies are in the fridge. You have me yearning to get home from this week away for work, just so I can make soup.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of yellow pears in soup is completely new to me, Pondside, though as I've said I make soup with parsnips and apples. Definitely another one to try. Chicken and vegetable is another great standby for us, though sadly I have to buy the chicken.
DeleteHappy soup-making when the weekend finally arrives.
Chorizo & Lentil is my current favourite:
ReplyDeleteCook the lentils (about 60g per person), drain and put to one side. Puy lentils if you're feeling flash, otherwise brown, but not orange.
Finely chop an onion and dice a couple of carrots, then cook until the oinon is soft in a little oil.
Dice up 25g chorizo per head and fry until the oil runs from it. Chuck in the lentils then just enough chicken stock to cover them by about 1cm, add a dash of tomato paste and plenty of pepper, then simmer until thickened.
What would we do without lentils in soup, Jon? Normally for us in the UK that means red lentils, but I have used brown lentils in soup before, though never with chorizo. That sounds wonderfully spicy and warming for winter and my DH will love it. Many thanks.
DeleteAt this time of year, when there is a glut of tomatoes, I love roasted tomato soup. So simple, tasty and a wonderful colour. No need to skin or deseed the tomatoes.
ReplyDeleteI do not measure - just use what I have.
Cut up tomatoes and place in roasting pan, with chopped garlic, sliced red onions, if I have a red pepper languishing in the fridge I pop that in too. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves, a little sugar, pepper, and some balsamic vinegar. Roast until starting to brown. Remove and then add some veg. stock, a little tomato puree and blitz.
A lovely rich, thick, tomato soup ensues.
I think I am just going to make some now - you have whet my appetite.
Ooo, thanks, Rosemary. I love roasted vegetables, but it had never occurred to me to try making soup with them. This sounds so easy and tasty that I must try it very soon, especially as it doesn't use anything I don't always have in the cupboard or the fridge.
DeleteI can foresee a lot of bloggers having soup today. :-)
I love tomato soup, mushroom soup and courgette soup, but my favourite at this time of year is leek and potato (with a bit of bacon). I have some pumpkin in my fridge at the moment waiting to be turned into a creamy soup too. Yum!
ReplyDeleteI always keep a tin of Heinz tomato soup in my larder for the day when I'm feeling ill at home and need a little something easy and tasty for lunch.
I totally forgot to mention leek and potato, but it's up there in our list of favourites too, Sarah. However I've never made courgette soup, so that's now down on my list of must-tries. Pumpkin too is great and there are so many ways to use it in soup.
DeleteIt sounds like you are another who grew up with the idea of Heinz tomato soup as the cure for all that ails you. :-)
This brought back memories of eating soup with my grandma. She used to make this really delicious oxtail soup, at least that was what she called it. It didn't taste anything like the tinned stuff. I have no idea where I would find an oxtail. Probably against EU regulations now anyway.
ReplyDeleteI don't really have a recipe for soup as I just throw in what I have and go with it. What I do like to do is keep the heals of paremesan in the freezer and throw them in. It gives the soup a tang and uses up the cheese to the very last.
Hi, Kerry and welcome to my blog. Oxtail soup is another that takes me back to childhood, as it's been so long since I tasted it. The BSE epidemic removed it from the shelves for so long that I think people have forgotten about it. I must try asking the butcher whether it's available again.
DeleteYou are obviously an instinctive soup maker, whereas I like to have a recipe at least the first time I try something. Thanks for the tip about parmesan heels - it's a good one.
Perpetua, save the oxtail soup for when you are over in Normandy again... most of the supermarkets have it... especially Super U and LeClerc... also your local boucherie should be able to get you some... ours often has it on promo. And as for paemesan heels... any good strong cheese ends work well, as do the rinds of tomes, etc.
DeleteThanks for the tip, Tim. It hadn't occurred to me but should have, as I notice I can always get ox liver (which DH loves) in SuperU whereas I can't find it anywhere here in Wales. Kerry's cheese heel tip was new to me too - I've learned so much from the replies to this post. :-)
DeleteNever been able to replicate 'Annie's Broth' properly Perpetua and you will remember our other childhood favourite pea & ham soup with chips & vinegar! Chips - a Lancashire version croutons eh? Also our stew of 'cheese & onions' was a Lancashire equivalent of French Onion soup. Now just back from sunny climes I will have to think of warming soups.
ReplyDeleteNor have I, PolkaDot, though it's not for lack of trying. :-) My equivalent is still rather tasty though. As you can see from the post, pea and ham is still a great favourite of ours, though we always have it with dumplings. Somehow I could never interest DH in the idea of having it with chips and vinegar and we threw our chip pan away ages ago in any case. Mmmmm, cheese and oions - something I still treat myself to when DH is away.....
DeleteWelcome home and glad the sun shone for you.
Haha! I don't think we will be dining on soup at each others's places :D I don't like sweet ie fruit, carrot and and parsnip soups and I don't like cheesey ones either.
ReplyDeleteAny red lentil soup is great. I do like leek & potato, tomato and red pepper, tomato and orange. I like a mix of plain veg ie not blended. I love a homemade mushroom soup. I have a soup page on my recipe page on my blog. Can't remember what is on there so prob need to update it.
Loathed Heinz tom soup!!
LOL! Wouldn't life be dull if we all liked the same things, Rough Seas? Tomato and red pepper is one of DD's favourites and we like it too, though I've never tried tomato and orange. I'd better head across and check out your soup page fast. :-)
DeleteDear Pepetua, as a vegetarian I prepare many soups. As you say, some concoctions come from the available ingredients, especially when I'm snowbound and can't get to the grocery store. But here's a recipe that is a favorite: Carrot Soup. It's from the Moosewood Cookbook, which is vegetarian.
ReplyDeleteBring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes the following: 2 pounds chopped carrots, 4 cups stock or water, 1 1/2 tsp. salt.
Let cool to room temperature. (Optional: For a heartier soup, add 1 medium potato, chopped.)
Saute in 3-4 T. butter with a little salt the following: 1 c. chopped onion, 1-2 small cloves crushed garlic, 1/3 cup chopped cashews or alongs. Saute until the onions are clear.
Puree everything together in a blender until smooth. Return the puree to a kettle or a double-boilder and whisk in ONE of the following: 1 c. milk OR 1 c. yogurt or buttermilk plus a little honey OR 1/2 pint heavy cream OR 3/4 c. sour cream.
Here are the seasoning combinations to choose from for this soup: 2 pinches nutmeg, 1/2 tsp. dried mint, dash of cinnamon OR 1/2 to 1 tsp. each of thyme, marjoram, and basil OR 1 tsp. fresh grated ginger root, sauteed in butter, plus a dash of sherry (added just before serving).
Garnish with grated apple or toasted nuts or yogurt or sour cream.
Perpetua, I've never served this to guest without several asking for the recipe. It's a winner! Peace.
Dee, you are a treasure! That soup sounds fantastic, especially with all the choice of seasonings to ring the changes. Thanks so much for typing it out in detail. I will try it very soon and report back. Gosh, I can foresee DH and me living off soup this winter.:-)
DeleteThat bowl of soup looks absolutely delicious. Dee's recipe looks good - must try that one
ReplyDeleteDoesn't it, Molly? Sadly I can't claim the credit as it's a stock picture from the Web. My camera is playing up at the moment. :-(
DeleteI totally agree about Dee's recipe. DH and I love carrot soup in any combination.
It is as you were reading my mind, Perpetua, as I just came home with some soup bones for a hearty beef vegetable soup and some potatoes for potato soup. I never use a recipe for either, nor my chicken soup. I just make them. I've been in such a soup mood, brought on by the changing weather and the huge head of cabbage that followed me home.
ReplyDeleteCabbage soup, with our without ground meat, sauteed onions, carrots, two small cans of diced tomatoes, salt, paper, chili powder, paprika - and a can of tomato soup + a soup can of water. Recipe calls for a cup of rice, but, I do up some orzo and then add it to the pot at the end.
I was just at a gathering on Sunday where there was the suggestion of topping soup with popcorn.
Gosh I'm hungry.
LOL, Penny. I never thought of myself as a mind-reader. :-) I know exactly what you mean about just making soup. I do follow recipes sometimes until I'm familiar with the idea, then let my imagination wander.
DeleteBeef and vegetable soup is an old favourite, but I've never tried cabbage soup, though we both love cabbage with other things, so this is now on my must-try list. By orzo do you mean what we call barley, or the tiny pasta of that name? If it's barley I usually add that to beef and vegetable soup to add body. Yum!
By orzo, I mean the tiny pasta Perpetua. I, too, use barley in my beef and vegetable soup and I always feel so good when I've had barley. The original recipe called for rice. This post was so fun to read and to read all the comments with so many kinds of soups. Yum!
DeleteThanks for coming back to clarify that, Penny. I've been overwhelmed with all the delicious-sounding suggestions and my recipe file is now bulging, as DH and I will be when we try them all :-)
DeleteHi Perpetua, I too love soup and love making it. I'd like to share with you, 'Fideos', which is a fine, very short, spaghetti-like pasta which is added to the best chicken stock you can make. I make my stock with lightly stripped chicken carcasses plus onion, pepper (red and green)garlic, tomato, carrot and potato - I also throw in plenty herbs, olive oil, seasoning and a good pinch of paprika. After cooking, strain and reserve any bits of chicken and any of the veg that your children will eat (usually the carrots and potatoes cos the rest have turned to mush) - and cook the fideos in the clear broth. Everyone has a bowl of soup with the option of adding chicken and veg to personal taste. And that's what we're having today! Very healthy, quite light and absolutely delicious. (And I add a few garlic and herbed-fried croutons too...)
ReplyDeleteOoo, thanks, Annie, Spanish chicken noodle soup.:-) It sounds wonderful and I do always try to use up chicken carcasses to make stock. All I'll have to do is add rather more vegetables than I usually do. With no children at home most of the time, DH and I can then make a pig of ourselves with as many of the vegetables as we fancy.:-)
DeleteHere in Minneapolis, it absolutely is soup time. Went to my sister's yesterday, where I met my mother (sister had hurt her back) and while I cleaned, mom cooked; and one of the things on the menu was her delicious potato soup.
ReplyDeleteFall is here, and we are prepared. :-)
Pearl
Hi Pearl and welcome. Oh yes, soup is perfect autumn food and your mom's potato soup sounds so warming and filling. I hope your sister's back gets better soon and this winter isn't too harsh in Minneapolis.
DeleteI had Lentil Dahl soup today for lunch - and very warming it was too!
ReplyDeleteJust the weather for it isn't it, Mark? Soup for supper tomorrow, I think.
DeleteWhat would we do without soup? It also presents opportunities in the bread-making department for suitable accompaniments. Lentil and tomato or mixed veg is always a winner in our house, either with a chicken or beef stock base (unless I am feeling vegetarian!. I tend to wheel out the favourites according to season, such as cream of butternut squash at Christmas, rather than experiment with new ones, but there have been some wonderful ideas coming out of this posting, so thank you. However, I draw the line at parsnip.....
ReplyDeleteSpindrift51
LOL! You don't know what you're missing, Spindrift. It's on the menu for supper tonight, made of course with our own apples from Normandy. :-)
DeleteYou're right about the amazing number of great suggestions this post has generated. It looks like the old favourites may have to take a back seat for a while....
Favorites here are classic leek and potato or French onion. Another favorite of ours is carrot and coriander. Somewhat similar to the lovely detailed recipe given by Dee but without the cashews, and using fresh blizted corander leaves as seasoning [and also with the cream] :-). It too came from a vegetarian cookbook but I can't remember which one.
ReplyDeleteFinally for luxury nothing beats a really good lobster bisque!
Amazingly I've never actually made carrot and coriander, Niall & Antoinette, though I enjoy it elsewhere. Perhaps because DH isn't a great fan of coriander, so I'd better try to convert him.:-)
DeleteAs for lobster bisque, I've heard of it but never tasted it, so there's one to have for a treat one day...
We have soup and bread (or cheese and biscuits) practically every Sunday lunch-time, summer or winter! I make a vast pressure-cooker full, and there's usually enough to keep for a quick evening meal (on one of our many evenings-with-a-lot-of-activities).
ReplyDeleteI've had a few spectacular failures - kale springs to mind (ugh!), as does the occasion I misread the recipe for curried apple soup and added the curry powder in tablespoons rather than teaspoons (yes, that was a *particularly* warming soup!!) - but I'd agree that generally, soup's about the most forgiving menu item one can make.
I'd struggle to pick a favourite, though I always look forward to my Boxing Day special, made with the veg left over from Christmas lunch, some onion and celery, and a tin of sweetcorn. Even better if there's a spot of turkey gravy or giblet stock left to go into it as well!
DD, your soups are famous and I always enjoy them whenever we visit. Your Boxing Day special is a meal in itself and as enjoyable in its own way as the meal from which it is made. :-)
DeleteI must admit it has never occurred to me to make kale soup, so I shall heed your warning and refrain. As for misreading recipes, the time I misread your chilli recipe and added cayenne in the quantities intended for chilli powder is forever engraved on our memories and digestive systems! :-)
Oh I loved just reading this, Perpetua! I have been waiting for cooler weather so it would just make more sense, but even though it's still not what I call "soup weather" I am making some red lentil soup today. I can't wait any longer. Parsnip and apple is a new thought for me! I feel like I just read poetry, you've written so beautifully about the many colorful and tasty facets of a good soup! I'm inspired, Perpetua. :-) Debra
ReplyDeleteThanks, Debra. I find it extraordinarily easy to wax lyrical about soup, as it really is the perfect dish when you fancy something quick, savoury and satisfying, and (unless you're particularly lavish with the butter and cream) healthy as well. :-)
DeleteGlad to have inspired you to bring forward your autumn soup-making into what must still be summer weather for you. Enjoy! We're having parsnip and apple this evening, but to a new recipe sent by my blogging friend Sian from Orkney. It's cooking as I type and smells wonderful.....
Probably my favourite dish that Sybille cooks is Patatas a la Riojana or Patatas Riojanas, which dates from her four years of living in Spain. It is a soup with potatoes & chorizo. Absolutely delicious!
ReplyDeleteWow, thanks, Ricky, I've just googled Patatas Riojanas and it looks just the kind of thing DH and I love. I happen to have some chorizo in the fridge, having bought it this week to try Jon's recipe, so this is definitely on the list now. :-)
DeleteHi Perpetua,
ReplyDeleteGrowing up in the post war 50s, I grew up with my mother's Post War version of "Friday's Fridge" soup .... any leftovers went in... along with a can of chopped tomatoes and an OXO or Bovril cube [occasionally the soup contained the remains of an apple pie or a steamed pudding] and I have followed the same system ever since... in some ways it is rather like a stock pot left simmering on the stove... with all sorts thrown in as the week progresseth.
We've just harvested the last of our toms and Pauline was making a simple [no garlic] tomato soup from some Carorich [egg-yolk yellow toms] when Niall and Antoinette arrived with their front door key [for the cats benefit]. It was wonderful... we finished it tonight.
Given that you are heading North to my favourite part of Bonnie Scotland as N&A head south again [and I hope the cats give a good report on our care of them], I can well understand you thinking of Sooper Soops. I nearly bought a bungalow along the coast from the Kyle, in Bettyhill... but in the end fell for one in Lybster... the town on the South coast of Caithness... not the hamlet on the North coast near 'glowing' "Doomray."
I used to live on soups or stoops [thick soups with lots of chunks]whilst I was up there... the available veg being so old and wrinkled/wilted/unappetising [select your description or insert your own]but we had a very good butcher-grazier in the village and an inshore fisherman who sold fresh caught whatever on Wednesday... and gave the heads away if you asked.
Enjoy your time up there... where the air IS bracing and there is very little to stop it on its way south from the Arctic.
Hopefully the Northern Lights will still be performing for you.
Hi Tim and welcome to my blog. I too remember many meals of leftover soup in my childhood, though I doubt there was ever any pudding in there, as we girls always polished off the lot when it first appeared! It's still a regular today, especially as a way of using bits of leftover casserole or stew, which make a great base for soup.
DeleteGlad to meet someone else who knows and loves the far north of Scotland. We've visited Caithness many times and know your Lybster, but feel more at home among the mountains of Sutherland than in the Flow County of Caithness. However, I do recognise your description of the difficulty of getting really fresh veg so far from any centre of population, as it's still the case today.
We're keeping our fingers crossed that the Northern Lights will still be playing and we're very well equipped for the bracing climate. :-)
Autumn has just arrived here, and the first soups have made their appearance in my kitchen!
ReplyDeleteOne I really like which hasn't been mentioned is a simple fish/shellfish chowder:
Fry some onion, peel and dice some potatoes, add them to the onion with some stock, seasoning, a bayleaf and a dried chilli if you like heat and cook until the potatoes are nearly tender. Chuck in some prawns, any reasonably firm fish, mussels, whatever you fancy really, and a can of sweetcorn. When the potatoes and fish are fully cooked, stir in a little cream or milk and check seasonings. I like it with grated cheese.
I think there must be some primaeval instinct which has us reaching for the soup pan as soon as the leaves start to fall and the swallows to leave, Pueblo Girl. :-)
DeleteThanks so much for the recipe for fish chowder. I've heard of it, of course, but have to confess I've never eaten it, perhaps because fresh fish is now so very expensive here. But it sounds wonderful and I will definitely head into town when the greengrocer has his fresh fish day (no fishmonger for many miles here) and see what he has in stock. :-)
Ooh, if ever there were a post to bookmark for the ideas within !
ReplyDeleteChestnut soup for me please, made with onions, milk and bay leaves. Or Brussels Sprouts soup, made with a veggie stock and blue cheese ...much more delicious than it sounds but best eaten when you know you'll not be in polite company for the next 24 hours ;)
I know, Annie, I've done the same myself until I can get all the suggestions down on paper and into my file.
DeleteChestnut soup is another I've never tried, but DH loves chestnuts so it's now on the list. He's a great fan of Brussels sprouts too, and this sounds like a variant on the broccoli and Stilton we had for supper last night. Gosh, I didn't know what I was starting when I wrote this post. :-)
Before taking our flight from Italy back to the UK our daughter wanted to know what she should cook for us when we got home and the request was a bowl of soup - so comforting. A family favourite is minestrone. It's so versatile since any type of vegetable and small soup pasta can be used.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm sure our answer would have been the same, Linda. Soup is the standby that suits almost all situations and is especially good when you're tired and/or cold. I love the fact that it freezes so well and almost always tastes better when reheated. Minestrone - yum!
DeleteAfter my holiday in Avignon, I was tempted to cook Soupe au Pistou when I got home. Absolutely sticks to the ribs, and totally delicious with a mix of parmesan and gruyere cheese grated on top. I got the basic recipe from the BBC - http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/soupeaupistousoupeau_70383 - but added the gruyere to the final parmesan as that's what we had in La Cuisine de Dimanch!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for this,Christine. I've never heard of Soupe au Pistou, but having just followed the link it is obviously exactly our kind of soup. Definitely one for a cold winter's day. :-) I love bringing home recipe ideas from holiday, as all the good memories come back when you try them.
DeleteEr... I know fine that Dimanche has an "e" at the end.... I think I need my lunch!
ReplyDeleteLOL! Why can we never spot the spelling mistake until after we press Publish?
Delete