Roasted Reds Soup

This is a soup I decided to try because my husbands favourite is tomato. The vegetables are roasted and they have a good flavour because of this . It involves a bit of blending and sieving but it does not take long and it is really good. This makes about 4 big bowls of soup.
Ingredients
9 large tomatoes cut into 1/4s and put on the roasting tray
1 large red pepper cut into 1/4s with the seeds removed and put on the roasting tray
2 red onions peeled and cut into 1/4s and put on the tray
4 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half and put on the roasting tray
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 pints--1.2 litres--6 cups of vegetable stock--homemade or a stock cube or Swiss Bouillon( I use the vegan one)
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 cup of small pasta shapes of your choice
salt and pepper
basil leaves to garnish and serve
Method
Cover the vegetables with olive oil on the roasting tray and put into the oven for 45 minutes at gas 6, 190C, 375F until the vegetables are soft and charred. After 20 minutes just turn over add more oil if necessary.
Remove the vegetables from the oven and put directly into a blender and puree.
Pass all the pureed vegetables through a sieve into the cooking pan. I use a strong metal sieve.
Add the stock, sugar, salt, pepper and boil
Add the pasta and simmer until it is cooked
Season to taste
Serve with Fresh basil
Variations
1. Add chopped basil at the end before serving
2. Serve with a strong grated cheese such as Parmesan, cheddar or my favourite local Lancashire cheese.


The red vegetables ready for roasting
The tomato soup is blended
The tomato soup is passed through a sieve

A cup of fine pasta for the tomato soup recipe

The roasted reds or tomato soup recipe garnished and ready to eat. Yummy

Enjoy. Thanks for reading

Ham, Bean and vegetable Soup

This soup came about because I had a large piece of ham to grill that was too big for one meal so I decided to make a one-pot meal soup. Great at any time a soup recipe that uses ham, beans, leeks, onions, potatoes and garlic. For vegans and vegetarians this soup could be made without the ham and be just as good. I was vegetarian at one point in my life for about 8 years so I know all about the protein, vitamins and minerals that are necessary for that type of diet. Without the ham it would still have good protein for body building.
Ingredients
1 cup--4 oz gammon ham cut into cubes
2 bay leaves
2 onions sliced
2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil
1.5 litres --2 1/2 pints--7 cups of stock either homemade or use 2 stock cubes or Swiss bouillon, I get the organic and vegan variety. Follow their instructions to go with this water quantity
2 tablespoons of paprika
3 garlic cloves chopped fine
675 gm--1 1/2 lbs--5 cups of finely diced potatoes, I used new Charlotte potatoes that keep their shape
2 leeks sliced
400gm--14 oz can of haricot beans( you can soak and boil your own if you wish)
salt and pepper
5 tablespoons of tomato puree
Method
Put the onions, garlic, leeks and olive oil or butter in a pan and cook gently for 5 minutes add the ham and cook for 5 minutes.
Add all ingredients except the beans and bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes and all ingredients are cooked.
Add the beans and heat through for 10 minutes.
The soup should be thick and tasty. I serve it with Irish Soda Bread Cupcakes and herbs such as fresh sage as a garnish.
Variation
Leave out the ham for Haricot Bean and Vegetable Soup.
Enjoy
Crazycupcakes

Ingredients for the soup

Diced new potatoes

Diced gammon ham

A bowl of Ham, Haricot Bean and Vegetable soup recipe

Stock

I had a comment about Stock.

Stock is the basis for all soups. It can be homemade from beef, chicken, fish, vegetables, miso, soya, pork, lamb, Spices and herbs. Different styles of cooking have different recipes for stock suitable for their own type of soups. I have published a recipe for homemade chicken stock in this blog just check out the labels and archives.

If you have not the time to make your own it is a good idea to use ready made stock cubes. You can buy all types here the UK. Usually they are dry cubes that you crumble and add water to such as Oxo Cubes or dry stock mixtures such as Swiss Bouillon which you add to water. Some stocks can be purchased as concentrated pastes which you add to water and then use in your soup recipes. In some supermarkets you can buy a pint packet of ready made stock.
Look out for Organic stock products often more expensive but can have a better flavour and are pesticide free.

I hope this has revealed some of the mysteries of Stock.
Enjoy, Crazycupcakes

Spicey Lentil Soup

Well I am back to making soups. These are easy to do and delicious. I make enough for a few meals and put in the freezer. This soup red lentil soup recipe has a great warm spicy flavour.
Ingredients
2 onions chopped finely
4 garlic cloves crushed
4 tomatoes chopped
1 teaspoon of turmeric
2 teaspoons of ground cumin
8 cardamom pods
1 cup of red lentils (1 1/2 for a thicker soup)
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon or 1/2 a stick
1 1/2 pints--3 3/4 cups--900ml water
400gm --14 oz can of coconut milk
juice of one lime
salt and pepper
Method
Place the onions, garlic, tomatoes, turmeric, ground cumin, cardamon pods, cinnamon, lentils and water in a pan , boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
Take out the cinnamon stick and pods of cardamom.
Puree the mixture in a blender or food processor.
Press the soup through a sieve(I use a Metal one) back into the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Add coconut milk, lime juice and reheat the soup gently.
Serve and garnish with cumin seeds.

cumin seeds to garnish

I hope you enjoy this soup. It reminds me of soups I have had in India and Bhutan with that gentle mix of spices.

Enjoy

Crazycupcakes