Seriously Useful Soup Recipe

I'd like to introduce my excellent, incredibly easy, flexible and all round good guy soup recipe. Almost every soup I have made in both my professional capacity and at home has been based on this recipe which needs no soup maker, no slow cooker, just a knife, a board and a pan with a lid!

Genius Super Flexible Soup Recipe

This wonder-recipe is basically a potato soup with a very friendly disposition, this quantity makes enough soup for 4 people as an appetizer or 2-3 as a meal in a bowl, depending on what additions you add and how hungry you all are.

2 med onions (about 500 g) – thinly sliced

1 ounce butter OR 2 tablespoons of olive oil, to be healthier and still delicious

2 med/large peeled floury potatoes such as King Edward or Maris Piper – thinly sliced

Stock or water and stock cubes as necessary and appropriate

~   Cook the onions my favourite way (this is important, I absolutely insist that you see the best way to cook onions here!) till they are sweet and tender.
~   When they have achieved this desirable state add the potatoes and enough water (or good stock if you have any) to just cover the top of the potatoes. You will probably need to add more liquid later but less liquid makes the process easier.

~   Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, cover with the lid and cook till the potatoes are tender.
~   Taste and season including stock cubes, if using, and make delicious.
~   There are several way to finish the soup and they are …
~   Leave as it is for a chunky effect.
      - Mash the potatoes into the stock for a rustic texture.
      - Use a “liquidizer on a stick.
      - Use a food processor to for a purée.
      - Use a liquidizer for a sophisticated smooth purée.
~   Now add extra liquid till the soup is to your liking, good additions are water, stock, milk or cream although if you have something else runny and appropriate that you fancy (leftover gravy for instance or coconut milk) then go for it. 

~   Re-taste and re-season if necessary.

Et wulla, as the Americans say, you have a very good, cheering soup but there is so very much you can do with this recipe.

Quick and Delicious Soup Variations …

~   Use a different fat eg. bacon fat, schmaltz or coconut oil …
~   Add another layer of flavour when cooking the onions; add celery, carrot, fennel or similar at the start of cooking, add garlic when the onions are almost cooked or stir in a little curry paste just before adding the potatoes.
~   Use a different root vegetable together with or instead of the potato - sweet potato, pumpkin, Jerusalem artichokes, etc. spring to mind.
~   Vichyssoise – just use leeks instead of onions, finish with cream and serve chilled.
~   Just before serving stir in some cheese – a dollop of Boursin is yummy or try blue cheese and leftover broccoli, cheddar and crispy bacon so on.
~   Stir in leftovers of your choice to reheat when the soup is finished – cooked veg, meat, fish, sauce, gravy, herbs and so on.

But even this is just a start! 

Soup ~ (almost) The Only Recipe You'll Ever Need!

As it happens I have written a book giving over 60 recipes based on this one method plus every bit of information I can think of including  instructions for stock making, guidance on adding herbs, spices and other flavourings plus additional recipes for roasted garlic, pepper coulis, frazzled leeks, compound butters and other garnishes and accoutrements and lots of hints and tips. 

Great Preview Here

The idea is that by using the key recipe and the helpful suggestions in the book you will soon be serving your own spectacular creations. 

Here’s a recipe to get you started …

Mushroom, Garlic & Clotted Cream Soup

If you don't have access to real clotted cream then double or heavy cream will be a good substitute in this recipe.

Why not Pin this for later?

1 x basic recipe but only 1 potato

1 tbsp olive oil

200g-ish mushrooms - sliced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

splash of white wine if available

100g clotted cream

~ Follow the basic recipe.
~ Meanwhile and in a separate pan heat the oil and sauté the mushrooms until they start to brown.
~ Stir in the garlic, cook for a minute or so then add the wine and simmer till it has reduced away to nothing. 
~ Set aside a few of the prettiest mushrooms to garnish the dish and add the rest together with any juices to the basic soup when the potatoes are completely tender. 

~ Puree the soup together with most of the cloWtted cream (keeping back a little to garnish). This soup is nicest done in a processor or liquidiser but chunky is good too!
~ Taste and adjust seasoning.
~ Serve topped with a spoonful of clotted cream and the reserved pretty mushrooms. A sprinkle of chopped chives or parsley would be good too.

Proviso when making soup ...