Gransnet forums

Ask a gran

I'm somewhat ashamed to admit it but. . . . .

(64 Posts)
Newquay Sun 05-Nov-17 19:33:17

I've never made soup! Don't particularly enjoy cooking and it all seems such a faff instead of just opening a can or packet. I do know home made soup tastes so much better-the ones I've had are gorgeous. Where to begin?

lesley4357 Mon 06-Nov-17 12:30:04

Soup maker? Surely this is the same as cooking it in a saucepan? Just another unneeded gadget for the cupboard!

Elrel Mon 06-Nov-17 12:28:14

I use the Slimming World Little Book of Soups and some of the recipes are delicious!
DM never made soup so I assumed it was difficult. It isn’t!

sue421 Mon 06-Nov-17 12:03:42

Plus 1/2 pint water and salt and pepper

sue421 Mon 06-Nov-17 12:03:15

I have just put saucepan on with tin toms, frozen carrots, frozen sweet potato, 2 stock cubes, left over fresh cauliflower and frozen leeks, some herbs - 25 mins - should be ready. Bit of a blitz down to consistency we like
Had not planned to do this but am on a hungry day and trying to lose weight - rather than slabs of bread and butter have this for lunch for next three days! Yummy
Tinned Toms optional

Enjoy

LuckyFour Mon 06-Nov-17 12:01:17

Start with leeks and onions, add any veg you have in your fridge eg carrots, cabbage ,parsnip etc. add a couple of vegetable stock cubes, salt n pepper. Add water. Cook in pressure cooker/soup maker/ large pan till soft. Scoop out some of the vegetables with slotted spoon, mash a little, return to pan. Serve.

mags1234 Mon 06-Nov-17 11:44:09

The packs of pre chopped veg plus stock cubes make easy soup! Aldi very good .

Sheilasue Mon 06-Nov-17 11:16:33

Must admit I am like that Newquay, I buy fresh ones from Waitrose or M&S I can’t be bothered to make them myself. Life’s to short to peal a grape. I enjoy cooking though.

yggdrasil Mon 06-Nov-17 11:02:19

I only ever made soup after Christmas, with the remains of the turkey & veg. Froze most of it, and threw it out eventually because nobody wanted to eat it. Cup-a-soup was there and instant if someone did have the urge. :-)

KatyK Mon 06-Nov-17 10:52:32

If you want to be lazy (like me) you can buy 'soup packs' from most supermarkets. They are ready chopped vegetables etc and you just pop them in a pan with a couple of vegetable stock cubes and water. They are about £1 and make a good pan of soup. We have had vegetable, carrot and coriander and leek and potato.

silverlining48 Mon 06-Nov-17 10:50:40

Newquay, am not much of a cook myself but this soup is so easy. Flavour to taste with chunky bread. Lovely. Go on, give it a go.

silverlining48 Mon 06-Nov-17 10:48:56

I make soup regularly esp. in Winter.it freezes or keeps for a few days in a cool place and is cheap and nutritious.
Here we go
Chop veg, i do potatoes, carrots, parsnips swede etc put in big pot with oxo, add water, cook. Add red lentils, no need to soak, add a tin toms and anything else hanging around, garlic, herbs or whatever you prefer. The lentils will thicken the soup. Stir from time to time. Add lardons of bacon or meatballs if required. Thats it. Eat lumpy or whizz. Enjoy.

Jaycee5 Mon 06-Nov-17 10:46:21

My soups (like most of my cooking) are a bit hit and miss but when they work out, which they mostly do, they are unbeatable (even if I do say so myself).

grandMattie Mon 06-Nov-17 10:45:03

PS Curiously, I'm in the middle of making a large batch of French Onion soup involving 18 large onions...

grandMattie Mon 06-Nov-17 10:40:48

I have a basic recipe with variations that I gave DS1 before he went to Uni. They were very popular with his mates. Just ask...

Kim19 Mon 06-Nov-17 10:27:49

I pretty much have soup on the go all through winter. It's a combination of laziness and joy. Although on my own, I make a large pressure cooker (bought 54 years ago) full and eat my way through it with gusto. If I have chicken base it's broth and ham base for potato. Half an hour from bones to georgeous stock and whilst that is happening I'm chopping veggies. Latter is only onion and potatoes and I'm lazy enough to use baby food jar of strained carrot as I hate grating. The broth tends to be chopped onions, carrot, celery and some pre soaked barley plus strained carrot for colouring. Absolutely yummy and don't have to think what to have all week. Incidentally, I've become a beetroot freak. Any soup recipes, please?

Craftycat Mon 06-Nov-17 10:21:17

Making soup is so easy & once you get started it gets addictive too. I use a large blender as I make it in batches to freeze but a hand blender is just fine so no need to spend loads of money.
Mmm- I feel a Mulligatawny coming on! My favourite is either cauliflower or butternut squash both with stilton- heavy on the cheese.

kittylester Mon 06-Nov-17 10:19:54

I'm just making butternut squash and ginger soup. I bought 2 butternut squash and then ran out of time to prep and cook them with the intended meal.

It is really simple and not a soup maker in sight. Halved and deseeded butternut squash brushed with olive oil and maple syrup mixed with ginger paste, salt and pepper and roasted. Meanwhile, slowly fry two finely chopped onions over a low heat, for about 20 mins. Add 2 pints of stock and 1 of millk and bring slowly to the boil. Add the squah flesh and liquidise. Add small cubes of gruyere to serve.

Hm999 Mon 06-Nov-17 10:15:26

Soup makers - genius invention. Robert Dyas did have a special discount on them.

BlueBelle Mon 06-Nov-17 05:48:33

Newquay don’t be ashamed, I have occasionally made soup but not often, Why mush veggies up when you can eat them whole I m not that excited by soup to be honest home made, tinned, packets or in restaurants I much prefer crunchy things
I m not very much of a kitchen person

SueDonim Sun 05-Nov-17 23:11:16

Each to their own! If you don't particularly like making something then don't.

You might like this tale from someone I know. Her mother and grandmother were of N African heritage. Weekly, they made filo pastry in the traditional way, which was a massive undertaking as it took the best part of the day beginning early in the morning. As a child, it was annoying because your mum and gran had no time for you and you were shushed out of the kitchen and told to keep out of the way and amuse yourself but not get into mischief.

Then some brigh spark invented factory-made filo, her mother and granny fell upon it with glee and from that day to this neither of them has made so much as a single sheet of filo pastry. grin

MissAdventure Sun 05-Nov-17 22:57:48

All this flinging, bunging, and throwing.. smile

callgirl1 Sun 05-Nov-17 22:46:35

No need to be ashamed Newquay, until a couple of years ago I`d never made soup either. Then someone on a forum sent me some recipes. I only fancied one, celery, but I vary the ingredients now and again, just for a bit of variety.

phoenix Sun 05-Nov-17 22:43:37

One thing to remember, you do not need a soup maker, a saucepan and a hand blender will do fine!

Although far from a Domestic Goddess, even I make soup, usually leek & potato, tomato, lentil & bacon, and the ever popular "random vegetable" confused

Leticia Sun 05-Nov-17 22:33:12

I have a soup maker. I put everything in, switch on and about 25mins later it beeps and I pour the soup out!
I make it most days in the winter. Carrot and coriander today.

paddyann Sun 05-Nov-17 22:30:36

fling some ham bones in a large pan of water ,put on the heat,add onion carrotes and red lentils ,cook for an hour or so at a medium heat,take bones out and blitz/blend the soup put back on the heat with a handful of lentils added for texture .Simple and always tastes great.I use smokes ham bones from the butsher or smoked ham ribs