Anyone else making 🎃 soup today? Waste not, want not….

CanadianGran

I make soup every Sunday, and it is our lunch for the week. DH always likes meat in his soup. This week was turkey and rice, with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving.

Pumpkin can also be used in cake and loaves, which I like. Plenty of recipes on-line. I find I don't like the texture of pumpkin pie.

I thought Thanksgiving was in November? Or am I getting mixed up?
Is it different in Canada?

Must get my soup maker out again.

Do grans on here make their own stock or do you use stock cubes, etc?
I used an oxo oval shaped stock pot & it gave the most incredible indigestion- I usually make my own but it can be a faff- if grans do make their own stock, how do you make yours?

Leek (from garden) and potato soup made today. I also add herbs from the garden.
The other day it was minestrone, meant to last for a few days, but DD went off with some.

Funny you should ask because I just finished some delicious chicken and noodles soup with lots of peas. Had some chicken bones in the freezer to use for later and simmered those for about 20 hours with carrots, onions, celery and spices, then used a sieve to save the lovely broth into jars and made the noodle soup and jarred that too. It is hard to get by with the costs of food these days but soup is always so wonderful and this cold weather makes it twice as welcome!

Mt61

Do grans on here make their own stock or do you use stock cubes, etc?
I used an oxo oval shaped stock pot & it gave the most incredible indigestion- I usually make my own but it can be a faff- if grans do make their own stock, how do you make yours?

Hello Mt61, I always save our chicken bones in the freezer and then when I have time, I take them out of the freezer, bring them to a boil in about 8 cups of water, then after skimming the white foam off the top, I add carrots, celery and onion, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, pepper. Simmer for about 12 hours then allow to cool and strain it.

The meat is saved and the veg and bones are thrown out. Then I put it in jars in the fridge with no lids until it's completely cool skim the bit of hardened fat off the top and cap the jars, label and freeze. The consistency is a success if it looks like jelly - this means you got all of the collogen out of the bones. When it is heated it will turn to liquid broth again. Add a bit of water too.

If yours gave you indigestion, it was most likely a mistake in quick cooling: Broth must be cooled to 5 degrees C within two hours otherwise it may cause bacterial illness. You can fill a sink with water and ice and place the pot in the sink if you need to speed up the cooling. Broth keeps in the fridge for 3 days and in the freezer for 3 months.

1summer they bake easily which concentrates the flavour (think aubergine) then you can use them perfectly well in pumpkin pie, soup or whatever.
They make a decent curry, cream well, can be used in cakes, mix with (say) sage and pine nuts and make ravioli... I honestly never have a problem with them.

Obviously not as lush as the drier firmer varieties but still delicious!

Mt61

Do grans on here make their own stock or do you use stock cubes, etc?
I used an oxo oval shaped stock pot & it gave the most incredible indigestion- I usually make my own but it can be a faff- if grans do make their own stock, how do you make yours?

I use stock made from a chicken carcass when available, otherwise it’s Knorr chicken or veg stock, or both.

Marigold soup made today. I had swede, carrots and butternut left from the weekend. Added some onions and stock.
Marigold refers to the colour of the soup.

Skydancer

I always put an apple in my soup. It just adds a bit to the flavour. But would welcome advice on what herbs to use?

we put a chopped apple in chicken casserole, it lends zing

Calendargirl

I made pumpkin soup a few years ago.

It was awful.

Since then I have stuck to tomato, cucumber, courgette, leek and potato….

^Since then I have stuck to tomato, cucumber, courgette, leek and potato^…

I once made cucumber soup. It was the worst thing I've ever made, just inedible.

I use a Crown Prince squash; in my experience it has the most flavour. I scrub it and then chop up half for roasting. A tiny amount of olive oil along with s and p. I never try to peel it, the skin is edible and after roasting (25 minutes) it is soft and has some colour. Meanwhile I dice onion and carrot - celery too if I have it- and slowly saute them. I have tried lots of herbs and seasonings but have settled upon about a quarter teaspoon of chipotle paste. Such a small amount gives depth of flavour , not anything spicy. A head of broccoli is chopped and added, along with the roast squash. A drained tin of green lentils goes in as well. A litre of stock is last: I use River Cottage organic veg stock, it has no additives at all.
After simmering for about fifteen to twenty minutes I check the broccoli is cooked and then switch off. I use the hand blender after it has cooled slightly.

Allira

Sorry to see your cucumber soup wasn’t nice.

Mine is a Delia recipe that I tweak a bit.

Quite simple, quick, and comes out not too thick or too thin.

Freezes well, my DH took some in a flask the other day.

🥒

It's definitely soup weather ATM. I keep frozen spinach, leeks, broccoli and butternut squash in the freezer+ home grown tomatoes and chilli peppers in the freezer for making a quick soup. It's so quick, easy and cheap to make using an onion, celery and carrot base plus whatever spices or herbs I fancy. I'm another who makes stock but will use a knorr stock pot if I've run out. We've got tomato and basil today for lunch.

I grow Crown Prince squash Marmin, I’ve made a note of your recipe will give it a try!
Also Grandmabatty your soup always sounds delicious and so enjoyed by your GCs can you tell us your recipe please?