Everyday Easy 100 Soup Recipes

Everyday Easy 100 Soup Recipes
Simon & Alison Holst
RRP $34.99
Hyndman Publishing

On a cold winter’s evening it’s hard to imagine anything more comforting than a bowl of hearty soup, something to really ‘warm the cockles of your heart’, as Alison’s mother would have said. Hot soup really does make everything seem just a little bit better.

This collection includes over 100 of Simon and Alison’s favourite soup recipes, from the slowly simmered (Alison’s speciality) to soups that can be made surprisingly quickly, perfect for satisfying after work weeknight meals (leftovers are great for lunches too!).

There’s something for almost any budget too – most soups are remarkably economical. They are fantastic for turning unassuming (and often cheaper) ingredients into something much greater than the sum of the parts.

A simmering stock pot has been a feature of kitchens for centuries and sometimes soup is the forgotten hero of the comfort food world.

But soup isn’t only for cold nights! There’s a soup for every occasion in this new book. From cold soups such as gazpacho in summer, laksas and other Asian-style soups, which are delicious at any time of year, to thick farmhouse-style soups, something to tempt you regardless of the weather.

And here's the one I made last night absolutely delicious - Alison's Different Barley Broth

 

 

Alison’s ‘Different’ Barley Broth

When Alison makes this colourful and comforting soup she thinks how the addition of tomatoes and corn would have shocked her mother, who always made traditional barley and lamb broth.

For about 8 cups:

¾ cup pearl barley

2 litres (8 cups) boiling water

8 tsp chicken or other stock powder

2–3 stalks celery, finely chopped

1 large or 2 small onions, peeled and chopped

2–3 carrots, scrubbed and chopped

1 unpeeled apple, finely chopped

salt, freshly ground pepper and chilli to taste

400g can chopped tomatoes in juice

400g can cream-style corn

about 1 cup chopped parsley

 ➊ Put the first seven ingredients in a 3.5-litre capacity slow cooker. Taste the liquid, then season the mixture to your taste, adding salt, pepper and chilli in any form you like.

➋ Cover and cook on High for 6–8 hours until the barley is very tender and has thickened the soup, and the vegetables are cooked.

➌ Season to taste, then stir in the canned tomatoes (including juice), and the corn. Rinse out the cans with a little water and add this, too.

➍ Cook the soup for another ½–1 hour on High until it is very hot, then stir in the chopped parsley and serve, varying the size of the servings to suit the situation, with rolls, toast, or toasted cheese sandwiches, etc.

Refrigerate or freeze any leftover soup.

VARIATION: For extra flavour and body, add two or three chicken skeletons (frames) to the slow cooker after you’ve added the first seven ingredients, but take them out before you add the tomatoes and corn.

Reproduced from Everyday Easy 100 Soup Recipes by Simon & Alison Holst, published by Hyndman Publishing, RRP$34.99, available nationwide