Introduction

Being a ‘child of the country’ I was brought up on soups, there-fore finding recipes for easy soups to make at home was always a priority, mostly the non-exotic variety as my mother was some-what limited in the choice of vegetables and other ingredients. Today however we are totally spoiled for choice with regard to the varieties of vegetables and the seasonings available.

Let me say from the outset – I just love soup! Generally fairly easy to make, with simple ingredients; soup was and still is a mainstay of our family’s diet. I learned well from my mum that even in financially difficult times, you can make sure the family is well nourished and healthy for minimal cost, by knocking up a quick pot of hot soup. 

In my mother’s day, things like red peppers or sweetcorn were just not available to someone living on the East coast of Scotland; and vegetables had to be chosen according to the local growing season and just what was available. The large supermarkets have now made sure we have a massive choice at our fingertips, and there is no excuse at all for not producing tasty soups even on a very tight budget.

The examples listed in this work have all been tried and tested by myself and even friends and family who were more than happy to be the ‘guinea pigs’ in the soup trials. Taste is however a matter of taste – so to speak, so it goes without saying that you will love some of these recipes, and others you could probably do without; Hopefully it is more of the former!

Welcome to Easy Soups To Make At Home!

I do hope you enjoy these recipes and share them with your friends.

Oh, and none of these recipes contain garlic – basically because I am allergic to the stuff! However if you like garlic then feel free to add according to your tastes.

Enjoy!

General Hints & Tips

It must be said that cooking is generally ‘not an exact science,’ and indeed many recipes can be altered and changed without being detrimental to the dish itself.

Many times - especially when I was starting out – I would be extremely frustrated to find a recipe that I liked, but not having the ‘proper’ ingredients to make the dish – or so I thought!

Don’t be afraid to experiment by substituting something that you do not have – with something that is in the larder, you may be pleasantly surprised with the results!

 

It is’ taken as read’ that all vegetables and meats have been properly prepared before adding to the recipes.

 

Making stock

Making stock for your soups is not difficult, and can be done in a couple of ways.

Either you can make it by adding stock cubes to water as per the instructions, or you can do it yourself from scratch

 

The two main stocks used for soup are vegetable stock and chicken stock; both are easy to make and freeze for future use.

Vegetable stock

To make a good vegetable stock, simply chop a selection of vegetables into a pan of water and boil for 25 minutes or so. Add salt and pepper to taste, Strain out the vegetables, and you have your stock.

Alternatively just keep the water from your vegetables during your everyday cooking, and freeze for when you are making soup at a later date.

Chicken stock

This again is best done by boiling a chicken carcase,(perhaps the remains of a chicken after a meal) along with a chopped up onion and salt/pepper to taste; in a pot of water for approximately 25 minutes, then straining out the water/stock into a bowl.

Freeze for later use.

Measurements: These are in US standard measurements at the front with the European equivalent in brackets (  )

Dairy products: Products such as milk or double cream are generally not added to the soups until the last 15-20 minutes of cooking time.