Soup

1. Soup Soups can be thin and clear, thickened or so full of meat, vegetables, pasta or rice that it almost qualifies as a solid food and makes a really filling meal. Soup is made from a stock (meat, fish, poultry or vegetable) plus extra ingredients to flavour and thicken it. When designing you soup you must think about FLAVOUR, TEXTURE and AROMA.

2. Thick Tomato Soup A warming bowl of Thick homemade soup. Thick Tomato Soup Method • Finely chop the onion and put in a large saucepan with a dessertspoon of oil. • Over a low heat gently fry the onion until it softens but does not change colour. • Add the tomatoes, sweetcorn, optional extra ingredients and the water to the saucepan. • Remove the packaging from the stock cube, use your fingers to crumble it into your soup, stir the mixture with a wooden spoon. • Wait till it has boil for about 5 minutes then remove from the heat. • Allow it is cool slightly. • Using a hand blender, puree the soup until the texture is to your liking (smooth or lumpy). • Using a ladle and funnel, carefully transfer the soup into your thermos flask. • To serve: The soup can be served sprinkled with parmesan or croutons and served with crusty fresh bread.

3. Chunky Minestrone Soup A warming bowl of chunky homemade soup. Chunky Minestrone Soup Method Roughly chop the onion and prepare the carrot, celery and potato ‘paysanne’ style. Peel and chop the garlic. Shred the cabbage. Crumble the stock cube into a jug and carefully make up to 800ml with boiling water from the kettle. Heat the oil carefully in a saucepan and lightly fry the onion and garlic for 2 minutes. Stir in the carrot, celery, potato and cabbage and add the stock and tomato puree. Stir well. Add the mixed herbs and black pepper, bring to the boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Add the pasta and allow to simmer for a further 10 minutes. To serve: The soup can be served sprinkled with parmesan or croutons and served with crusty fresh bread.

4. Leek and Potato Soup A smooth, creamy vegetable soup that's full of flavour You also need to being a large (at least 1 litre) take home container, only bring a large thermos flask if it has a wide neck that the soup can be ladled in through Leek and Potato Soup Method: Wash and dice the potatoes. Wash and slice the leeks. Put on kettle to boil, carefully measure 275ml boiling water into a jug. Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the leeks and fry gently for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the new potatoes, stock cube, measured water and measured milk and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until tender. Liquidise half the soup. [To do this pour half of the soup into your measuring jug and blend the soup leave the remaining soup in the saucepan chunky]. Stir in the remaining soup from your jug. To prepare the toasted garnish: Toast one side of the bread. Top the un-toasted side with goat’s cheese and grill until golden. To serve: The soup can be served sprinkled a few thin slices of leek, chopped parsley or topped with the goats cheese toast or served with crusty fresh bread