It’s time to get the soup pot out and opt for easy comfort food. Our vegetable soup recipe is one you’ll go back to regularly during the colder months
By Vicki Clarke and Nikki Wefelmeier
Photograph by Elsa Young
Add a small dollop of pesto just before serving along with Parmesan shavings, or add small pasta such as macaroni for a hearty winter warmer.
The ultimate vegetable soup
It’s time to get the soup pot out and opt for easy comfort food. Our vegetable soup recipe is one you’ll go back to regularly during the colder months
Ingredients
CHICKEN STOCK
- Makes about 3 litres
- 1 whole free-range chicken, rinsed, dried and with all fatty parts removed
- 1 celery head, roughly chopped
- 2 large carrots
- 1 red onion, halved
- 5 bay leaves
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs
- 5ml black peppercorns
- 3 litres cold water
- salt, to taste
VEGETABLE SOUP
- 45ml olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 celery head, finely chopped
- 1 red onion, roughly chopped
- 30ml fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 x 410g tins whole peeled tomatoes
- 100g cannellini beans, cooked
- 2 baby marrows, trimmed and coarsely chopped
- 6 baby corns, roughly chopped
- 50g fresh peas
- 250g butternut, roughly chopped
- 6 yellow patty pans, quartered
- 100g mange tout
- 150g baby Brussels sprouts
- Maldon salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- hot chicken stock, to cover vegetables
- basil leaves, to serve
- chunks of crusty bread, to serve, optional
Instructions
To make the chicken stock, put the chicken and all the other ingredients in a large pot and bring to a gentle boil. Turn the heat down and skim the top. Simmer gently for about 1 hour. Remove the chicken and strain the broth. Discard the vegetables and herbs. Season and keep hot.
In a heavy-based pot, heat the olive oil and add the garlic, celery, onion and parsley. Cook very gently until the vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, beans and all the remaining vegetables, and season.
Add enough chicken stock to cover the vegetables and bring to the boil. Lower the temperature and cook for 45 minutes.
Pour about a quarter of the soup into a food processor and process to a thick purée. Pour back into the pot and heat through.
Serve hot with basil leaves and crusty bread.
Notes
• Use vegetable stock if you prefer. • Leftover chicken stock can be frozen for later use. • The chicken can be used to make salads, and mixed with mayonnaise for sandwiches.
Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine. www.imkawebb.com
