 Quite simply, soup is true British comfort food. It is the ultimate one pot dish made from seasonal ingredients. There is nothing that cannot be made into a soup. So rather than racking your brain for what to cook tonight that will be filling, cost effective, healthy and satisfying; serve soup.
The simplicity of soup, in its creation and consumption is immensly rewarding. By throwing together some seasonal British produce with some stock and blending it together, the most wholesome, warming meal is made. Thick British soup, as opposed to the thinner, French consommé, is deliciously filling, especially when made with root vegetables such as leeks, potatoes, carrots and celeriacs. Lentils and beans; meats such as chicken and bacon and seafood such as haddock and mussels make wonderful additions. The base of a soup is the stock, the best being homemade. With the abundance of stock cubes on the supermarket shelves it is easy to become fretful about making your own stock. Do not be afraid. All you need to do is retain the carcass of the bird or bones from the beast of your next roast and slowly simmer them, preferably overnight with whatever seasonal vegetables and herbs you like or have available. The wonder of making your own stock is that you can freeze it in ice cube trays so you can have an instant stash whenever you need it. Another benefit of creating your own stock is that you know the origins of the bones, which should, of course, be British. If you do choose the ready-made route be wary of high salt levels and 'flavour enhancers' such as hydrolised vegetable protein (HVP), processed using hydrochloric acid. Ready-made fresh stocks are a better option than stock cubes but they are far more expensive. Joubere and Pipers Farm are some of the best British-made, fresh stocks on the market.
The environmental and fiscal benefits of supping on soup are many. Primarily it is freezable, so you can make a large batch with no extra effort and live off it for the next month, if you so wish. Vegetables used in soup don't have to be in their prime which means that the withering leeks in the vegetable trolley can be put to good use rather than thrown away. Adding leftovers to a batch of soup is a far more satisfying method than giving them to the dog. If an eclectic soup consisting of whatever is available doesn't appeal, there are the more traditional combinations; Curried Parsnip, Leek and Potato, Carrot with Coriander, Smoked Haddock Chowder, Wild Mushroom and Borscht (Beetroot) soup. Inspiration can also be found from regional favourites such as Dorset Lettuce or Cornish Crab soups and the Scottish Cock-a-Leekie or Cullen Skink. Occasionally, after a good blend, some soups may not look as vibrant as first visualised. Do not be deterred but decorate with some bacon bits, a dollop of cream or some croutons. Gourmets may be tempted with adding white truffle oil as a final flourish.
It is all but proven that the best remedy for colds and flu is wholesome chicken soup. The nourishment that can be gained from a soup packed with vegetables and proteins is tremendous. For waist-watchers, watercress soup has an average 144 calories per serving and cabbage soup has always been a dieters favourite. Portable, in a thermos flask, soup makes a hearty packed lunch with no danger of drying out as sandwiches are prone to do. It also contains far less calories than a mayonnaise smothered baguette and is far more filling.
Soup is deeply rooted in British cuisine. Indeed, Windsor soup and the Anglo-Indian Mulligatawny are reputed to have fuelled the British Empire. Soup is as easy to make as it is to consume and in this dark and cold November, it is the perfect Winter warmer.
For a fabulous selection of soup recipes [click here]
For a Windsor Soup recipe [click here] |
