[r+lchick]

Anyone got any good old recipies for the old fashioned soups.  Oxtail soup, chicken noodle soup, pea and ham soup etc.  Thanks 

[HappyHippy]

My granny's tattie soup's a winner 
No official quantities I'm afraid - I just do it all 'by eye' I'll try to give a rough guide

For a big pot !
1 large turnip/swede, diced (1cm square)
8-10 carrots, diced
4 or 5 leeks, chopped
potatoes, diced (2cm square or larger)(I have roughly the same amount as the carrots, leeks and turnip combined)
minced beef (you can get away with as little as 1/8th of a pound or go for more to make it really hearty)
a little veg oil
water or stock (enough to cover veggies)
Salt and pepper to taste.
Start by browning the mince in the bottom of the pan.
Add the carrots, swede and leeks and stock to cover.
Bring to the boil, then add the potatoes (and more stock if needed)
Return to the boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer away (20 minutes minimum, but better if longer)
It should be a thick soup, check if it passes 'the tattie soup test' a wooden spoon should stand, unsupported in the pot !
I actually like it better the second day as the flavours develop more, but have to have a bowl as soon as it's made cos of the smell 

[HappyHippy]

Another goodie is lentil soup, made in a slow cooker.

Again, I just judge the quantities 

A piece of smoked ham/bacon joint
Red lentils (half a 500g bag, approx)
4 or 5 grated carrots
1 onion chopped finely
2 or 3 leeks
Stock or water to cover

Chuck everything in the slow cooker, go to bed, wake up next morning - hey presto soup made. It may need thinned with water or stock, depending on how much you want to stick to your ribs 
I actually used to make this in a heavy bottomed pot on top of the multifuel stove I had in my last place - now I've got to make do with the slow cooker !

[cmorrell]

Another goodie is lentil soup, made in a slow cooker.

I like adding the squishy part of 4 fat roast cloves of garlic ... gives it a lovely smoky flavour.

[Touchwood]

Bacon and lentil soup,

One of my favorites is pretty much the same ingedients as Hippyhippie, only difference I save some water from boiling a gammon or bacon joint,(usually with some bay leaves and herbs) throw the lentils in it to soak overnight then add the rest plus any leftover bacon and leave on the woodburner to cook.

[Wizard]

I do Happy's as such depends on Sunday lunch leftover meat chop it small or mince it. Slow cook it  and use it next day for next day add more veg and water and boil 1/2 hour next day the same it sits on the back of the stove all week.Top up every day celery we like it a lot we called it stock pot soup anything left over is chopped up and added BUT NOT MASHED POTATOES they sink and stick to the bottom and burn.Nor do we add pulses for the same reason.If we have Lentil and ? we do it for one day only.Same with the packets of pulses one can buy in the supermarkets fantastic mix of beans and peas etc; but we only soak some over night in stock if we have some water if we haven't.

[Rosemary]

I made chicken soup out of my head yesterday!

Couple of onions, a leek, 4or 5 carrots, couple of parsnips, chopped and softened in olive oil. Add tarragon. Couple of pints of chicken stock from Sunday's chicken. 4 tablespoons of vegetable broth mix. Simmer until everything is tender. Whizz up than add the remains of the chicken meat chopped up. It was lovely.

[Helencus]

Hi I'm on a major detox but can have organic veg no spuds tho. Any good veg soup recipes?

[sagehen]

Loads. I've put my OH on a candida diet, and he's been on soup for 19 days now  That and eggs, but he's getting better so that's what counts. How about a leek and parsnip soup?

3 medium sized parsnips chopped into small pieces
3 Leeks chopped finely
1 onion chopped finely
1 pint of Vegetable Stock
 seasoning
 splash of milk


 Fry the onions in either butter or oil in a large saucepan for 8 to 10 minutes

Add the leeks and parsnips and saute for another 15minutes.

Add stock and seasoning and simmer for 30-40minutes.

Blend mixture together using a hand blender, add a splash of milk, adjust the seasoning if required

[Wizard]

Thats the way to do it Rosemary but I wouldn't have been so heavy with the parsnips they have a powerfull taste Not criticizing only my way

[Rosemary]

It was a bit parsnipy but it emptied the veg basket!

[Helencus]

Sounds good rosemary. Not allowed milk but I'll give it a go without and let you know. Cheers Helen

[Wizard]

Yes Rosemary often an improvement on your original way if you can remember what you did and its nice to empty the basket and start with a new lot I find  We like a bit of parsnip 2 bits of Swede,Turnip and carrot mashed with a walnut of butter S&P of course Grand with a nice roast riser mid week.