Soups

 Main Courses

Lettuce Soup

2-3 Heads lettuce ~ 1½ oz butter

1 small onion ~ 1 oz flour

1½ pints chicken stock

¼tsp sugar ~ 3-4 sprigs parsley

2 sprigs mint ~ ½ pint milk

Chop lettuce, melt butter and soften lettuce and onion for 5 minutes.  Add flour, stock and seasoning.  When smooth bring to the boil stirring constantly - reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, having added salt, pepper, sugar, parsley and mint.  Liquidize.  Re-heat, add hot milk and blend.

Autumn Vegetable Hotpot

1lb potatoes ~ 8oz turnips

1 leek ~ 2 onions

8 oz tomatoes - 2 tsp basil

3 tbsp vegetable oil

8 fl oz vegetable stock

4 fl oz red wine

salt and pepper

4 oz lentils (soaked overnight)

Preheat oven to 180C/350F.

Heat oil in a flameproof casserole dish.  Fry sliced onions and leeks.  Add potatoes, carrots and turnips (all chopped), toss vegetables in the oil.  Pour over the stock, wine and add tomatoes, herbs and seasoning.  Stir in lentils and bake for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. 

 Cucumber soup 

2-3 medium cucumbers ~ 4-5 spring onions

1½ oz butter ~ 1 oz flour

1¾ pints chicken stock

Pinch mace ~ pinch sugar

1 tbsp parsley ~ 1 tsp chopped dill

2 egg yolks ~ ¼ pint double cream

Peel and quarter cucumbers, remove seeds.  Cut into dice.  Melt butter, cook onions for 5 minutes, add cucumber, cook 2-3 minutes.  Sprinkle in flour, add stock, boil, add herbs etc.  Simmer 15 minutes.  Liquidize, reheat.  Mix egg yolks and cream, add few spoonfuls of hot soup and mix well before straining into soup whisking constantly.  Do not boil.

 Basil Bake 

1 lb tomatoes ~ 6 shallots (chopped)

1 tsp oil ~ 2 small courgettes

1 large handful basil leaves

2 tbsp red wine ~ ½ tsp pepper 

4 oz Mozzarella cheese (sliced)

2 oz breadcrumbs

Preheat oven  to 375F/180C.  Smear oil around oven-proof dish.  Layer sliced tomatoes, shallots, sliced courgettes and basil in the dish.  Pour in wine and top with cheese slices. Sprinkle pepper and breadcrumbs on top.  Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and cook for 10 minutes to brown the cheese.

Green Bean Soup

1 lb French beans 

 1 oz flour ~ 1-1½ oz butter

1 medium onion ~ 1 clove garlic

1½-1¾ pints chicken stock

1 level tsp summer savory

Melt butter, cook onion and garlic for 5 minutes.  Add flour, blend in smoothly, pour on stock and mix, bring to boil, add salt and pepper.  String beans and slice.  Add with savory and cook for 25 minutes.  Blend or sieve.

Pea Hull Soup

4-5 handfuls of young pea hulls 

1 medium onion ~ 1½-2 pints chicken stock

3-4 sprigs of parsley,

1 sprig of mint ~ 1 oz of flour

¾ oz of flour ~ Sugar

Simmer altogether for 20 minutes. sieve,

add butter, flour, seasoning.

Tomato and Basil Risotto

1 tbsp olive oil - 1 chopped onion

1 crushed garlic clove

18 fl oz vegetable stock

12 oz short grain rise

12 tomatoes (chopped) ~ 2 oz butter Small handful of basil leaves

3 oz Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

Heat oil in a large saucepan, add onions and garlic and cook gently.  Heat the stock to simmering point separately.  Add the rice to the onions and garlic and cook for 4 minutes, stirring regularly.  Add tomatoes and a quarter of the stock.  Add salt and pepper and another quarter of the stock.  As it absorbs, add more stock.  When all stock is absorbed mix in the butter, cheese and basil.  

 Cabbage soup

½-¾lb green cabbage ~ 1 large onion

2 small leeks ~ 2 carrots

1 potato ~ 2 slices of bacon

1 tbsp flour ~ 1½ pints of brown stock,

parsley ~ 1 bay leaf ~ nutmeg

1 tsp chopped dill.

Cook cabbage for 5 minutes, drain. Chop other ingredients, stir in fat

from bacon over heat for a few 

minutes.  Add flour etc simmer for

10 minutes , add cabbage , cook for

20 minutes more. 

Don't forget:

Some excellent conversion charts can be found at

Real Food for Real People