Become a Soup Dragon
CHEAP and cheerful, tasty and comforting, homemade soup is easy to make and something positive to do and pass away a little time during the current ‘house arrest’ in Spain.
It’s just over 50 years since the world was introduced to The Clangers on BBC children’s television - the little shrew-like creatures inhabiting a moon-like planet somewhere in the imagination of creator Olive Postgate - with an insatiable appetite for the green soup supplied by the Soup Dragon.
Mere mortals around the world love a bowl of soup too; wherever you are in the world, there cannot be many restaurants that fail to offer a hot or sometimes cold choice on the menu.
Tins and packets of soup are store cupboard staples and visit a supermarket or shop at the moment and watch how many are being snapped up by shoppers. Familiar brands like Heinz, Baxters, Cross and Blackwell, Cup A Soup are all in demand.
However, now is the ideal time to become a soup dragon and drive everyone green with envy by creating super soup in the kitchen and sharing the result on social media.
Of course, all those recipe books on the shelves contain soup recipes: the exotic, the traditional, and the family favourites. All fine and dandy; but you will need all the ingredients at hand...the following is a soup dragon’s guide to easy soup and is intended to use up left over vegetables therefore can be suitable for carnivores, vegetarians and vegans - and adding meat is okay too for those who consume it.
Take an onion, a couple of sticks of celery and a carrot. Lightly fry onions until soft, add stock - bought stock cubes work - and add the celery and peeled carrot, with potatoes at hand to thicken. The amounts needed depend on how big a batch is required...but it freezes well so is a handy thing to have.
From then on in, it’s what is available; more carrots, beans, broccoli (good use of the stalk), likewise cauliflower (again use the stalk), mushrooms, red or green pepper, tinned or fresh tomatoes. Pasta, rice or lentils, why not?
Seasoning is important. Dried mixed herbs, a bay leaf or two, plenty of pepper, perhaps some chilli or Worcester Sauce or balsamic. In homage to TV chef Keith Floyd, a slug of wine, red or white, works well, as does sherry; my mum likes to add a tot of whisky; each to their own.
When all has bubbled away and everything has cooked through and softened, it is time to get the blender out - or keep it chunky and al dente - and bring it all together. Add a swirl of cream or croutons if desired.
Serve with toast, fresh bread, or crackers. The Bisto Kids will go “mmmmm...” and Oliver will be the first in the queue asking for more.