Do NOT follow this recipe!

When my friend Manu asked me to post a soup recipe, I felt like there would be no way I could pick from the infinite variations that came to my mind. You see, If there was a Food Oscar, Soup would surely win the “Not a Recipe” category (Nominated in the category too: Salad, Sandwich & Quiche) – Am I the only one getting giddy at the idea of “Food Oscars” ? How come no one ever thought of it? Who would host them? –

Soup

Vegetables

Vegetables 2

But, back to our “not a recipe” recipe. You can make a soup with nearly anything you have in the fridge as long as you follow a few simple steps, so here goes:

The “No Recipe” Soup Recipe

Vegetables: 800g- 1Kg of any* vegetables that you like, wash & peel those who need it (not mandatory if using organic vegetables) , and roughly dice them. Then create a a balanced flavor combination of: basics (potatoes, cauliflower..), Sweet (rutabaga, carrot sweet potatoes, beets), aromatics (onion ,leek, garlic,fennel…) ,and optionally spicy (ginger, chili, …)
Stock: Any will do – as long as you have enough to adjust for your preferred soup consistency. For every 1 kg of vegetables you need around 1 Litre of liquid- check the flavor then add additional seasoning as cubes might be already salty.
- Tip: If you want you can make your own chicken stock by simmering the bones & leftovers of a roasted chicken with some onion, carrots & celery for an hour or so.
Cooking: Brown the vegetables in some oil (olive oil, butter, coconut oil…), When nicely colored and fragrant, add the salt & pepper, spices, and add the stock until the vegetables are just covered. Simmer with a lid on for 30-40 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through. If you want a smooth, creamy soup, go for it, take out the blender & go wild!
Serving: Taste & adjust for seasoning, you can add some body with creamy Mascarpone (you might need to add some salt when adding cream) , or coconut milk, or some nice smoky salt or flavored olive oil (yes truffle oil would be perfect right at this moment). This is also the time for your leftovers to shine: Feel free to add some cooked grain, strips of meat, some chickpeas, or crushed tomatoes and top with some green leaf like coriander or parsley and enjoy!

Manu as promised here is for you – Tonight’s dinner : 1.5 kg worth of vegetables roughly chopped: carrots, (1 red & 1 white large) onions, a few potatoes & half a sweet potato, some Parsnip (had to google translate “palsternakka for you 😉 )- fresh ginger about 15 grams, 2 cloves of garlic.

tip: If you plan to blend the soup, you really don’t need to take time chopping, Rough is the way to go! Otherwise make sure to chop your vegetables in similar shape so they cook evenly.

Brown for a few minutes uncovered in a pressure cooker* with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Add 1.2L (or until the vegetables are covered) of chicken stock. season with 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala (optional), 1 bay leaf, Salt & pepper. Cook for 25 minutes* or until soft. Puree until soft, taste & adjust for seasoning!