Soup that’s perfect for winter

With winter upon us, it’s time for the return of a hearty dish that provides a relaxing meal all in one bowl.

Winter warmer: ‘All In Together Soup’ is just the ticket to ward off the chill now the days are closing in. Picture: Dannika Bonser

THE change of the seasons is evident — not by the amount of rain we’ve been having, but by the changes in temperature, most notably in the cool, crisp mornings and the occasional blast of Antarctic wind that make my daily exercise routine that little bit harder.

Our diets are apt to change, too, under such circumstances, and just the other day a friend invited me for an autumn meal — using all delicious seasonal vegetables and creating dishes that had a distinctive leaning away from summer lightness and into the comfort zone.

Soup wasn’t on her menu, but I figured it’s about time to go back to the hearty dishes that provide a relaxing meal all in one bowl.

ALL IN TOGETHER SOUP

1 tbsp olive oil

500g lean beef mince

2 large onions, finely chopped

2 cups hot chicken or vegetable stock

2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf, crumbled

Good pinch dried basil

1 tbsp chopped fresh chives

½ tsp minced garlic

Good pinch dried thyme

400g can tomatoes, drained

2 carrots, thinly sliced

Handful penne pasta

Parsley leaves for garnish

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and brown the mince and onion. Drain off the liquid and add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Spoon into a bowl and top with a sprig of fresh parsley. Serve with crusty bread. Serves 4.

TIPS FOR MAKING GOOD SOUP

USE a good quality stock or stock cube.

IF YOU use a stock cube, they often contain salt already so don’t add salt to your soup until the end.

IF THE recipe calls for you to fry vegetables and garlic in a mixture of oil and butter until they are lightly coloured, don’t skip this step. It provides the flavour base for the soup and will make a world of difference.

TINNED beans are fabulous to add to soup, but rinse them to get rid of the liquid from the tin. If you are tempted to use the tinned liquid in the soup, remember it can overpower the flavours and make the soup look very cloudy.

IF YOU want to give a soup texture, take out half the whole ingredients (beans, vegetables, meat) and set aside. Blend the rest of the soup, return it to the pan and add the rest of the ingredients back into the pan.

SOUP can be made in advance, cooled, covered and put in the fridge or frozen. Bring back to room temperature before heating through gently (don’t bring it to the boil or the bottom can stick before the top of the soup has heated fully). Stir often.

MANY soups benefit from a dollop of cream or creme fraiche at the serving stage. You can also add a sprinkling of toasted almonds or sesame seeds, a spoon of pesto, chopped herbs, grated cheese, garlic croutons or even finely chopped fried garlic or salami. Choose one that suits the soup best.

TO REDUCE the fat content, make the soup the day before, chill and scrape off the fat that rises to the top. If you don’t have time to chill the soup, use a plain paper towel to soak up oil from the surface.

SAVOURY soups always taste better if made a day or two in advance and reheated just before serving.

CHECK seasonings of cold soups just before serving as chilled foods tend to dull the tastebuds and will need more seasoning than hot soups.

IF YOUR hot soup ends up slightly salty, add a whole, peeled potato to the soup and simmer for about 15 minutes to absorb salt. Remove the potato and serve.

REMEMBER that herbs will have a more intense flavour if added at the end of the long cooking process.

WINE is a great flavour addition to soups. When using wine or alcohol in soup, use less salt as the wine tends to intensify saltiness.

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