"Bother" I said as I put away some newly bought carrots in the salad drawer of the fridge and discovered 4 sad carrots hiding under the tea-towels which I use in the drawer to absorb moisture. I nearly chucked them (the carrots not the tea towels) but being a good girl decided to make soup, even though soup is not one of my favourite things. From the greenhouse I fetched in a Very Large red pepper and started the soup as always with a chopped onion.
After sweating the onion and pepper in a little butter and adding the grated carrots and sweating a bit more I chucked in a little flour, some black pepper, stirred it all up and added just-boiled water. Cooked it a while and tasted - Oh Dear. Not that nice. Maybe it wasn't possible to make a good soup from 4 manky carrots, one large red pepper and an onion.
I added a little salt and cooked it a bit longer - tasted - still not good. I added a vegetable stock cube and a bit more water, cooked it a bit more and turned it off while I did something else. Later I came back and tasted again, slightly better but still not quite right so I chucked in a teaspoon of sugar, heated it up again and tasted again..........improving. I let it go cold, whizzed it in the liquidizer and shoved it in the fridge. Next day tasted it again and....................Success .........Delicious.
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| Artfully chucked some snipped Basil on top |
Proving it is possible to make soup from just about anything. 2 portions to eat and 2 into the freezer
Back Tomorrow
Sue
PS Edited in to say I've now replied to all the comments yesterday - Thank you everyone
Can't beat bottom of the fridge soup. Yum.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't sure to start with - but it was OK in the end
DeleteWe always get a bit creative with the contents of the spice rack. Cajun seasoning gives things a kick. As does Smoked Paprika, or Chilli Flakes or even the humble Curry Powder . . . Sounds like your soup was a success without any of these though and definitely a waste-n0t-want-not soup!
ReplyDeleteLast time I added smoked paprika to something it spoiled it - can't remember what it was now
DeleteIts the kick of something sharp that does it, or that dash of sugar. But adding sugar to things is only something I have learnt recently in making curries.
ReplyDeleteI've always added a tsp of sugar to curry - makes a huge difference
DeleteCarrot soup is on my list today, for stupidly I accidentally ordered a kilo of carrots I don't need, and they sent me "donkey" carrots! I am going to add caraway seed to mine, for I {also accidentally} ordered 500gr caraway seeds instead of 50gr! Funny how soups always seem better on the second day.
ReplyDeleteOh dear Caraway cake every week for months then!
DeleteFor the sweet element a bit of mango chutney is good. For the salty element, fish sauce is wonderful (if you are not a vegetarian), smells truly awful but adds a wonderful depth of flavour.
ReplyDeleteMango chutney sounds a good idea
DeleteTerry Pratchet had his characters in one book making soup out of old boots and mud. I'm sure yours was much better. I make something I call compost out of the old veg - grated, minced, chopped small, cooked up with a jar of tomatoes and some herbs. Cook it until it is quite thick and use it as one of the layers in lasagne, or layered in a bake with grilled slices of eggplant. That gets rid of leeks, carrots, zucchini, corn, peppers, mushrooms - anything that is still lurking at the end of the week.
ReplyDeleteI tend not to buy lots of veg - being on my own and having the garden it's more economical for me to use fresh from the garden topped up with frozen
DeleteI have a soup maker now (sheer extravagance and laziness on my part) but I have soup almost every day by making some and freezing what is left. Often I make what I call fridge bottom soup so that I clean out the veg drawer in my fridge before putting fresh veg in. As long as it always has a stock cube and an onion in all veg make good soup.
ReplyDeleteI've been reading about your soup maker - I put myself right off soup by making too much of it several years ago - it's OK occasionally
DeleteNext day improves almost everything, I think. The flavours develop so wonderfully.
ReplyDeletexx
It certainly worked with this soup
DeleteYes, soup from anything ... I am now pretty famous for my Peelings Soup. There is always a bag or box in the freezer with all the odds and ends of things and peelings from vegetables. Once it's full it gets boiled up, simmered for ages and then whizzed and sieved turned into a free stash of soup.
ReplyDeleteI think the flavour fairies work overnight and everything tastes better the day after making it :-)
I thought it was a fail to start with - very bitter - but adding different things helped
DeleteIt's fun to make soup with odds and ends, not knowing how it will turn out. Most of mine turn out the same, because I add a spoon of broccoli and stilton packet soup mix.
ReplyDeleteIt was surprisingly good considering the minimal contents
DeleteI enjoy homemade soup and make it sometimes with cheese on toast on the side when I want an easy evening meal. Arilx
ReplyDeleteIt's good that you rescued the carrots and it turned out quite well...eventually. I like to roast veggies first before making them into soup....caramelising them seems to improve the flavour. I'm a big fan of smoked paprika too.
ReplyDeleteSwiss Bouillon as stock is ace for soups.
ReplyDeleteBits and bobs from the veggie bin make marvelous soup. Sometimes just letting the flavours blend for a few hours or overnight helps. You certainly proved that.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
A bit of ground Cumin and Coriander in a carrot soup adds a nice kick of warmth,
ReplyDeleteI've been gathering my fragments and using them in meals. I know right now I have about 5 containers with odds & ends to use up. 1 hot dog, 1 hamburger, some cooked green beans, some baked beans, some sausage gravy. I don't think I can combine those into anything edible.
ReplyDelete