Often I have heard people say, ‘I love home-made soups but I have no time to make them.’ This implies that all soups take a long time to prepare and cook, but in most cases that is not true. On the following pages you will find a selection of appetizing soups which are exceptionally quick and easy to make. They use a range of readily available ingredients.
Although once it was considered right to simmer soup for a long time to give the best result, nowadays we find that in most instances a shorter cooking time is better for retaining the flavour of the ingredients, particularly vegetables.
You may be surprised to see that this chapter starts with a recipe for a basic White Sauce, but this is often an important part of a soup recipe. The sauce can be used as an alternative to cream, but it is also an excellent basis for a number of quick, creamy and nutritious soups.
In order to save time preparing fresh stock, the recipes in this section use water and stock (bouillon) cubes. There is a good range of these on the market, but some are rather salty, so be careful when adding extra seasoning.
A microwave is suitable for cooking many soups, particularly those made with young vegetables (see page 27) and fish. You do not save a great deal of time with this appliance when heating a fairly large amount of liquid, so I suggest you boil the required amount of water in a kettle then add this to the ingredients in the bowl in the microwave. There are brief hints on using the microwave for each group of soups in this chapter, and more information on page 12.
Use a microwave instead of a saucepan for making a White Sauce (see page 24). It is far easier to wash a bowl than a sticky pan.
Pressure cookers have gone rather out of fashion, but if you own one it is certainly useful for making soups, particularly when you are in a hurry (see pages 7, 11 and 27).
As you will find when you use the recipes that follow, home-made soups can be made in a very short time and you will be rewarded with excellent results.
Cooking time: 10 to 15 minutes • Serves 4 to 8, depending on the recipe
A white sauce is an important ingredient in quite a number of soup recipes. In most cases it should have a pouring consistency, as in the recipe helow. The quantities given here will make 600 ml/1 pint (2½ cups) of sauce.
| Metric/Imperial | Ingredients | American |
| 25 g/1 oz | butter or margarine | 2 tablespoons |
| 25 g/1 oz | plain (all-purpose) flour | ¼ cup |
| 600 ml/1 pint | milk | 2½ cups |
| to taste | salt and freshly ground black pepper | to taste |
Heat the butter or margarine until just melted, then remove from the heat and stir in the flour. Return to a low heat and stir for 1 or 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk, stirring all the time, then allow the sauce to boil steadily for about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer for another 5 minutes. The longer cooking gives a better flavour. Season to taste.
• Omit 2 or 3 tablespoons (2 ½ to 3¼ tablespoons) milk and add this amount of single (light) cream to give a richer flavour.
• To add extra flavour to the sauce, add a chopped onion, one or two chopped celery sticks and a small bunch of herbs (parsley, thyme and a little rosemary) to the milk. Bring the milk to boiling point, allow it to stand for as long as possible so that it absorbs the various flavours, then strain and use in the sauce.
Freezing: The sauce is better freshly made, but it freezes well as part of a soup.
Blending method: put all the ingredients into a saucepan and whisk briskly as the sauce comes to the boil and thickens.
Put all the ingredients into a suitable microwave bowl. Stir or whisk briskly, immediately before starting to cook on full power for approximately 2½ to 3 minutes. Stir or whisk every 30 seconds to ensure a smooth sauce.
Cooking time: about 20 minutes • Serves 4
One of the easiest and quickest ways to produce a home-made soup is to make a White Sauce (see page 24), then add your chosen ingredients to it and heat for a short time.
Artichoke (Globe) Soup: Finely chop, sieve or liquidize 4 to 5 well-drained cooked or canned globe artichoke hearts. Add to the hot White Sauce together with 3 or 4 tablespoons (3¾ or 5 tablespoons) artichoke liquid. Heat thoroughly. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon (1¼ tablespoons) lemon juice, 150 ml/1¼ pint (⅔ cup) single (light) cream, 2 tablespoons (2½ tablespoons) chopped chives, and 1 tablespoon (1¼ tablespoons) finely chopped parsley.
Artichoke (Jerusalem) Soup: Make 300 ml/½ pint (1¼ cups) purée by sieving cooked Jerusalem artichokes. Add to the White Sauce, together with 150 ml/¼ pint (⅔ cup) liquid from cooking the artichokes, 4 tablespoons (5 tablespoons) finely chopped spring onions (scallions) or thinly sliced leeks. Heat thoroughly, then flavour with a little seasoning, including celery salt. Top the soup with cream or yoghurt and finely chopped red pepper or paprika.
Asparagus Soup: Open a 300 g/10 oz can asparagus spears. Drain but reserve the liquid from the can. Cut off about 8 tips for garnish, then liquidize the spears and reserved liquid. Heat the White Sauce and add the asparagus purée with seasoning to taste. Serve topped with a little soured cream or yoghurt and the asparagus tips. Garnish with heart-shaped croûtons (see page 193).
Beetroot Cream Soup: Peel and coarsely grate about 225 g/8 oz (½ lb) cooked beetroot (weight when peeled and grated). (Use tiny summer beets if possible.) Make the White Sauce, add the beetroot and stir gently over the heat. Pour in 150 ml/¼ pint (⅔ cup) single (light) cream and 1½ tablespoons (2 tablespoons) lemon juice. Heat gently without boiling. Serve topped with a thick layer of finely chopped parsley and chives. Low-fat yoghurt could be used instead of cream.
Broccoli Cream Soup: Use about 225 g/8 oz (½ lb) cooked broccoli (weight when cooked). Strain but save 150 ml/¼ pint (⅔ cup) of the cooking liquid. Cut off a few very small florets for garnish and sieve or liquidize the remainder to make a purée. Add the broccoli stock to the White Sauce, heat thoroughly, then stir in the vegetable purée with 25 g/1 oz (2 tablespoons) butter and a good pinch of grated or ground nutmeg. Heat thoroughly. Top the soup with finely chopped skinned tomatoes and the broccoli florets.
Cooked cauliflower can be used instead of broccoli.
Carrot Cream Soup: Heat the White Sauce and add 300 ml/½ pint (1¼ cups) single (light) cream or extra milk. Peel and grate 225 g/8 oz (½ lb) carrots (weight when peeled and grated). Add to the hot mixture together with 2 tablespoons (2½ tablespoons) finely chopped spring onions (scallions), 1 teaspoon chopped savory or ½ teaspoon dried savory and seasoning to taste. (Use marjoram or oregano if savory is not available.) Heat well but do not overcook the soup, for in this recipe the grated carrots should remain firm. Garnish with chopped chives.
Instead of all carrots, use 225 g/8 oz (½ lb) mixed root vegetables such as grated carrots, swede (rutabaga), turnip and parsnip and/or celeriac.
Speedy Chestnut Soup: Heat the White Sauce, add 300 ml/½ pint (1¼ cups) vegetable, ham or chicken stock (see page 14) and 350 g/12 oz (¾ lb) canned unsweetened chestnut purée. Stir until very hot and smooth then add a good pinch paprika and/or curry powder. Top with soured cream or yoghurt, or finely chopped crisp bacon.
Speedy Leek Soup: Thinly slice and cook about 350 g/12 oz (¾ lb) leeks in just 150 ml/¼ pint (⅔ cup) of water with seasoning to taste. Make the White Sauce while the leeks are cooking. Blend with the leeks and liquid in the pan, and adjust the seasoning. Top with paprika and chopped parsley or finely chopped crisp bacon.
Spinach Cream Soup: Make the White Sauce. Use approximately 225 g/8 oz (½ lb) frozen chopped spinach. Add the block of frozen spinach to the sauce, heating gently and stirring frequently as the spinach defrosts and blends with the sauce. When thoroughly heated, add 300 ml/½ pint (1¼ cups) single (light) cream or extra milk, a little grated or ground nutmeg and a shake of cayenne pepper. Heat and serve the soup topped with blanched flaked almonds.
Use approximately 350 g/12 oz (¾ lb) fresh or frozen leaf spinach, cook and sieve or liquidize to make a purée. Add to the White Sauce, then continue as above.
A purée of cooked young nettle leaves can be used instead of spinach (see page 98).
Freezing: Do not freeze any of these soups: they are better freshly made.
Cooking time: about 20 minutes • Serves 4
Seafood Soup: Make the White Sauce, add 300 ml/½ pint (1¼ cups) Fish Stock (see page 15) or water plus a few drops of anchovy essence and heat thoroughly. Stir 100 g/4 oz (¼ lb) frozen shelled prawns (shrimp) into the hot sauce. Allow to stand for a short time, without cooking, so that they defrost. Add the same weight of flaked, cooked or canned salmon and of chopped smoked salmon or flaked crabmeat. Heat for a few minutes only. Top with chopped fennel leaves.
Use all prawns or all salmon instead of the mixture of fish.
Heat 2 or 3 tablespoons (2½ to 3¾ tablespoons) finely chopped fennel root with the sauce before adding the fish.
Creamy Ham and Mustard Soup: Make the White Sauce. Mix 300 ml/½ pint (⅔ cup) single (light) cream with 2 tablespoons French or ready-made English mustard and add to the sauce and heat. Finely dice or mince 225 g/8 oz (½ lb) cooked ham and add to the sauce with 1 tablespoon (1¼ tablespoons) finely chopped parsley. Heat for a few minutes only and season to taste.
Speedy Chicken Soup: Make the White Sauce and add 150 ml/¼ pint (⅔ cup) chicken stock (see page 14). Finely dice or mince 350 g/12 oz (¾ lb) cooked chicken and add to the other ingredients with 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, 1 teaspoon French or ready-made English mustard and 3 tablespoons (3¾ tablespoons) double (heavy) cream. Heat gently and serve topped with blanched flaked almonds.
Freezing: Do not freeze any of these soups: they are better freshly made.
Choose young vegetables whenever possible because they cook in a shorter time than older ones. Frozen vegetables, which have been partly cooked by blanching before freezing, make excellent alternatives to fresh vegetables, especially when time is limited or a particular fresh vegetable is not obtainable.
Microwave cooking is excellent for vegetable soups if the vegetables are young, but less efficient for cooking older vegetables, as they do not become really tender.
You will need to check cooking progress carefully the first time you use the microwave for a particular vegetable soup, but on the whole allow about 25 per cent less cooking time than on a conventional hob. Make sure all the vegetables are cut into small, even-sized pieces and reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe by 150 ml/¼ pint (⅔ cup).
There is more information about using microwaves on page 7.
Pressure cooking provides a good way of cooking vegetables for soup, even when the vegetables are older. Allow half the cooking time given in the recipe when the cooker reaches pressure, and reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe by 25 per cent.
Further information about pressure cookers appears on pages 7 and 11.
Cooking time: 20 minutes • Serves 4 to 6
This quickly made soup is ideal for slimmers since it contains no fat. It has an excellent flavour, but can be made to look more enticing by topping each portion with a spoonful of lightly whipped cream. Large open mushrooms or chestnut mushrooms are ideal for this soup.
| Metric/Imperial | Ingredients | American |
| 550 g/1¼ lb | mushrooms | 1¼ lb |
| 1 small bunch | spring onions (scallions) | 1 small bunch |
| 2 tablespoons | finely chopped parsley | 2½ tablespoons |
| 1 litre/1¾ pints | water | scant 4½ cups |
| 1 | beef, chicken or vegetable stock cube | 1 |
| to taste | salt and freshly ground black pepper | to taste |
Wipe the mushrooms, cut and discard the ends of the stalks. Chop the mushrooms roughly. Prepare the spring onions, using only the white part. Put the mushrooms, onions and parsley into a pan with the water and stock cube. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Sieve or liquidize and reheat.
• I often add a little yeast extract, rather than a stock cube, as this gives an excellent flavour to the liquid. Take care when adding other seasonings as yeast extract tends to be very salty.
Freezing: This soup freezes very well.
Cooking time: 25 minutes • Serves 4 to 6
This is a soup I first tasted in South Africa, where it is generally called Mealie Soup. It is delicious and ready in minutes. Use fresh corn, if in season, as the flavour is much better than canned or frozen corn.
| Metric/Imperial | Ingredients | American |
| 2 medium | onions | 2 medium |
| 50 g/2 oz | butter | ¼ cup |
| 25 g/1 oz | plain (all-purpose) flour | ¼ cup |
| good pinch | grated or ground nutmeg | good pinch |
| 750 ml/1¼ pints | milk | good 3 cups |
| 350 g/12 oz | canned sweetcorn | ¾ lb |
| to taste | salt and freshly ground black pepper | to taste |
| To garnish | ||
| chopped parsley and/or chives | ||
| croûtons (see page 193) |
Peel and finely chop the onions. Heat the butter and fry the onions gently for 10 minutes. Do not allow to colour, so stir well during this time. Add the flour and nutmeg, stir to blend with the onions. Pour in the milk. Stir or whisk as the liquid comes to the boil and thickens slightly.
Drain the canned sweetcorn, add to the pan and heat thoroughly. Season to taste, then garnish and serve.
• Cook 2 large corn cobs in boiling water, adding a little salt towards the end of the cooking period. If salt is added to the corn too early, it toughens the grains. Strip the corn from the cob and add as above. Use 150 ml/¼ pint (⅔ cup) of the liquid in which the corn has cooked instead of that amount of milk.
• Place 350 g/12 oz (¾ lb) frozen sweetcorn in the soup after adding the milk and cook steadily until tender. You may find you need to add a little extra milk towards the end of the cooking period.
Do not freeze.
Cooking time: 25 minutes • Serves 4 to 6
The combination of fennel and tomatoes is a very pleasant one. Make sure the white fennel bulbs are firm and that any leaves are bright green. The soup can be served chunky or smooth.
| Metric/Imperial | Ingredients | American |
| 2 large | fennel bulbs | 2 large |
| 4 medium | tomatoes | 4 medium |
| 50 g/2 oz | butter | ¼ cup |
| 900 ml/1½ pints | water | 3¾ cups |
| to taste | salt and freshly ground black pepper | to taste |
| to taste | pinch aniseed, optional | to taste |
| To garnish | ||
| yoghurt | ||
| fennel leaves |
Remove the fennel leaves, chop them for the garnish and set aside. Wash, dry and finely chop the fennel bulbs. Skin and halve the tomatoes, then remove the seeds. Chop the flesh finely. Heat the butter and cook the fennel and tomatoes for 10 minutes or until softened. Stir well so that the mixture does not brown. Add the water, bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes. Season to taste. A little aniseed can be added if you want to enhance the fennel flavour.
Serve the soup topped with yoghurt and fennel leaves. If you prefer a smooth soup, sieve or liquidize the ingredients and reheat.
• A chopped medium onion and/or 2 crushed garlic cloves can be cooked in the butter with the fennel and tomatoes.
Fennel and Shrimp Soup: Follow the recipe above and add about 175 g/6 oz (1 cup) peeled shrimps or chopped prawns just before serving. Heat for a few minutes only, as overheating toughens the shellfish.
Freezing: This soup freezes well.
Cooking time: 20 to 25 minutes • Serves 4 to 6
| Metric/Imperial | Ingredients | American |
| 1 medium | onion | 1 medium |
| 1 or 2 | garlic cloves | 1 or 2 |
| 25 g/1 oz | butter | 2 tablespoons |
| 900 ml/1½ pints | water | 3¾ cups |
| 1 | vegetable or chicken stock cube | 1 |
| 350 g/12 oz | frozen chopped spinach | ¾ lb |
| 1 teaspoon | finely grated lemon zest | 1 teaspoon |
| 2 tablespoons | lemon juice, or to taste | 2½ tablespoons |
| to taste | salt and freshly ground black pepper | to taste |
| 300 ml/½ pint | milk or single (light) cream | 1¼ cups |
| To garnish | ||
| blanched, flaked (slivered) almonds or lemon slices |
Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Heat the butter and cook the onion and garlic for 5 minutes. Add the water and stock cube. Bring to the boil. If you have a microwave, you can defrost the spinach while preparing the onion and garlic and heating the water. If you do not have a microwave, simply add the spinach to the boiling liquid and stir from time to time to break up the block as the soup cooks.
Add the lemon zest, juice and seasoning. When the ingredients are tender, add the milk or cream and heat without boiling. If preferred, the sour can be sieved or liquidized, then reheated with the milk or cream.
If the soup is too thin for your taste, thicken it by adding a little beurre manié (see page 9).
• Use about 700 g/1½ lb fresh, young leaf spinach, well washed. Cook in the water and stock cube, or use fish stock (see page 15). Sieve or liquidize, then reheat with the milk or cream.
Freezing: Freeze without adding the milk or cream; these ingredients can be added when reheating.
Cooking time: 10 minutes • Serves 4 to 6
Cans of chopped tomatoes are an invaluable ingredient in the store cupboard because tomatoes add flavour to many dishes. As they are already chopped, they cook in a very short time. You can, of course, prepare and freeze chopped tomatoes or tomato purée. If doing this for use in cooked, rather than uncooked dishes, it is advisable to choose plum tomatoes, as they have a better flavour than ordinary tomatoes.
| Metric/Imperial | Ingredients | American |
| 450 g/16 oz | canned tomatoes | 1 lb |
| 900 ml/1½ pints | water | 3¾ cups |
| 4 tablespoons | chopped spring onions (scallions) | 5 tablespoons |
| 1 small | dessert apple | 1 small |
| to taste | salt and freshly ground black pepper | to taste |
| ½ teaspoon | paprika | ⅓ teaspoon |
| 1 teaspoon | brown sugar | 1 teaspoon |
| To garnish | ||
| chopped parsley and/or chives |
Put the tomatoes and their liquid into a saucepan with the water and onions. Bring to the boil. Meanwhile, peel and grate the apple, then add to the pan with a little seasoning, the paprika and sugar. Simmer for 10 minutes and serve, or purée the soup, return to the pan and reheat. Garnish and serve.
Cooking time: 25 minutes • Serves 4
Grating the suitable vegetables before use, either by hand or with the attachment on an electric mixer or food processor, shortens the cooking time a great deal.
Softer ingredients, such as onions and tomatoes, are better chopped. Partially cook the onions in a little fat before adding the liquid as this gives them a better flavour.
| Metric/Imperial | Ingredients | American |
| 2 medium | onions | 2 medium |
| 350 g/12 oz | mixed vegetables, see Note, weight when prepared | ¾ lb |
| 25 g/1 oz | butter or margarine | 2 tablespoons |
| 900 ml/1½ pints | water | 3¾ cups |
| 2 medium | tomatoes, optional | 2 medium |
| 2 tablespoons | chopped parsley | 2½ tablespoons |
| 1 teaspoon | chopped thyme or tarragon or ½ teaspoon dried thyme or tarragon | 1 teaspoon |
| to taste | salt and freshly ground black pepper | to taste |
| To garnish | ||
| cream or yoghurt |
Note: Choose vegetables that will give a range of colour and textures, e.g.
Spring: broad (fava) beans, carrots, fennel, early potatoes.
Summer: fresh green beans and peas, young carrots and turnip.
Autumn: broccoli, celery, leeks, sweetcorn (fresh, frozen or canned).
Winter: carrots, celeriac, leeks, turnip, parsnip.
Peel and finely chop the onions. Prepare your other vegetables as necessary. Heat the butter or margarine in a saucepan, add the onions and cook gently for 5 minutes. Pour the water into the pan, bring to the boil and add the vegetables. Boil steadily for 10 minutes. If too thick, add a little extra water. Skin and finely chop the tomatoes, then add to the pan with the herbs and seasoning to taste. Continue cooking for a further 5 minutes, then garnish and serve.
• Add a vegetable stock cube to the water for extra flavour.
• If fresh tomatoes are not available, add 1 to 2 tablespoons (1¼ to 2½ tablespoons) tomato purée (paste) or use about 300 ml/½ pint (1¼ cups) tomato juice instead of the same amount of water.
Speedy Cream of Vegetable Soup: Follow the recipe on the previous page, but use only 600 ml/1 pint (2 ½ cups) water.
When the vegetables are tender, blend 1 level tablespoon (1¼ level tablespoons) cornflour (cornstarch) with 150 ml/½ pint (⅔ cup) milk and 150 ml/¼ pint (⅔ cup) single (light) cream. Stir into the vegetable mixture and cook steadily, stirring all the time, until thickened.
Alternatively, purée the vegetables first, then return them to the pan and add the cornflour mixture. In this case, use only 2 level teaspoons cornflour. Cook steadily, stirring all the time, until thickened. Steady, rather than quick cooking is particularly important if tomatoes or tomato juice are in the soup.
Freezing: The basic soup freezes well. If making the Speedy Cream of Vegetable Soup it is better to freeze the cooked vegetables and add the cornflour mixture when the soup has been defrosted and reheated.
The soups on the following pages can all be cooked quickly, particularly if you use time-saving devices.
Microwave cooking fish works well, and fish soups are no exception. The flavour is excellent, provided the fish is not overcooked. Overcooking in the microwave makes fish dry and hard. When the fish is added to the other ingredients, allow just over half the cooking time that it would need in a saucepan. If the fish does not appear to be quite cooked, allow the soup to stand for 2 or 3 minutes after cooking and check again. You will probably find that during the standing time the cooking has been completed and the fish is perfectly tender. If it is not quite ready, replace the bowl in the microwave and cook for a further 1 or 2 minutes.
The recipes based on canned consommé take about two-thirds of the cooking time needed in a saucepan.
The chicken soups on pages 151 to 159 also take about two-thirds of the ordinary cooking time provided you boil the water before adding it to the other ingredients.
General information about cooking soups in a microwave appears on page 7.
Pressure cooking can be used for fish and chicken soups. They take just under half the ordinary cooking time given in the recipe and require 25 per cent less liquid.
The recipes based on consommé are so quickly cooked in a saucepan that cooking under pressure after the preliminary stages would not save much time.
General information about making soups in a pressure cooker appears on page 7.
Cooking time: 25 minutes • Serves 4
Arbroath Smokies are small, delicately flavoured smoked haddock. As the smoking process cooks them, subsequent heating can be kept to a minimum. For the best results, use home-made chicken stock (see page 14) rather than a stock cube. A famous Scottish haddock soup, Cullen Skink, is on page 118.
| Metric/Imperial | Ingredients | American |
| 1 small | onion | 1 small |
| 1 small | leek | 1 small |
| 1 medium | potato | 1 medium |
| 50 g/2 oz | butter | ¼ cup |
| 900 ml/1½ pints | water | 3¾ cups |
| 1 | chicken stock cube | 1 |
| 350 to 450 g/12 oz to 1 lb | Arbroath Smokies | ¾ to 1 lb |
| to taste | salt and freshly ground black pepper | to taste |
| to taste | cayenne pepper, optional | to taste |
| To garnish | ||
| chopped parsley and/or chopped dill |
Peel, then finely and neatly chop the onion, leek and potato. Heat the butter and cook the vegetables for 10 minutes. Add the water and stock cube, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, skin the smokies and divide the fish into neat, bite-sized pieces. Add to the liquid, simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, then season to taste (be sparing with the salt). Garnish and serve.
Smoked Kipper Broth: Cook kippers in a little boiling water, then drain and use the flaked flesh instead of smokies in the soup above. A few tablespoons of the liquid in which the kippers were cooked could be used with the water. In this case, you may have sufficient flavour to omit the stock cube, or to use only half of it.
Smoked Trout Broth: Use smoked trout instead of smokies. You will need 2 good-sized trout as there is considerable wastage from the heads, skins and bones. These could be simmered to make a fish stock, which could be substituted for the water and chicken stock cube or chicken stock. This trout soup could be garnished with lightly whipped cream flavoured with a little horseradish cream.
Do not freeze.
Cooking time: 25 minutes • Serves 4 to 6
The combination of leeks, tomato and crab makes this a particularly interesting soup. If possible, use all white crabmeat, but it can be frozen, canned or fresh. There is a famous crab soup, Partan Bree, on page 122.
| Metric/Imperial | Ingredients | American |
| 350 g/12 oz | small leeks, weight when prepared | ¾ lb |
| 25 g/1 oz | butter | 2 tablespoons |
| 25 g/1 oz | plain (all-purpose) flour | ¼ cup |
| 600 ml/1 pint | tomato juice | 2 ½cups |
| 450 ml/¾ pint | water | scant 2 cups |
| 2 teaspoons | lemon juice, or to taste | 2 teaspoons |
| 225 to 350 g/8 to 12 oz | crabmeat | ½ to ¾ lb |
| to taste | salt and freshly ground black pepper | to taste |
| To garnish | ||
| little whipped cream or cream cheese | ||
| lemon wedges |
Wash the leeks, discard the tough green parts of the stalks, but use a little of the tender green. Slice thinly. Heat the butter in the saucepan, add the leeks and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, then add the tomato juice, water and lemon juice. Stir as the mixture comes to the boil and thickens slightly. Cover the pan and simmer steadily for 10 minutes. Add the crabmeat and stir into the hot liquid. Heat for a few moments only, then season to taste. Spoon into warmed soup bowls, then garnish and serve.
• Sieve or liquidize the cooked leeks, then return to the pan, stir in the crabmeat and heat for a few minutes.
• Add half a fish stock cube to emphasize the fish flavour.
• For a more savoury taste, add 1 crushed garlic clove to the leeks.
• If using fresh crabmeat, make stock from the shells and small claws, as described on page 15, and use this instead of water.
• If you have no tomato juice, use about 225 g/8 oz (½ lb) skinned, deseeded and chopped tomatoes, or a small can of chopped tomatoes plus an extra 300 ml/½ pint (1¼ cups) of water or 2 tablespoons (2½ tablespoons) tomato purée (paste) diluted with 600 ml/1 pint (2½ cups) additional water.
Mussel Soup: Use about 225 g/8 oz (½ lb) cooked mussels (weight without shells), prepared as described on page 127, instead of the crabmeat. Take the mussels out of their shells when cooked. (You will need at least 550 g/1¼ lb mussels in their shells to give the required weight.)
Prawn or Shrimp Soup: Use peeled and chopped prawns or shrimps instead of crabmeat.
Do not freeze.
If using frozen crabmeat, allow it to defrost before using to save time in heating.
Cooking time: 20 minutes • Serves 4 to 6
This is a delicious creamy soup with the delicate flavour of ginger. Adjust the amount of root ginger used to personal taste. Do not pre-cook the salmon: the small dice of fish cook well in the liquid and retain all their flavour.
| Metric/Imperial | Ingredients | American |
| 450 g/1 lb | salmon fillet | 1 lb |
| 2 cm/¾ inch | root ginger | ¾ inch |
| 900 ml/1½ pints | milk | 3¾ cups |
| 100 g/4 oz | frozen peas | ¾ cup |
| to taste | salt and freshly ground black pepper | to taste |
| 1 tablespoon | cornflour (cornstarch) | 1¼ tablespoons |
| 300 ml/½ pint | single (light) cream | 1¼ cups |
| 1 oz/25 g | butter | 2 tablespoons |
| To garnish | ||
| lemon wedges |
Skin the salmon fillet and cut the flesh into 1.25 to 2 cm/½ to ¾ inch dice. Peel and grate the ginger. Bring nearly all the milk to the boil with the ginger, add the salmon and frozen peas (there is no need to defrost them) together with a little seasoning. Simmer for 10 minutes. Blend the cornflour with the rest of the milk, tip into the soup and stir briskly as it thickens. Lastly, add the cream and butter and heat. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning. Garnish and serve.
Do not freeze.
Cooking time: 20 minutes • Serves 4 to 6
A traditional bisque recipe appears on page 124 and describes how to make a fish stock from the shells of lobsters, crabs or prawns, or the bones of fish. In the speedy recipe below, water, milk and cream are used, plus a few drops of anchovy essence, to give more flavour to the trio of fish used. The bread thickens the soup.
| Metric/Imperial | Ingredients | American |
| 3 level tablespoons | soft white breadcrumbs | 3¾ level tablespoons |
| 300 ml/½ pint | water | 1¼ cups |
| 1 | lemon | 1 |
| 600 ml/1 pint | milk | 2½ cups |
| few drops | anchovy essence | few drops |
| 175 g/6 oz | peeled prawns or shrimps | 1 cup |
| 175 g/6 oz | fresh, frozen or canned white crabmeat | 1 cup |
| 100 g/4 oz | canned salmon, weight without bones or skin | ¾ cup |
| 300 ml/½ pint | single (light) cream | 1¼ cups |
| to taste | salt and freshly ground black pepper | to taste |
Put the breadcrumbs into a saucepan with the water. Heat for a few minutes until the water reaches boiling point, then remove from the heat and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Pare the zest from half the lemon and squeeze out the juice. Put the zest into the pan with the breadcrumbs. Cut the other half of the lemon into wafer-thin slices and set aside for garnish.
Pour the milk over the breadcrumbs and liquid in the pan, heat gently. Add the anchovy essence, the fish, cream, lemon juice and seasoning, heat steadily for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir once or twice to break up the salmon. Serve topped with the lemon slices.
• Use just one kind of fish; in this case, you need at least 350 g/12 oz (2 cups).
Seafood and Fennel Bisque: Simmer 3 tablespoons (4 tablespoons) finely chopped fennel root for a few minutes in the water before adding the breadcrumbs. Omit the lemon zest and juice in the recipe above but add 2 teaspoons chopped fennel leaves. Garnish with lemon slices and sprigs of fennel leaves.
Do not freeze.
This is an ideal soup to cook in a microwave. Follow the recipe above, but cook the fish only until it is heated; do not overcook.
The following soups are all based on consommé, either canned or homemade (see pages 49 to 55). If you have no consommé, dissolve a stock (bouillon) cube in water; this will make a less rich soup than consommé.
Cooking time: 20 to 25 minutes • Serves 4
This soup has a refreshing and well-spiced flavour. It is equally good made with a chicken, or meat-flavoured stock cube, and excellent with canned consommé.
| Metric/Imperial | Ingredients | American |
| 1 tablespoon | sunflower oil | 1¼ tablespoons |
| 4 tablespoons | chopped spring onions (scallions) | 5 tablespoons |
| 3 teaspoons | curry paste or powder | 3 teaspoons |
| 3 tablespoons | grated cooking apple | 4 tablespoons |
| 1.2 litres/2 pints | water | 5 cups |
| 1 | chicken, beef or lamb stock cube, or to personal taste | 1 |
| 2 tablespoons | seedless raisins | 2½ tablespoons |
| 2 tablespoons | long-grain rice | 2½ tablespoons |
| to taste | salt and freshly ground black pepper | to taste |
Heat the oil, add the onions and curry paste or powder and cook for 2 minutes. Stir the apple into the curry mixture, then add the water. Bring to the boil, add the stock cube with the remaining ingredients and cook until the rice is tender.
• Use canned consommé instead of the water and stock cube, or use half consommé and half water.
Freezing: While this soup can be frozen, it is so quickly prepared that it hardly seems worthwhile.
Cooking time: 25 minutes • Serves 4 to 6
This is a very satisfying soup which could be served as a light main dish. Make sure the chicken flesh is very finely chopped, minced or processed in order to cook the soup quickly. If speed is not too important, cut the chicken into small, neat dice. As the soup is not sieved or liquidized, chop all the vegetables finely and neatly.
| Metric/Imperial | Ingredients | American |
| 225 to 350 g/8 to 12 oz | chicken breast | ½ to ¾ lb |
| 2 medium | onions | 2 medium |
| 2 medium | tomatoes | 2 medium |
| 100 g/4 oz | button mushrooms | ¼ lb |
| 2 tablespoons | sunflower oil | 2½ tablespoons |
| 1 litre/1¾ pints | water | scant 4½ cups |
| 1 | chicken stock cube | 1 |
| 1 tablespoon | chopped parsley | 1¼ tablespoons |
| to taste | salt and freshly ground black pepper | to taste |
Mince or finely chop the chicken. Peel and finely chop the onions and tomatoes (these can be deseeded if desired). Wipe and thinly slice the mushrooms. Heat the oil in a pan, add the chicken and vegetables and cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring all the time.
Boil the water in a kettle, then add to the pan with the stock cube. Bring to simmering point, add the parsley and a little seasoning. Cover the pan and cook for another 10 minutes. Check the chicken is cooked. Taste the soup, add additional seasoning if required and serve.
• Add 1 tablespoon (1¼ tablespoons) long-grain rice. Blend this with the vegetables and chicken after these have been cooked in the oil and before adding the water. If using rice the cooking time must be a little longer than given in the recipe above.
Do not freeze.
Cooking time: 25 minutes • Serves 4 to 6
The combination of chicken with water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and soy sauce makes this soup both interesting and satisfying. In order to cook the chicken within the time given, the breast should be finely chopped or minced. If you have a little more time, choose chicken legs rather than breasts as they have more flavour, but allow an extra 10 minutes’ cooking time.
| Metric/Imperial | Ingredients | American |
| 225 to 350 g/8 to 12 oz | chicken breast | ½ to ¾ lb |
| 1 small | carrot | 1 small |
| 1 small | leek | 1 small |
| 1 small bunch | spring onions (scallions) | 1 small bunch |
| 1½ tablespoons | sunflower oil | scant 2 tablespoons |
| 2 teaspoons | grated root ginger | 2 teaspoons |
| 1 litre/1¾ pints | water | scant 4½ cups |
| 1 | chicken stock cube | 1 |
| 6 to 8 | canned water chestnuts | 6 to 8 |
| ¼ to ½ | canned bamboo shoot | ¼ to ½ |
| 1 tablespoon | soy sauce | 1¼ tablespoons |
Mince or finely chop the chicken. Peel and grate or finely dice the carrot. Wash and thinly slice the white part of the leek. If the spring onions (scallions) are small, cut them in half; if larger, cut into slices.
Heat the oil in a saucepan, then add the chicken and prepared ingredients together with the root ginger. Stir over a low heat for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, boil the water, add to the pan with the stock cube and simmer for 5 minutes.
Drain the water chestnuts and bamboo shoots and cut into fine strips. Add to the soup with the soy sauce and heat for 5 to 8 minutes. No extra seasoning should be needed in this soup, but taste just before serving and add a little salt and pepper if required.
• When time permits, use home-made Chicken or Oriental Stock (see pages 14 and 15) instead of water and a stock cube.
• Add a few tablespoons of finely chopped fresh or canned beansprouts.
Oriental Duck Soup: Use finely diced duck, free from skin and fat, instead of chicken. The cooking time for the soup will then be about 35 minutes. Use a chicken stock cube with the water, or better still, use home-made Chicken or Duck Stock (see page 14).
Freezing: The soup should not be frozen, but you can transfer the remaining water chestnuts and bamboo shoot(s) with their liquid to suitable containers and freeze for future use.
Cooking time: 25 minutes • Serves 4 to 6
Although it is ideal to use uncooked chicken in a soup, this particular dish has such a lot of flavour from bacon, vegetables and herbs that cooked chicken can be used. In fact, this soup is a good way of using the small pieces of chicken left on a carcass. You will find the timing for making the soup with uncooked chicken under Variation.
| Metric/Imperial | Ingredients | American |
| 4 rashers | bacon | 4 slices |
| 2 medium | potatoes | 2 medium |
| 2 medium | onions | 2 medium |
| 100 g/4 oz | button mushrooms | ¼ lb |
| 2 | celery sticks | 2 |
| 25 g/1 oz | butter | 2 tablespoons |
| 1 litre/1¾ pints | water | scant 4½ cups |
| 1 | chicken stock cube | 1 |
| 2 tablespoons | chopped parsley | 2½ tablespoons |
| 1 tablespoon | chopped chives | 1¼ tablespoons |
| 1 teaspoon | chopped thyme | 1 teaspoon |
| to taste | salt and freshly ground black pepper | to taste |
| 1 to 2 teaspoons | ready-made English mustard | 1 to 2 teaspoons |
| 350 g/12 oz | cooked chicken | ¾ lb |
| To garnish | ||
| grated or cream cheese |
Derind the bacon and cut the rashers into small pieces. Peel the potatoes and onions, cut the potatoes into 1.25 cm/½ inch dice and finely chop the onions. Wipe and slice the mushrooms. Finely slice the celery.
Heat the bacon rinds with the butter, add the chopped bacon and vegetables and cook steadily over the heat, stirring from time to time, for 10 minutes.
Bring the water to the boil and pour over the ingredients in the pan. Add the stock cube, herbs, a little seasoning and the mustard. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Dice the chicken neatly, add to the soup and heat for 5 minutes. Remove the bacon rinds and serve the chowder topped with the cheese.
• If using uncooked chicken, cut it into 1.25 cm/½ inch dice. Allow 50 g/2 oz (¼ cup) of butter and cook the chicken with the bacon for 5 minutes. Add the vegetables and cook for a further 10 minutes. Add the water and stock cube, or better still, real Chicken Stock (see page 14), plus the remaining ingredients and cook for a further 15 minutes.
Do not freeze.
Cooking time: 5 or 10 minutes • Serves 4 to 6
This soup is based upon the well-known spiced dip guacamole, and can be served hot or cold. When serving it cold, I prefer to use ripe, ordinary tomatoes; if serving it hot, I would choose plum tomatoes.
| Metric/Imperial | Ingredients | American |
| 900 ml/1½ pints | water | 3¾ cups |
| 1 | vegetable or chicken stock cube | 1 |
| 2 | garlic cloves | 2 |
| 6 tablespoons | chopped spring onions (scallions) | 7½ tablespoons |
| 350 g/12 oz | tomatoes | ¾ lb |
| 3 medium | avocados | 3 medium |
| 1 tablespoon | lemon juice | 1¼ tablespoons |
| to taste | salt and freshly ground black pepper | to taste |
| to taste | Tabasco sauce | to taste |
| To garnish | ||
| lemon slices |
If serving cold: put about 150 ml/¼ pint (⅔ cup) of water into a pan, add the stock cube and heat until dissolved. Remove from the heat, add the cold water and mix together.
Peel and crush the garlic cloves, add to the onions. Skin, deseed and chop the tomatoes. Halve the avocados, remove the stones and skin, chop the flesh and sprinkle with the lemon juice immediately.
Sieve or liquidize all the ingredients with some of the stock. Blend with the remaining stock, then add salt, pepper and Tabasco to taste. Chill well and garnish with the lemon before serving.
If serving hot: heat all the water with the stock cube. Prepare the ingredients as above, then sieve or liquidize with a little of the stock. Return to the pan, add the seasoning and Tabasco sauce, heat for a few minutes only, then garnish and serve.
Do not freeze.
Cooking time: 15 minutes • Serves 4 to 6
Cheese soups make an excellent light meal; if served as a first course, be fairly sparing with the portions as the soup is very satisfying. Never overcook a cheese soup; when the cheese has melted the soup is ready to serve; long cooking makes the cheese stringy. The addition of firm ingredients, such as sweetcorn and carrots, gives an interesting appearance and texture. Soups are a good way of using up cheese that has become dry; grate or dice it finely so that it melts quickly.
| Metric/Imperial | Ingredients | American |
| 1 or 2 | garlic cloves | 1 or 2 |
| 175 g/6 oz | mature Cheddar cheese | 1½ cups, when grated |
| 25 g/1 oz | butter | 2 tablespoons |
| 25 g/1 oz | plain (all-purpose) flour | ¼ cup |
| 900 ml/1½ pints | milk | 3¾ cups |
| 2 medium | carrots, grated | 2 medium |
| 100 g/4 oz | canned sweetcorn | ¼ lb |
| to taste | salt and freshly ground white pepper | to taste |
| 1 teaspoon | ready-made English or French mustard | 1 teaspoon |
Peel the garlic cloves but leave them whole. Grate the cheese. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the garlic and turn in the butter until pale golden. Stir in the flour, then add the milk. Bring to the boil and stir until thickened. Add the carrots and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes (they should remain fairly firm). Add the sweetcorn, then stir in the cheese until melted. Add salt, pepper and mustard to taste. Remove the garlic and serve.
• For a more savoury flavour, increase the amount of butter to 50 g/2 oz (¼ cup). Peel and finely chop 1 medium onion and cook with the garlic cloves.
• Use half milk and half chicken stock.
• Diced celery or finely grated celeriac could be used in place of the sweetcorn.
• Choose other good cooking cheeses, such as Double Gloucester, Cheshire or Stilton (see below).
Golden Stilton Soup: Use diced Stilton cheese in place of the Cheddar.
Stilton Soup: Omit the carrot and corn in the first recipe and use Stilton instead of Cheddar cheese. Heat 50 g/2 oz (¼ cup) butter and cook 2 finely chopped medium onions and 2 crushed garlic cloves until tender. Add the flour, as in the first recipe, but with 450 ml/¾ pint (scant 2 cups) of chicken stock and only 300 ml/½ pint (1¼ cups) of milk. When thickened, sieve or liquidize. Return to the pan with the cheese and seasoning to taste, and heat until the cheese has melted. Continue as the recipe. Garnish with croûtons before serving.
Freezing: All these cheese soups freeze well, but take care when defrosted that they are heated for the minimum time.
Cooking time: 15 to 20 minutes 1 Serves 4
This is a very satisfying soup, which lends itself to many variations (see below). The actual cooking time depends upon the kind of pasta used. Short-cut, quick-cooking macaroni or small shells are an ideal choice, but long pasta, such as spaghetti, can be broken into small pieces before cooking. Soup noodles could be used if you prefer. Do not overcook the pasta: while it can be served softer in a soup, it retains more flavour if slightly al dente (firm to the bite).
| Metric/Imperial | Ingredients | American |
| 1 small | onion | 1 small |
| 900 ml/1½ pints | canned consommé or water with 1 chicken, meat or vegetable stock cube | 3¾ cups |
| 75 g/3 oz | pasta, see above | ⅔ cup |
| 300 ml/½ pint | milk | 1¼ cups |
| 2 tablespoons | chopped parsley | 2½ tablespoons |
| 1 tablespoon | chopped chives | 1¼ tablespoons |
| to taste | salt and freshly ground black pepper | to taste |
| 3 tablespoons | grated Parmesan cheese | 3¾ tablespoons |
Peel and chop or thinly slice the onion. Bring the consommé or water and stock cube to the boil, add the onion and pasta. Cook in an uncovered pan until nearly tender, then add the milk, herbs and any seasoning required. Heat well then stir in the cheese and serve.
• Instead of Parmesan cheese, use about 100 g/4 oz (¼ lb) grated Gruyère, Cheddar or other good cooking cheese.
• For a richer soup use half milk and half single (light) cream.
• Add 1 or 2 finely chopped hard-boiled eggs to the soup.
• Add a little finely chopped crisp bacon or cooked ham or chicken to the soup with the milk and herbs.
• Add finely diced cooked vegetables to the soup just before serving.
• Vegetarians could use all water and omit the milk, or use soya milk.
• Rice and Cheese Soup: Use 75 g/3 oz (scant ½ cup) long-grain rice instead of the pasta. Any of the variations work well with rice.
Freezing: Do not freeze. The first soup is inclined to lose both texture and flavour. The variation with rice freezes better.
The following suggestions are based on ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.
Cheese: Top vegetable and other soups with a little grated cheese or with a small spoonful of cream or curd cheese.
Cream, etc: A spoonful of cream turns a soup into a more luxurious dish and adds a richer flavour. Yoghurt, soured cream, crème fraîche or fromage frais are other alternatives. Add any creamy topping immediately before serving the soup so that it does not dissolve in the hot liquid.
If you draw a knife through thick cream or yoghurt, you can create an interesting feathered effect. Alternatively, whip the cream and put a blob on top of the soup.
If the recipe requires soured cream and none is available, see below. Directions for freezing soups containing cream or yoghurt appear at the end of the recipe or in the introduction to that particular chapter.
Croûtons: If you have frozen croûtons, take them out of the freezer shortly before they are required (see page 193). Ready-prepared croûtons are on general sale.
Herbs: Chopped herbs make a soup look colourful and add flavour. It saves time if you chop small batches with a sharp knife or kitchen scissors and store them in covered containers in the refrigerator or freezer.
Nuts: Chopped nuts make an interesting garnish on a number of soups and also add to the food value. Blanched and flaked almonds (obtainable in packets) are a particularly good garnish for chicken or vegetable soups.
This is made commercially from single (light) cream to which a culture has been added, giving it a slightly sharp taste. It gives a subtle flavour to many kinds of dishes, including soup.
To produce the same effect at home, simply add a little lemon juice to fresh cream, tasting as you do so to achieve the desired acidic flavour.